The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-12-11
p v1-(continued).

!Ao tooh ner arm ana n reDelleO
pulling 1T away until she writhed Will
pain. But he made her sit. and tor.
his handkerchief to bind the cut, afte.
examining it.
TITS not broken, Aureliel onl.
gashed-maybe sprained."
Il wish it was broken-everything!
he could hear her heart beat as h,
Dent to bind the wrist. You. littl'
savage-running off wild like this
And the prize winner. Aurelie! TIL,
most beautiful girl in all the west
they say!"
She stared dumbly at him. Perhap,
ne. too. was hooking her, playing OF
her full heart. her needless generosity
her hungry soul, her love. There wa.
none of her small poses and airs abou
ner now, but the Celt's romance stirred
In him at some wild beauty In her
When he had bound her arm sht
Qu1Yered. and he had a sense she wa,
about to leap from him like a creature
OF the woods at the chance of free
dom. Then she turned to him.
She fooled me; and I'm going
Fooled your"
up to her, but now 1 see she only fooled
me. l hate them now-and him, too!
"Aurelie!" Mr.. Curran was bewild.
cred. Il never knew Of this affair
you and Harlan. It's astounding"-h.
rubbed his forehead-"impossible!"
You think so. too?" she blurted
"A, y, right; I'm q fool, I guess. But
him. "Oh. Mr.. Curran, I want to &c
away! I told 'em I'd give up this
prize thing, IL he wanted me to. But
now It's different. Mr.. Curran, I wan
to be somebody"
she was staring at him In tho moon.
night. Mr.. Curran could not stand
that; his own vagabond heart throbbed
outlander. To be somebody Right
then and there. Mr.. Curran knew he
would lead any forlorn hope for her
Tor any one who wanted to be some
body.
You are!" he cried. And you car
60 away. too, and show 'em!"
Her white face stirred a bit. Then
with the direct simplicity of her down
river years. she muttered: "Mr. Cur.
ran. I could just love you. I neve,
you'd have been a beautiful girl If IL
hadn't been for you!"
Mr.. Curran sat down and rubbed the
bald spot on his head. He was a MAJ
who had walked alone and known the
sorrow Of evil. He put a kindly hand
70 her shoulder. He was trying to be-
neve he a a great faEtherly pity fol
her.
Now. little girl" he said, Tets walk
the trail home. It's beautiful-we car
see the river in a moment-there! The
Mississippi! Way off there you came
from. didn't you? 1 lived there once
Aurelie. 1 left a bit Of my heart there
OF a savage, and you'll never get rid OF
what the wilderness put In you-never
never-God bless you! People will
never understand, but I dol"
h sighed. II wish you'd take me
away, Mr.. Curran-and let me do some.
thing. Just like Uncle Mich said: etc
occupy the land!'
You shall!" he cried riotously
why, what a chance you've got, Azure.
he! You're the little rebel done come
up the river to occupy the land! You
must come to the office tomorrow. TO,
two men are coming from Chicago tc
see you: The Sunday editor of the
n an artist to draw you
And the Chronicle will give you a prize
One hundred dollars. It's not much
It's all an advertising scheme with the
chronicle. OF course, but for you-Aure.
lie, you'll be rich n famous one OF
these days, just see if you're mott"
She rubbed the bloody little bandage
on her wrist AND stared over the town
II Just Will! And l just love you, Mr.
Curran! You're all the friend I got!'
Mr.: Curran gasped again. IT sure
Will help you, Aurelie. This old towns
got no use for either Of US, We're the
insurgent!" And he took her hanG
gaily on the path and danced her along
until. to her set pale lips, a smile haG
TO come. And after 1t a sob; and Their
the smile again!
When Mr.. Curran left her at Lind.
storms fence he went back in a dream
to his old print shop. He lighted tht
gas and took his pipe, filled it, sa,
down n drew aimlessly on it half ar
hour before he discovered it was no,
burning.
Wasting my life," he mutteref
wasting my life! By tove, that at'l it'll,
girls got me going! I'm going to wake
up and do something, tool"
He did. He fumbled around until ht
found a match.
The most beautiful girl perhaps In al
America! Could the sentimental Mr.
Curran sleep after that? His hair wa.
thin and he had swung the circle anC
come back to the prosy old town. blu,
no matter! He took a photograph GU,
Of his desk a dozen times to study II
Some careless miracle Of an Obscure
country studio had caught an arcl
stateliness, a breathing grace, a spirit
ual purity that made the town gas,
when 1T saw the thing-gasp, and the1
declare 1t could not possibly be tn,
~bootlegger's girl. Mr.. Curran gropee
for the enhancement; yet, it was she
he had seen her face so in the moon
light.
The dear KID" he murmured, an,
kissed the picture and laid 1t away.
Aurelie went about the next mornins
In a dream. She helped Mrs. Lindstron
with the breakfast dishes and then car,
ried the baby out on the sunshine o
the porch to play with him. Neighbo,
women came and vent. Already the,
were discussing her, she knew. TIL,
household had been in a hubbub, sh,
the calmest of them all-Old Michi
gan's astounded questions, Johns sus
picious fanaticism, the wife's silly com
ments, the boys puzzled awe.
Aurelie a-going to have her pictur
in the paper!
Well, it vas like Aurelie. To Knut
n Peter she was ever the princes
off on amazing adventures q fairy VIII,
played with them and yet was not o
them. From the porch she watche,
them milking. a ean -hipped heife
which they had aroused, standing witt
their bare feet in the steam of her be
to avoid the frosty grass. Knute shiv
cred in his cotton shirt; above tn
sfngsong Of the milking his chatter
Ing voice retorted to Peter:
Jaw, Aurelie, she amt a-goin' to &c
stuck up! She'll come out and go raj
bit huntfn' with us fellers even II sh