The Detroit times., 1913-08-16
CHAPTER XXI.
Nemesis

From that night Curran went about
his work as il lamp lighted the way
for his feet. He amazed his support
ers In the concluding weeks OF the
campaign. A serene, yet boyish JOY,
confident step, Frightening eye.
and brilliant daring In debates: a
sense OF power discovered and the
rapture of achievement.
What's come over him." muttered
Arne Vance to his sister 1T cant
be Just the election. Elected? Why
he'll roll up the biggest majority any
man ever got in this county. The
Democratic central committee have as
good as thrown up the fight. And the
Tanner split is a joke-Ill pet Curran
will even carry the High-st. precinct.
Rube Van Hart and | went all around
the Square Offering three TO one on
Curran and couldn't get bet
Janet looked calmly at her brother,
In his ardor OF the fight he had not
noticed her preoccupation of late.
Steadfast in her work resolute and
untiring in her counsels to the impet-
dominated the headquarters OF the i'm
pecunious Progressive league over IN
Earlville and managed Curran's hght'
"Thad swears he'll resign the county
chairmanship if Wiley WINS" he went
on, land that means the end OF
things"
Yes, she answered, the end of
things"
He watched her curiously, noting
now her wearness He wondered II
she had come upon that story or
l.adeaus which he and Purcell and
Rube Van Hart had so successfully
kept stilled Wiley himself might
have told her. At least, with all
Janets loyalty. Arne discerned some
,tnfathomable negation in her heart.
He laid il 10 her tiredness; the stress
was inevitably too much for WON
an. even for Janet's superb health and
iron vitality. But with a brothers
cGnstraint he did not intimately ques-
ton the matter.
He was busted with plans for the
big meeting the night before the cleo
tion Curran had never spoken in
his home town. He had always evad'
ed il, and early in the campaign his
managers had thought il wise But
now. when he had addressed the peo-
pie in every country district, in every
town of the constituency he
had met every issue and the progress
sion of his cause had spelled his tri-
umph everywhere, Mcbride. Purcell,
the Vances. and all the exultant group
of young men In Earlvllle, had in
sisted that they conclude the battle
in his home spot That battle, in
deed. was won but they wanted TO
brawl their ictory In the faces Of the
old county ring at Rome. Curran had
assented: he caught the fire OF their
ardor. And ii would be pregnant for
his own soul Here. where he had
been the failure. he would sting them
with his success.
ut can't go wrong" exclaimed
Arne, not even If every mossback In
this town stayed away. Well take
care OF that The Earlville bunch
will send over enough to pack that
dinky opera-house and then Well
overflow on to the courthouse lawn.
Two bands and red fire, and Wen
burn mp half the sidewalks on High
street Rub it in-yell 1t In their
faces, damn EN-"
The town was talking Of that
wind-up meeting OF the Curran cam
paign for two weeks. The old-lne
county committee was helpless. Old
Thad Tanner might curse impotently
I'm his Office but on the street Cur.
ran walked with the consciousness
that men looked back at him. The
transformation suddenly became
acute In the minds OF his townsmen:
the farmers, over their Saturday trad
Ing In the stores. said that "all the
folks would come in to Wiley's meet
ing"
(Contlnued)