The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-07-24

the present: the pathos and the ideal
ism OF all this eager building, has not
touch, them. Their county, one OF
the Iowa Reserve. had felt family the
thunder of the awakening; the dingy
offices OF the Rome courthouse had
been filled by group OF the best
people" SO long that they seemed the
heredltament of a class and a leader.
ship
There were younger men who grew
up to feel vaguely the lapse between
what was best in the days OF their
fathers and the needs of today Har-
Ian Van Hart, himself. had discerned
curiously the rift between the fine
spiritual environ of his fathers eX-
ample and the new. troublous, social
conscience In his debates OF high
school. his loungings about Wiley
Curran's news shop. his friendship
with Arne Vance, son of Old Jake.
the political farmer the countys
first insurgent he had wondered at II.
The new movement was no hunger-re-
bellion OF the cities, the mid West
was enriched-why, then, the cutlery
Harlan was packing for his depar-
ture. He thought yather grimly OF
the journey East Elise would be on
the train on her way TO school, also,
and he would have TO talk TO her
Elise and all the town were curlods
with some story concerning him and
Aurelie Iindstrom-nothing definite,
but all the more perplexing for that.
Harlan had slowly famed since last
night with a resentment new In the
genial complacence of his life. When
the packing was done he sat by the
window where he could see the red
and gold fligree of the sugar naples
thinly covering the rock face of Eagle
Point back OF the town. Today blue
haze enveloped the highest pinnacle.
Somewhere, out OF this lazy freedom,
a cow-bell tinkled It was Saturday,
and he knew the boys were gathering
wild crab-apples up along Sinsinawa
in the hills and routing rabbits out OF
the fence corners He felt immeasur-
ably old some way, and out of all this
kindly Freshness. He had an inclina-
ton 10 climb to the hills and then
checked 1t with a bitter refusal-the
hills and all this autumn glory were
a part OF her and the ineXtricable con-
fusion OF wrong and right. duty ana
honor, into which he was plunged. He
enraged> at Aurelie He had asked her
TO give up this silly business OF her
prize-winning, and she had sturdy
refused at the last. His mother. his
class, his tradition, career Harvard
and the laval had 10 do with his
intolerable sense of rebellion and de-
feat Something was inevitably wrong,
perhaps with himself. Perhaps, he did
not even love Aurele so much--it was
summer madness as his mother had
said but he felt shame that he
would allow this. man, he told
himself. would smash his way through
TO win. If he greatly desired: but he
was Van Hart and they were not CIV
en- 10 that sort of thing. They would
coolly consider great many things
before they struck blow.
He had intended to go down TO the
drugstore corner where the fellows
usually met to smoke and chaff and
grind out airs on Playters phon-
ograph. while groups OF girls came IN
from school or shopping to buy sodas.
He would meet them all In the frank
comradeship of the towns way, walk
home with one, or loiter at the high
school football practice. There were
any number of ways 70 spend ones
last afternoon in the old town where |
one was so pleasantly favored son. !
His father was az court and his moth !
err at her club But he had curious |
Discrimination TO idle around the
Square He took notion 10 dress for
dinner, although there were to be no |
guests. His father did SO occasion |
ally In their home life it was under
stood by the Van Harris as an asser'
ton of old and real standards. There |
were but nine families in Rome who |
even dined at night. and these nine |
definitely fixed the social life People |
who dine at six do not dine in shirt |
sleeves.
Harlan was going 10 dress for the |
last home dinner. II would divert him
from his inexpicable dissatisfaction,
perhaps. He looked about his room at |
the trophies OF his undergraduate |
days-banners dance programs, IA |
vors. his tennis rackets. fraternity |
parchments-hung as he had cherish |
ed them. Now he felt an intolerance |
OF this sophomore display. He prom
ised that when he came back next fall |
all this truck should go to the garnet.
II should be a mans room, for today |
he felt no more the boy He would be |
the man: something had come to him |
I'm his bitterness, his first bewilder- |
ment. that told him he must be man |
now. and not the lovesick youth, or
the trif1er with all this easy popular !
- 4 II ,.tc Nf