Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-09
CHAPTER Xxx
A Little Silver Crucif7x.

the fodder cutting by, Bert Hemmin-
ger, the member Of the county board
from the bottoms district, drove down
the road that wound from the clay hills
back of the quarries to town, and came
upon a curious sight. About the abut-
ment Of the unfinished bridge, under
which the diverted waters Of Sinsina-
wa creek were to flow back to a long
choked channel, were cement barrels
and grading machines scattered as II
abandoned in some confusion. No work
was being done beyond the line fence.
and forty yards from that, on black
ened stump, sat gaunt and silent man
who rested a shotgun across his knees
The county board member stared and
then drove on. In front of Lindstrom's
gate, where he turned to town, Hem
minger saw Uncle Mich sitting on
broken wagon tongue. Whats this
fool John doing up there?" he asked
Michigan continued to whittle the
old vegetable basket under whose COW
er he was wont to peddle his Illicit
trade. Wont let the Tanner foreman
finish the job, Mr.. Hemminger. Done
told em agin to quit. Perkins, the fore
man, laid off his men and went back to
town to complain agin."
"Johnrl get hurt foolin' with Per-
kins' dagos-and the law, too" The
supervisors eye went to the old mans
basket. Uncle Mich-when this new
district attorney is elected, all You
fellows will have to quit the whisky
trade!"
81 reckon. The sheriff he ak all us
bootleggers to let up until after he gets
reelected! But quit for good"
"Quit? You!"
Done quit. My little girl did 1t, Mr..
Hemminger. She and Mr.. Curran, they
done want me to quit. Mr.. Curran and
our little girl"
Mr.. Hemminger drove on with
sigh. The story Of them actresses"
had done Mr. Curran no good, despite
his winning fight. Neither did his
Quixotic championship Of the Pocket
squatters. Mr.. Curran was always
meddling in some Improbable affair.
the defender of some ame-dog cause.
When Mr.. Hemminger reached Janet
Vance's office to discuss the new seats
for his district school with her, he
touched on Mr.. Curran's weaknesses.
Somebody ought to hold Wiley in
tight, Miss Vance. He needs 1t. And
he's coming on so big, Wiley is."
She smiled, wondering what curious
pain 1t gave her to hear Curran prais-
ed by these rugged men of the coun-
try who daily came into her office. Her
farmer constituents took a shy graft
fication in Janet's appreciation of their
homely affairs. They were proud Of
her also. "Old Jake's girl was a smart
one-maybe she would marry this new
fighting governor who was so mighty
interested in her! But then there was
Wiley Curran!" They were proud of
him, too.
An hour later, glancing out, she saw
Curran and Hemminger together, their
shoulders to a heavy casting which
some farmer was trying to load in his
wagon at Dickinson's warehouse. And
again her faint smile came. Yes, they
loved him-they had made place for
him. And she? Well, she had done
her part also for him. And she knew
him so much better than any Of them!
Curran had been busted all the final
campaign. There was fear that the old
county gang would knife his candida
cy, so his hackers had kept him at the
front But he had no misgivings. He
had returned to his home town brown
and hearty, pleased with the sense Of
victory. He had discovered surprising
qualities in himself a caustic retort. a
merciless clearness that pleased the
farmers. The papers commented on
his "brilliance" Janet had read and
listened. 1t was more than winning a
campaign; it was the making Of a
man.
He saw her when he passed the
court house and came to her. eager.
volatile, bubbling with tales Of the
progressive cause. II made 'em lis
ten, Janet!"
Then in her calm eyes, back Of her
serene smile, he seemed to read again
the inexplicable pain which he did not
care to fathom. And he went from her,
steadied by sense Of her faith, but
refusing to dwell upon it. 1t was like
his estrangement from Harlan-at first