Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-01
CHAPTER TX
The Beauty Prize.

wonder-a specially-Wrltten "ohue'
done in three colors on the front page
of the Sunday sup. There was de-
mand for the Chronicle at the Junction
depot after the one-ten train and at
the post-office news stand which SOLD
out every paper and the agents teie-
graphed to Burlington for more. There
was none In Earlville; the two towns
forgot their chickering's and gazed-
many Sunday dinner was delayed
while they gabbled about Aurslie Lind
strom's picture with its three-coior
border of cupids and hearts and darts
and young men in evening clothes
tangled in spiders webs and all the
sort of thing that publishers use 10
embellish whatever they print about
girls.
AS Mr.. Curran Of the News often
remarked, as he fingered the maga-
zines at the post-office news stand and
opened his Sunday paper, the Ameri-
can people were perfectly crazy about
girls IL their art and literature went
for anything. But Rome, Iowa, wasn't.
Young men that sunny November
Sunday drove their sweethearts OUT
the quarry road, feet on the DASH
boards. chewing their gum, gazing at
Miss Lindstrom's picture, peering fur-
lively at the Lindstrom house, and then
drove back no wiser than before. Not
q glimpse of the three-color beauty
winner did they, get And on all the
buggy rides and walking home from
the young peoples services 1t was
agreed that she was preposterously
oyerrated. And in all the comments
sarcastic, belittling. cruel-ran the note
of inquiry; what would the bootleg
gers girl do now?
Aurelie sat In a sort Of bewilder-
ment when Knute brought the frst
Sunday Chronicle home. When John
came back from church he saw 1t on
the floor and tore the offending picture
from the page Then he ordered her
harshly to go to her room, and the girl
obeyed. In the chill of the tiny cham
Der she sat staring at the little silver
crucifix hanging over her mirror. Ola
Michigan crept in after while, when
the buzz of silly neighbor women grew
too much for him In the kitchen. He.
sat on the edge Of Aurelie's little white.
bed and drew her down until her hair
was tangled in his shaggy beard.
Done come up-river," he whispered.
ito occupy the land! Reckon so.
Don't mind John. my little girl. He's
hard with his religion, but he's mean
in well. Law done drove him to his
bitterness and exile, and give him hate
stead OF love. But my girl he can't
change hair of your head, or the pink
of your pretty eheek!" 'a
And then she cried as Aurelie rarely
cried; and crept to the old whisky ped
ler, and all the afternoon they huddled
together to keep warm, while Mrs.
Lindstrom's silly chatter to the neigh.
bor women went on, and the boys sat
apart in awe as IL some tragedy had
fallen on them. The gossip OF the
town went on. The next day young
Butts of the Mercury journal drove
from Earlville to interview her and
met a gaunt feverish-eyed man who
ordered him away, his shotgun lying
handily across the rail fence. The cor
respondent saw two ragged tow-head-
ed children and lean-hipped cow or
two beyond the forlorn shanty and that
was all. Beyond was the corn patch,
and the other unpainted cottages Of the
quarrymen. and then the gray bluff
with its never ceasing roar and dust
cloud from Thad Tanners quarry. .
Some curious town people tried to
call. Lindstrom gave them the same
grim welcome. And all the week the
town seethed with curiosity. Prim
misses read the newspapers more as
siduously than. ever before; and the
Chronicle felicitated itself and spread
with more details Of Aurelie's life-in-
cjdentally setting loose horde Of can
vassers all over the state to work up
subscriptions, giving away half-tone
Of the beauty winner with each.
What does II mean?" Illuminated
the Chronicle, for this little country
girl to be announced as the most
beautiful woman In the country? In
the first place II means admiration,
love. That is first in every woman's
heart of hearts Hundreds of thous-
ands of men have gazed on her picture
and felt their hearts moved. Thous-
ands have written declaring they ador-
ed her. Sincere honest men, some OF
them laborers, some millionaires, have
offered their hands to the modest
young beauty They send references
of their social and financial standing,
church and lodge connections and
prospects. Lawyers offer her positions
as stenographer; manufacturers seek
to have her demonstrate their goods;
she is asked to sing, to lecture, to go
On the stage. Ministers write her ad-
vice; actresses ask the secret Of her
beauty: mothers warn her against the
seductions Of her fame. Strangers
come to the little Iowa farm to gaze on
the abode of beauty: the telephone bell
is constantly ringing as people call up
to congratulate her. She is showered
with gifts, honors, invitations. emolu-
ments-so great thing is 1t to be de-
clared by the Chronicle to be the most
beautiful woman in the land"
AS Vawter, the artist, the pimply.
faced youth who took that luckless
picture in his shabby studio up above
the Hub Clothing store, remarked to
Mr.. Curran: "Oh, Gawd!"
Vawter was peevish because none
mentioned that he took the photo
graph. Here's you and me. Wiley
stirred up all this bunk-and just
think of 'em sayin' there's a telephone
down in Old Mich's shack in the bot
toms-and we amt gettin' cussed
thing out of 1t! We amt even gotta
line in the papers! Why don't you
roast 'em?"
Wiley Curran smiled distantly.
Bunk" shifted Vawter, the artist
and went away. II don't believe any
thousand millionaires want to marry
- l.