The Detroit times., 1913-07-23

God bless you People will never un-
derstand. but | do"
She sighed II wish you'd take me
away. Mr.. Curran-and let me do
something. Just like Uncle Mich said:
To occupy the land,
You SHALT he cried riotously.
Why, what chance you've got, Aure-
lie, You're the little rebel done come
up the river 10 occupy the lana. You
must come to the Office tomorrow, for
two men are coming from Chicago TO
see you. The Sunday editor OF the
Chronicle, and an artist TO draw you.
And the Chronicle will give YOU
prize, One hundred dollars. It's not
much. It's all an advertising scheme
with the Chronicle. of course. but for
you-Aurelie. youll be rich and IA
nous one of these days, just see II
you're not"
She rubbed the bloody little ban
dage on her wrist and stared over the
town Il just will. And just love
YOU. Mr.. Curran. You're all the friend
got
Mr. Curran gasped again. Il sure
will help you, Aurelie This old town 8
got no use for either OF us. We're
the insurgents" And he took her
hand gaiy on the path and danced
her along until, TO her set, pale lips,
n smile had TO come. And after II d
sob and then the smile again!
When Mr.. Curran left her at Lind
strom's fence he went back in a
dream 10 his old print-shop. He light
ed the gas and took his pipe, filled IT.,
sat down and drew aimlessly on II
half an hour before he discovered II
was not burning.
Wasting my life, he muttered,
wasting my life BY jove, that little
girls got me going. I'm going to
wake up and do something. too"
He did He fumbled around until
he found a match.
The most beautiful girl perhaps in
all America Could the sentimental
Mr.. Curran sleep after that? His
hair was thin and he had swung the
circle and come back to the prosy old
town, but no matter He took a pho
tograph out of his desk a dozen times
TO study it, Some careless miracle OF
an obscure country studio had caught
an arch stateliness a breathing grace,
spiritual purity that made the town
and then declare Il could not possibly
be the bootlegger's girl Mr.. Curran
groped for the enhancement; yes, IL
was she--he had seen her face so In
the moonlight.
The dear kid" he murmured. and
kissed the picture and laid 1t away.
Aurelle went about the next morn
ing I'm dream. She helped Mrs.
Lindstrom with the breakfast dishes
and then carried the baby out on the
sunshine of the porch TO play with
him. Neighbor women came and went.
Already they were discussing her, she
knew. The household had been in a
hubbub. she the calmest OF them all
old Michigan's astounded questions.
Johns suspicious fanaticism. the
wife's silly comments, the boys puz-
zled awe.
Aurelie a-going to have her picture
In the paper,
Well, II was like Aurelie To Knute
and Peter she was ever the princess
off on amazing adventures, a fairy
who played with them and yet was
not OF them From the porch she
watched them milking a lean-hipped
heifer which they had aroused, stand
ing with their bare feet in the steam
of her bed TO avoid the frosty grass.
Knute shivered in his cotton shirt;
above the singsong OF the milking his
chattering voice retorted to Peter
''Aw, Aurelie. she amt a-goin' to
get stuck up! She'll come out and go
rabbit huntin' with us fellers even II
she does get her picture In the pa
per-"
Later she went past them in the
yard. dressed In her best gown,
cheap fantastic circlet of brass In her
hair which Uncle Michigan had given
her years ago. She rarely wore hat,
for she had none to her pride. The
boys yelled their friendly derision at
her flnery. From the porch Mrs. Lind
strom whined her fright She was
clean upset" by Aurelie's fortune.
But maybe 1t meant q Job. Lord
knows We need It, John laid up with
his arm and Albert not workin' steady.
Maybe Aurelie would get a job In the
News Office, but Lord knows what
would happen to girl who got her
name In the paper" She SMILED on
to the nefghbOr woman and Aurelie