Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-29
last very gently.


You've been my good angel-always
since we were kids in school. Good
God, how a man filings his youth
away! Eh, I thought that was what
I'd done. But Janet, I've awakened
1 have!"
Her eyes were sparkling. She tensed
with a new splendid jubilance. She
had been the militant; she was of that
fine modernity that has given to strong
women the fearless vision and the will
to do, and has taken nothing from
their womanhood. She was alert with
the expression Of sex, inescapable un-
daunted, as free as a mans virile
| pride. And Curran, with his love fol
the modern, his hatred Of sham, had
felt at times, the pulsing Of her power
and had misunderstood nothing. That
was the bond of their intimacy; this
knowledge unspoken but unafraid.
Wiley" she murmured. "You will
come out? You will go in the pri-
maries? Oh, will you? I've waited SO
long, Wiley! For you!"
II know. And this very week IL
seemed to see myself aright-to real
ize what a miserable failure I'd been
a dreamer. Oh, something very won
derful awakened me-quickened me.
I'll tell you, Janet, the very first
thing!"
She looked curiously at him, but
with her bright fond faith, her over
flowing happiness. The fine hard lines
that the years had schooled about her
eyes were gone.
| 1.-THE very first thing! Oh, but the
point is that you've done It! Well
work for you-all my friends who've
stood by me will be with you. But the
| first thing-was 1t today?"
| mo. Last Tuesday. A little thing
such a foolish little thing. But 1t hit
| me hard-it appealed to the sentimen-
tai in me. I suppose. But you know
me-all that sense of romance that's
made beggar Of me, Janet! 1t was
| Aurelie Lindstrom." .
She did not stir; her attentive eyes
were on him merely, but the cool
shrewd reading of her workaday life
came over the eagerness Of moment
ago. "Aurelie?" she murmured-"and
her prize winning? She smiled slow
Il ly. why, Wiley, you hardly knew the
child"
Yes. But the thing hit me, Janet.
She came to me"-he hesitated over
mentioning Harlan's name in Aurelie's
| troubled case-"this thing confused
her so. And hurt her-it was-sort of
a-a-tragedy, Janet. And she left 1t
all to me-what she should do. Here's
this great newspaper going to shout
all about her next Sunday-you know
| the stuff-her beauty, and her posi-
/ ton and life and prospects-all that
| sort of thing. I know its cheapness
and its Stiffness, but it's her chance.
Janet! She asked me what to do"
yes" She watched his ardent eyes
II told her to go on, seize all the
best in it. She is grand little girl,
someway. You know all she's had TO
fight, too, out at Lindstrom's. Know
and sympathize with-I don't suppose
another person in all the town could
II don't imagine" Janet knew Wi
ley Curran. Somehow, If there was a
homeless old soldier, or a. destitute
family in the county, they always
came to Wiley's attention-he was
ever knowing and caring, helplessly in
his penniless struggle with the News.
But you, Wiley-what can you do
| for her?"
II don't know. Only befriend her.
All the towns laughing over her win
ming a beauty prize. No one ever no
ticed her, except she was considered
pretty and eccentric. The big fat
heads!" he cried breathlessly. Does
any one suppose they'd see that mar
velous purity in her face-her grace.
and all that odd quality of her mind
and soul"
"Wiley?" Miss Vance sat back, her
lips frightened.
| "Oh, 1 know! Scold me-say I can't
afford it! That it's aroused lot Of
heartburnings and jealousies and silly
rot in town, and 1 shouldn't be in 1t!
But she came to me-she said l was
almost her only friend in Rome. And
with all this notoriety-Aurelie, be-
| wildered, dumbstruck-needs protec-
tion-a-friend!"
you consider yourself a-chaper-
on?" .. 70. ..
Don't laugh. 1 tell you she woke
me up!"
What possibly could she have to do
with your awakening?"
I'VE had a long talk. A splendid
talk, Janet. 1 saw the hopelessness of
her life if she stayed here. There's
nothing for her here And now, who
can tell? Why, I'll bet she gets pro-
posals of marriage by the dozen-ar-
lists will want to paint her, managers
will want her to go on the stage-ev-
erything is possible with her! And she
left 1t to me, Janet-and told her go
seize all the good in life, anyhow.
anyway-live. live!"
| "And you?" Janet pursued pitilessly.
"Ah, well! That little girl-suffer-
ing so. And only l know how she Is
suffering! I told you it fired me. She
| grew so wide-eyed and big with it.
and determined to be somebody! And
thought of myself-the years I'd
wasted, Janet, and said to myself:
God bless you, child! If you can, l
cann I don't know how 1t was. but !
felt my old fire again-my old ambi-
ton! That's why I promised you,
| Janet, to make this fight"
| Yes" Janet answered slowly. "I'll
help you, Wiley"
| He could not see her face. She was
watching her brother bring the rig
across the street. But the splendor
seemed to have died for her: in its
stead was the old shrewd pathos for
some haunting defeat. Yes. I'll help
you, Wiley" she added and arose to