The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
CHAPTER XV-Continued.

SImagineln said Elsie Dickinson in
group about his mothers porch one
evening. "a travelling man who came
in pap's store yesterday told him that
Aurelie Lindstrom was being billed in
a stock company as the One Hundred
Thousand Dollar Prize Beauty-and
was wearing diamonds! l don't sup
pose they are realP
Mrs. Van Hart was watching Har-
lan's face. She was thankful that none
of the younger set had ever known OF
her sons summer infatuation. Now
Hsrlan's firm lips closed as coldly, his
square jaw set as hard as his mother S
had done the night Aurelie was dis
missed. The mothers placidly was un-
ruffled. "As real, my DEAR" she muir
INJURED, "as her beauty prize. AS an
advertisement for the newspapers she
ives undoubtedly a success, however.
But the diamonds-are those men who
used to run the livery stable still her
managers"
Ever so carelessly! But Harlan's
jaw set more doggedly. She had stung
the last refuge OF his pride. The Nc
Fetridge boys-and Aurelie.
And the story of those diamonds
wandered over the town and grew and
grew. First a mere brooch, then d
necklace-after that a tiara! Playter,
the druggist, told Wiley Curran of
Hen McFetridge clothing Aurelie in
diamonds out OF the exploitation of his
doubtful oil speculations, and Wiley
called him a liar. The News lost an
other advertising contract right there.
Wiley told Aunt Abby about it that
night at supper. She looked curiously at
his drawn face Wiley, | don't believe
1t. That girls as good as gold. And
good girls don't sell their virtue, Wiley
they give it away, maybe, because
they love. And Aurelie doesn't love
Hen McFetridge-the twins Just amuSe
her. Her letters show that
And the old lady waddled to the
Sewing Circle that night TO hear what
she could hear, to defend what might
be defended. There was need. Au-
relic was the towns daughter OF scarlet
long before half the missionary boxes
were filled that year, and the Shakes
pCarc Club was done with its critical
study OF Desdemonia'S story. Aunt
Abby was unable 10 CounteraCt the
Shakes pea-e Club digressions, for the
Shakespeare Club was composed al
most wholly OF High Street ladies'
And Shakespeare Club gossip, though
covert and well bred. was as deadly
The Rome Shakespeare Club held itself
aloof. The Earlville Woman's Club
was busy with civic programs. Every
time the Rome Shakespearean ladies
had 4 paper on Twelfth Night" or
Lear. the Earlville women had a
protest 10 the city council about street
lighting OF the saloons or the need
or shade trees. As the Mercury-Jou |
nal said: The Woman's Club was the |
Invest booster in the burg
The Rome women never bOsted any /
body except Shakespeare or Ruskin. or |
he Intellectual Development OF Eu- |
rope. OF the Court OF Louis NV. :
There were two persons in Rome !
who were silent about that gossip con-
cerning Aurelie. Harlan, lounging in
Wiley, shop as of old, after the DAYS t,
grind, reading state exchanges and /
hantering the editor on politics, never (
asked Of her; nor did Wiley relate /.
OF her letters. Apparently their friend
ship drifted back to the old affection. !,
yet there was this one reserve. /
Wiley would look up from his Job ,
turned to him in d study Harlan was !
easily the best-dressed man in the
county; even the drummers about the |
Elks' Club in Earlville, or the Hotel .
MetrOpole, were no more punctfliouS
as to business garb. And Wiley was
in his shirt sleeves and we'll linked
sleeves at that. Invariably they
drawled at each other with summer
lazlne>s: Hot, isn't ii, Harlan?"
Yes"
"Bucking hard:'
Some dinky line-fence case Donley
turned over to me Justice court.
Terms closed, and dad is off to the
ST. Lawrence for vacation"
Make d note of it Farmer caught
a big catfsh-seventy pounds-at FL
lick, Ford Thursday. Dig up a squib
about that :"
Harlan lazily wrote out the copy;
il was the old high school habit to help
Wiley get out the News personals.
Also to jibe the editor about his paper.
Worst country sheet in Iowa, Wiley
worse and worst!
Il know. But still able to squawk
Wiley was distributing
type as Jim Minis was fishing. He
kicked the job press half an hour, and
then did the printers work under the
that he was getting both
tasks farther advanced somehow or
other. Still able to make Old Thad
cuss. Even if his Retail Merchants
Association is doing its best to head
off all my advertising Thad can round
Up the county to put through his Sin
Creek steal, but still the News can call
to il"
Harlan stirred: "Still you praised
ny argument before the board"
That was you, son! But as to the
,reek diversion, every one of those
ooor devils in the Pocket will be
drowned out" I
They haven't a sign of title. And
very property owner on the north side
will benefit"
Sure" >
You're hurting your political
hances, Wiley" II
Il know. But I can't help that. The
gets me, Harlan. l been one, t
myself. / have to fight for 'em! Mine I
wn people. | can't stop to consider {
whose land is benefited, or who has Z
he title at law. I'm only thinking of
hose people who fought floods and {
roughts and stumps TO make them '
elves their little corn patches and keep /
heir children alive on them down
here The News" his hand pat
I'd the splintered old type case fondly a
its always fought that way, some t
ow! It's never right-it's always a
yro1C ASL anv of the 1aw-ahidinoy ! u