The Ordway new era., 1920-09-03

/ 10 WIRING. we re soiiis 10 sei ~ '"e
bottom of this sooner or later-and
the sooner the better. I'm waiting for
you TO repeat what you just told us.
Rufus"
There were tears of anger In the
law students eyes-of anger and Of
impotence. He gave Angela look of
superb disdain. shrugged his shoulders.
well. that settles thati" he said
and us Angela gave gasp OF under
standing. and turned angrily white. he
laughed metallically.
Cullen moved nearer to him.
Are you going to speak up or not ?
Because II you aren't
Waring folded his arms: but he
still failed of the pose he planned. be-
cause his eyes and his muscles were
traitor to him.
mo. I'm not! Not until I'm ready
toi I'm not afraid OF the whole crowd
OF youl I'm not going to be bullied
and bulldozed into" He attempted
to brush past Cullen, the older man
caught him by the arm. ''Take your
hands Off me 7"
'iou stay where you are! stormed
Cullen. Until you can"
"If You lay your hands on me once
more. Mr.. Cullen I'll don't you
forget know what this means I'll
have yon-"
"Oh. your lawi" Cullen snorted 1t
contemptuously. "For Gods sake.
don't snivei about IT stand up
and take 1t like man. II you've got
any manhood In you! For a law STU
dent you're well. don't try to
run away from 1t. then. Are
you going to tell him. or am I?'
The answer was delayed: Cullen
swung around to Hili!ard. "Then I'll
tell you myself. Know what this boys
been saying about you? Coming up to
us when you're not here. and trying to
knife you when you're not lookingT
HlllIard. who had been standing
paralyzed. found voice.
"why, can guess" he said. curious
Iy calm. "And don't be harsh with
him. Mr.. Cullen. AS matter OF
fact"
Angela had sprung between them:
Hilliard saw that her cheeks were tear
stained.
ITS nothing but jealousy she
cried vehementiy. Hes said horrible
things about youi He's always say
ing things about you'll He said"
angela !" Cullen almost fairly
shouted It. 81 tell you. this is my
house. and won't have any more OF
this Internal nonsense In 1t! Hear
met I've had all the nonsense I'm CO.
Ing to stand from anybody! Rufus.
you stay right there! Angela. you
keep quietw He turned to Hllliard.
"lf you'd come in half minute SOON
er. you'd have heard this young whip
per-snnpper trying to make you out n
swindler! Trying to class you with
fake promoters and mining sharks !
look at himl Look at him / want to
veg that's what he didl You! Ana
tell you. HiliIard. it'll take more than
his sny-so TO start anything round
here! Don't you open your mouth.
Rufus -. you had your chance
and you wouldn't take IT. And want
to tell You right here and right now"
"Wnit a minute" Hilliard was
deadly quiet; the only quiet member
of the quartette. "There's no use In
telling all the neighbors just yet" He
regarded Waring kindly. "Do you mind
repeating precisely what you did say.
Rufus? Don't you think I'm entitled
to that much?"
The boy flushed agonizedly: he was
the accuser. and yet he couldn't meet
billiards eyes. II wasn't guilt 1t was
mere intellectual inferiorIty: and yet
1t gave exactly the opposite impres,
| sion.
"Well." he said desperately. 81 know
hearsay evidence Is no good. so got II
first hand-in your own room In the
Onondaga. didn't 1? You won't deny
that, will you? / didn't Just pick up
rumors-I got It from you. Didn't
go there and ask you questions. and
didn't you give me the data? Show ms
figures and everything? And told
Mr.. Cullen the very next day. II didn't
look good to me-" His voice rose
stridently. "All right. I'll say to him
and I'll say it to you, and III say 1t tc
anybody that'll listen to mel 1t dldn't
look good to me then. and II doesni
now. told him you acted darnet
funny about 1t. And just now I've beer
telling him don't believe it's straight
You're too blamed sketchy about Il
and it's got all the earmarks of n bun
promotion! There Cullen =
The omission OF the prefix to the ia
ther of his idol was the worst insul
he could conceive.
Cullen's hand was still on HillIard'
shoulder and 1t was Hliliard whom b.
addressed. explosively. and with tina
particular sort of muffled fury whicl
rises best from n set of clrcumsts nee
not thoroughly understood
"What this is all about is beyon,
me! Only. II this law minnow ha
gone ms far us this =. We've got T.
get at the bottom of 1t -. You know