Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-01

YOR
The county men were looking at
| Curran. Judge Van Hart and the dis
trict attorney, Jewett, a pot-bellied
nonentity. were coming from the court
room. Tanner spoke purposely loud;
he wanted to smoke out this joke of
editors aspirations.
| Il am going in the primary" said
/ Curran quietly. The group stopped
| curiously. Cal Rice, ever taking his cue
| from the boss, laughed. Jewett rub
bed his bald head. The News was his
aversion. Wiley had bounded him as
a prosecutor who never began action
against any one except bootleggers.
drunk section-h hands and any sort Of
homeless men. Jewett was noted as
famous barbecue cook, and at Old
Home Week festivals. Old Settlers
picnics and the like, white-aproned,
genial, good -humored, he presided.
During campaigns he gave bullhead
breakfasts in the woods. where county
politicians, prominent lodge members.
influential farmers-any one who was
any one-a vast glut Of eating, drink
ing, songs and speeches-Jewett won
his election. Church folk and wives
complained Of these orgies, but Jewett
offered his cookery and his jokes with
Il f1 he nhnrnh festive q
and quieted the talk. Curran never
attended these bullhead feasts-they
! disgusted the esthete's taste in him.
| and besides, with the unsureness Of the
nervous man. he did not care to face
! the banter of the county crowd at It's
| widest.
Old Thad waddled nearer to tap Cur
ran on the arm. Young man, congress
| is sizable pill for you, ain't 1t? And
don't you know there amt any man
gone to Washington in this district in
| twenty years unless he come to see me
about it?" ..g,.t.
The country politicians laughed
briefly. Wiley watched them keenly. 81
didn't know as the nomination was
yours to give out, Mr.. Tanner. And you
know you can't fool all the people al
the timei"
The boss closed one pursy eye, grim
ming Young man, that's never nec-
essary!" a.a .ni .rn
The farmer folk guffawed. Jewett
rubbed his stomach. Judge Van Hart,
his fine face oblivious to all this, went
on his way. And Wiley, feeling some
how, that he had lost an opening round
| In his inability to retort to the boss,
crossed the square to his office. He was
| furious with himself. He had planned
to keep the announcement Of his cam
paign until he could see some Of the
men who would be with him-Purcell
and Mcbride, of Earlvile, Jake Vance
and Arne and some Of the scattered
maicontents in other counties Of the
district. But here the boss had made a
fool Of him before his own people at
the very start! He was savage with
the realization that Janet Vance's win
dow in the county building was open;
that in all likelihood she had heard
Old ,Thads jest and the laughter. No,
he had not done well. And his old
discomfort with himself came over
him; the pitiless feeling thar he did
not measure up to the rough game men
played in business and politics. He
was too much the sentimentalist, that
was it. ..-.... ...,s ....s ....
He was kicking away on his job
press when Hemminger, the recalci-
trant board member, came In. Hem
minger was from a lonely backwoods
district up the river whose people,
from poor roads and isolation, rarely
came to town. He paid back sub
scription, and had a rambling budget
Of news from the home folk. And, as
always the editor listened sympatheti-
cally, and, with thoughts far away,
answered at times. 20. ...,.r..,a,
There was a whaling corn crop and
1t was mostly out Of the way Of frost.
And the late pasture was drying up.
and some folks were going to ship
their hogs. Some folks would, but
| DANCED If he would Some Of his land,
where 1t ran up in the bluff hadn't
done much and he was going to turn
his hogs and let 'em take the yield.
Dinged If he knew what was the mat
ter with that land! '...
Wiley listened. Then he took hand
full of pamphlets from his desk. Ever
see these, Burt? Government reports?
Maybe your land is too sour?"
Hemminger was incredulous. Book
farming wasn't much!
II tell you what I'll do" said Wiley
suddenly. Next time Arne Vance
comes back from the agricultural
school, I'll get him and drive up there
and he can analyze your SOIL"
Hemminger's pale eyes shone.
would you, now? You're a busy man,
Mr.. Curran-runnin' fur congress and
ALL"
II want to see you ALL"
Sure. Folks would be delighted. No
body comes up our way much. Up our
way the wimmen still boil soap-we
amt much on newfangled ways upon
Broad Bottoms. But II Jake Vance's
boyd come-we-we'd all meet some
where's and have coffee-and you
could talk to us, too, Mr.. Curran!"
| Wiley watched him with a sudden
awakening hope. do your folks like
me up there. Burt? Way out in the
bottom districts?"
you come up our way. It's right
lonesome country. But we know you.
Mr. Curran. You remember the time
you got Abe Smiths boy out O. jail?"
| Mr.. Curran's mind went vaguely back
five years.
Our folks talk about that yit Abe's
boy hadn't done much but git too
much on board. And you got him out
and sent him home!"
Hemminger was stuffing the govern
ment crop reports in his pocket IF
you'd come. Mr.. Curran, folks would