The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-05-07
CHAPTER xII-contlnued.

RuluS anu L DOtn asked MN TO. Let
Rufus-and Jack-handle it together.
Between them, they'll make rather an
exhaustive study, don't you think? And
they might turn up something that all
of us would want to know"
That's right! It's a thought. Well
-" Cullen looked at his watch. 81
can't waste any more time on this tom
fool business. ought to have been
in the office an hour ago. Anybody go
ing downtown
Il am-but I'll walk" said Waring
Sulenly.
Can stay?" asked billiard of An
gela, in an undertone.
Il want you to-" she said. Her eyes
followed Waring to. the doorway.
After they had been alone for full
minute, and neither of them had ut
tered syllable, it came to Hilliard
that the chief difficulty in being evil
is to make an end of it, but that the
chief difficulty in being virtuous is to-
begin. His brain was active and his
emotions were placid; but 10 his mild
perpleXity he had no compelling de-
sire to make start There was no
restraining impediment working
against him, as on the occasion of his
interview with Carol; his impulses
were merely lazy Indeed he was
rather highly gratified at the course
of things this morning; he argued
ho& orc rr,-
itinerary had relieved him from any
necessity of an out-and-Out avowal of
his innocent fraud; it was much more
satisfactory, since all the issues were
so confused, to turn his affairs over
to Cullen, and to await the inevitable
verdict on an impersonal basis. In the
meantime, he was deeply touched by
Cullen's confidence in him; Cullen and
Carol Durant alike had refused to be-
lieve the obvious truth; he wondered
stolidly what it would have meant to
him to have had such a reputation
from his youth onward; the gratifica-
ton now would have been Superlative
provided only that he had been en-
titled to his pride.
"He's jealous of YOU" said Angela
abruptly. ''That'S all-hes jealous.
Simply wild with it. You know that
don't your"
billiard started; for it wasn't an
emboldening beginning. Not the least
so; it implied exactly the sort of rival
ry which he had feared, and which he
had come to relinquish.
"Who is? Oh! Rufus Waring?"
TERRIBLY jealous. Perfectly crazy
with it. That's what all this whole
mess is about" She tossed her head
willfully. II don't care; do you?"
The unreserved bluntness of it near
ly took him off his feet; renewing the
devastating suspicion that Angela had
grown to care too much for him--too
much for her own good.
"Why, Angela!" he said lamely. "Of
course do 1t hurts me-"
She hammered gold-embroidered
sOfa-cuShion with one tiny fist.
ooh, he's jealous of everything and
everybody. That doesn't count any
more. Only it made me perfectly
furious. :. wanted to scratch him
+. the gerry idea of his daring to say
anything like that about you! Even
if you do like me lotI' She sighed
heavily. Sand yet if you stop to think
about it, it was sort of brave, too
standing up to all of us when 1t was
three to one, and he was wrong-poor
dear!'
billiard looked down at her with
deep affection and troubled relief.
'.As long as I've defender like you
/ wouldn't worry" he said, 'but I'm
afraid it won't be for so very long,
Angela, that you'll feel like defending
me-
''Why not2" she asked.
Just a notion of NINE 1t strikes
me that you're fonder of Rufus than
you let yourself think. And he needs
champion worse than 1 do; I'm more
used to taking care of myself
The corners of her mouth were pc
euliarly sensitive.
''Such a queer notionw she said.
"Where'd you ever get it?"
"Oh, it came of it's own accord.
=. :"
cts been such funny day." she
said, musing. Rufus was funny, and
Dad was funny, and you're so funny,
and Carol was funny this morning,
and I'm funny now, and"
Carroll" he echoed invOluntarily.
She laughed at him, enjoying his dis
comfture with the sweet inSolence of
a naughty juvenile; and it was note
worthy that her arrangement of War
ing stopped short at this point.
81 know something about you.' she
tainted wickedly.
''What do you know, bright child?"
he demanded, red to the temples.
81 know,' Her tone was singing.
$50 do you'll Look at the man blush
Why, you guilty thing! Why, you red
geranium
He sat down beside her, staring at
her vivid, flower-like face.
"AngeIa, you little demon, stop
laughing at me"
It was fresh incentive she only bub-
AIad 4ba moro