The Washington herald., 1913-10-05

for next season that scares me when
think of the old hungry days-thos'
days when l was just old Michigan:
girl, with no name or anything"
They had read of Aurelie's salary
1t was more in a week than Mr.. Cur
ran and his caterwauling Rome New:
made in three months. Back hom'
people straightly refused to believe
anything of the sort.
The Sfter-theater feeders were leay
ing, swiShing am waddling away witt
sidelong glances at this colorful black
eyed girl who sat between the imper
turbable young man and the Older
eager one. Harlan had beckoned thu
waiter and ordered a cab.
ITS I o'clock he said. "and yoG
ought to be at your hotel, Aurelie."
She shrugged as if about to rebel
then was silent. Some old habit Of
obedience to him held her. Vile,
guessed it. He would have sat al
night watching this miraculous Azure
lie. He resented Harlan's tone. Wher
she had arisen and was busy with hei
wraps, each man leveled challenge a
the other. Then, to Harlan's lips {
resolute smile came. Il told you sh'
would come he murmured.
Aurelie was approaching Never bat
she looked so humanity beautiful a:
under the gariSh lights of the cafe YES
tibule-never so quick with feeling, 81
true with life. Her world had no
spoiled her-had not touched the gen
erouS simplicity in her When the!
were in the cab. whirling away to her
hotel. she reached from her furs anC
patted Curran's hand with a happy lit
tie sigh.
Il do think dreams come true! Away
down-river remember putting hya
cinths in my hair and staring down
river in the water. | thought | wa:
pretty! And that came true! Just tht
gray cypress woods, and the lie:
floating to the sea, and the hooking
birds singing and the Indian woman
catching ShrimpS on a stick, and Cap
tain TinkletoeS telling war stories anC
digging for buried treasure! But UnclC
Mich said we'd 60 off sometimes anc
see all the lands and states and coun'
tries Oh. something very wonderful
must be up in those lands and state:
and countries! And that came true
The land o Joy! Well find it some
time, won, we. Mr.. Curran-peopl,
like you and met"
Find it, he cried, "AurcIic, it.:
herew
You understand" she answered. anc
settled back on the cushions with an
other luXuridnt sigh.
The two men left her at the hotel
She had curious, shy. Studied sweet.
ness for them both in her parting that
left them silent as the cab ratified away
TO the railroad station through the
dreary after midnight street,. Once
passing a corner lamp. Curran saw
Harlan's face turned TO him calm, hard
victorious.
The elder man could not repress hi.
cry.
Damn you, Harlan! You came here
doubling her, and | never doubted her
Shes good-gOod-alwayS good"
Il know. Because she loved me
after all. That held her good through
all this life-the nOtoriety and glitter
because she loves me, Wiley
The other man could not answer. Hi,
cry now was to his own heart. lie
seemed battling to evadc some inef,
fable self-pathoS that would find it
way Harlan-alwayS to Harlan life
brought the best without price, without
struggle
He would say no more. When they
were in the smoking-room of the Pull
man they were again silent. and wheI
Harlan had gone to his berth, Currar
went forward through the train seek.
ing an open platform. He wanted the
open, the stars and freedom-he mus
have air. He found an Enclosed vesti-
bule and sat staring out at the night
the black of the prairie Midlands, with
far off the silken veil OF the. city flung
luminous against the Sky.
All, WE'LL" He tried to reason. The
boy-he loves her. after all And>al
the years he's been first with me-frst
in everything He could not graSI
his sense of fatherhood. tender. mys
sic, encompassing, for Harlan. Yet al
ways it had been So-this friendship
that he had held So beautiful, so true
Then AGrelie had come to lay a finger
laughingly against this faith. To daz,
zle him, to enrapture him-to bring the
hurt TO Harlan's eyes, and inexplicablt
rebellion to his own.
Eth. well-those chiIdrenl" He arose
signing. It's for me to pIav the mar
at last! God bless them! l love ZEN
bOth-and neither could understand
how or why. And I can't eitherp
He went back defying his rebellion
stumbling TO grasp his old loyalty, thai
fine ardor for his friend, which hat
made the long years sweeter. 1t wa.
hard 10 define his struggle A faint
smile came to his lips at the sugges.
ton that he loved-nothing like that
was apart of him, he had said long
ago
I'D tell Janet" he muttered. 81
she'd understand me-but she wouldn' t
Yet Janet-Janet knows me-and Tin,
derstands most everything" Then his
sad smile came again. 'Janet-after
all, she's nearest-and dearest. But
somehow, it took Aurelie to awaken
meI