Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-12-18

how he was SO thoroughly Of the gra-
cious life Of this kind Of people. East
or west, some how, these best homes
opened to him; everything good came
without effort, without cost. Yet he
would have been surprised to believe he
was anything else but a democrat-a
young man of the easy, f~ull-lived, toll
Grant American democracy-the sort Of
fellow who calls on ones daughters,
and whom ones daughters marry when
he has made enough in the business or
become a junior partner Of the firm.
East or west, he was the same clean
clear-minded chap Of family and
money. To get on in the world meant
no particular struggle; merely common
sense n industry. and cultivating the
right sort Of people, and taking easy
advantage of the opportunities that
ones position gives one. His father
was that sort of man exactly. All the
county accepted him as a type of the
sturdy d~emocratfzing citizen; and Har-
Ian looked out on the people reciprocal
ly.-brown. kind. true hearted people,
wallets filled. He remembered once
travelling with Elsie Dickinson, and the
grocer's daughter had been ashamed Of
a country uncle who took out q paper
shoe box OF lunch n ate fried chicken
and pickles on the seat of the coach.
&c az uc6cItSu Elsie . 16OllQk.
he a no country relations, but he felt
a stout kinship with all this prosy,
common, wholesome living. They were
his home people, these Midlanders, the
best of Americans. Certainly he was
a democrat, as his father was, without
struggle, without cost. without having
to soil his hands at anything, or as
sumo obligation. If one had accused
him OF class-consciousness he would not
nave One seriously.
His father and mother had no COM
ment when he appeared dressed for
dinner. Mrs. Van Hart smiled; it was
SUCH a hkeable following Of the judges
been put by; they had had it out after
the party. and Harlan had listened in
silence Their hopes Of him, their pride
IN him; all they had built and lived and
dreamed for him-they knew he would
not throw It away. He had listened.
then he had arisen and said simply:
Mother, I'm going back to school to-
morrow. Can't you trust me in this
affair Aurelie Lindstrom-as you can
in everything?"
And the mother had answered proud
ly, yes" "
Tonight at dinner he felt his fathers
kindly eyes on him: his mothers affec-
matter was not mentioned again. He
knew 1t would not be. Yes, they trust
ed him-so Loyalty, so splendidly. they
trusted him! They placed on him the
unspoken but unacceptable heritage thew
received. He would wrong it in no
way: MRS. Van Hart had summed it
up TO the judge alone last night. "Har-
ian would not marry an impossible girl
any more than you would. dear-or
your father, or you fathers father. II
was one of those chivalrous madnesses
OF nth; n the girl is pretty. I was
SO sorry for her! And this ridiculous
newspaper prize winning! 1t was mer-
cifully fortunate after all. II anything
could cut Harlan to the quick 1t would
be cheapness and vulgarity and no
tor1ety. An infatuation might blind
MN to her social ineptitude-but this
beauty prize absurity-nothing could
nave been better to break the boys
OF 1t. with amusing ease"
Judge had sighed. He had. It
seemed. discovered in this son some of
the inner steel that the mother pos
sessed clothed in her gracious authori-
". He had been aware of Harlan's
auestionings for a year or SO in mat
ters that did not come clearly in the
mothers view; Of a mind grasping with
logged slowness but merciless enact
at altered standards.
He stopped now to banter his son
over the soup, trying to assume their
oid fraternity OF common views. What
did Harlan expect to live on next wear
when he hung his shingle out?
Perhaps I'll follow Billy Lees ex-
ample" badgered Harlan. Specialize
m Irrigation law and go out to Arizo-
ma and hustle"
n mother smiled at this gay dis
sembing. A Van Hart having to
went on: by sleeping on the office
couch and taking your meals at the
Gem-Chicago style-as 1t advertises-
you cal probably pull through and nav
for your gas and janitor."
I'm going to give Harlan his first
case.. Mrs; Van Hart smiled. HE
argue for the sinsinawa creek diver
Sion. Taylor says we could sell our
north 80 II the creek was dammed
above the quarry"
Mother. that's q matter Of politics
and not law"
The Judge looked c%uriously at the son.
Harlan went on: There's a lot Of
grumbling over the road contract
Tanner gets out of the board with
Dan Boydston chairman. And now the
farmers are saying hat the county "a
going to spend thousands Of dollars TO
divert the creek Just at the point where
II won't do anybody any good except
Tanner and Cal Rice and Dickinson
and-well-us, you know"
The farmers 2" the Judges gentle
interrogation came.
old Jake Vance was saying. And
Wiley"
His father frowned. The mothers
amused smile came. The News editor
was an impossible person. who wa
70 De seen carrying his exchanges from
the postoffice, in shirt sleeves and q
DERBY n much too small for his head
Wiley says it's a great scheme of
Thad's to get the county to protect his
property from the spring floods and the
county pays him for doing IT."
me judge was plainly annoyed.
Your friend. Wiley Curran. seems
the self-appointed watch dog Of county
affairs"
He and MI. Tanner are always after
each other. But that's why I said the
creek diversion will be q matter OF
politics. There's sure to be q howl
raised about It. dad"
The judge selected a cigar. The mo-
ther nodded c0vertly to him.
Harlan, dear, you admit the creek
ought to be .diverted?"
Why, yes. And It'll be q GOOD thing
Tor US. mother. TIN put all our north
tract on the market drained"
The judges frown came again.
That has nothing to do with it,
my boy. The natural bed OF
tho creek Is down the old
Pocket where those squatters' shanties
are. b quarry gang beyond Lind
strom'a- He paused. fol he had not