The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-12-18

Opeueu 70 MIN, everything 5000 CdAuS
without effort, without cost. Yet he
would have been surprised to believe he
was anything else but a democrats
young man OF the easy, full-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
sezse and Industry, and cultiyating the
right sort OF people, and taking asy
advantage OF the opportunities that
ones position gives one. His father
was that sort OF man exactly. All the
county accepted him az q type OF the
sturdy democratizing citizen; and Har-
Ian looked out on the people reciprocal
ly,--brown, kind, true hearted people,
unconscious. unafraid, unindebted, their
wallets filled. He remembered once
travelling with Elsie Dickinson, and the
grocer's daughter had been ashamed OF
@ country uncle who took out q paper
shoe box of lunch and ate fried chicken
and pickles on the seat OF the coach.
Harlan had desented Elsie's feeling.
BE had no country relations, but he felt
q stout kinship with all this prosy,
common. wholesome living. They were
his nome 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. II n had accused
nina OF class-consciousness he would not
have taken n seriously. "
His father and mother had no COM
ment when he appeared dressed for
dinner. Mrs, Van Hart smiled; it was
such q Mkeable following of the Judges
habits. The affair OF last night had
been put by; they had had 1t out after
b party. and Harlan had listened in
silence Their hopes OF him, their pride
in him; ali they had built and lived ana
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 Aurelio L~indstrom-as you can
In everythingf'' r..
And the mother had answered proud
ly, Yes" %"1 #"|N q
TonightNat dinner he felt his fathers
kindly eye on him: hts mothers affec-
tionate welcome was unclaimed. The
matter was not mentioned again. He
knew 1t would not be. Yes, they trust
ed hir1--so Loyalty. 50 splendidly, they
trusted himi They placed on him the
unspoken but inescapable heritage thew
received He would wrong 1t In no
way. Mrs. Van Hart had summed IL
up TO n judge alone last night. liar
Ian would not marry an impossible girl
any more h 0 would, dear-or
your rather, or your fathers father. 1t
was one OF those chivalrous madnesses
OF youth: and the girl "a pretty. / was
SO sorry for her! And this ridiculous
newspaper prize winning! It was ner-
cifully fortunate after all. II ANYTHING
could Harlan to the quick IL would
be cheapness and vulgarity and no
tortety. An i~nfatuation might blind
hlm 70 her social ineptitude-but this
beauty prize neutrality-suspicious. could
have been better to break the boys
romance. Indeed, we got out
or IL with amusing ease" -
The judge had sighed. He had. n
seemed, discovered IN this son some Of
the inner steel that the mother pos
sessed clothed Ia her gracious authorf-
y. he o been aware OF HarIan'a,
questionings for a year or so in mat.
ters that did not come clearly in the
mothers vtew:o of q mind ~grIspinp with
logged slowness but merciless tenacfty
at altered standards.
He stopped now to banter his son
oysr the soup, trying I assume their
old fraternity of common views. what
did Harlan expect to live on next wear
when he hung his shingle out?
"Pertaps i follow Billy Lees ex-
ample" badgered Harlan. 'SpeciaIiza
In irrigation law and go out to Arizo-
ma and hustle"
The mother smiled It this gay dis
sempnng. A e Hart having to
hustle" was unthinkabls. The fudge
went on: by sleeping on the office
couch and taking your meals at the
Gem-Chicago style-as II adyertises-
you can probably pull through and paw
Tor your gas and Janltor."
I'm going to give Harlan his first
case" Mrs. Van Hart smiled. "He
argue for the Sfnsinawa creek diver
sion. Taylor says we could sell our
north 80 II the creek was damme1
above the quarry"
Mother, that'B q matter Of polittcs
and not law"
The judge looked c~uriously at the son.
Harlan went on: There's a iot az
grumbltng over the road Contracts
Tanner gets out OF the board with
Dan Boydston chairman. And now the
farmers are saying that the county IA
going to spend thousands OF dollars 10
divert the creek just at the point where
Il won't DO anybody any good except
Tanner and Cal Rice and Dickinson
and-well-us, you know"
The farmers?" the Judges gentle
interrogation came. $3.50
"old Jake Vance was saying. And
Wiley 49,. N". - ~
His father frowned. The mothers
amused smile came. The News editor
an impossible person who was
70 be seen carrying his exchanges from
n postoffice, In ahirt sleeves and q
derby hat much too small for HIS head.
Wiley gays it's q 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'll"
The, Judge was plainly ANNOYED.
Your friend, Wiley Curran. seems
the Eelf-appointed watch dog Of county
He and Mr.. Tanner are always after
each other. Blu that's why I said the
creek diversion win be q matter OF
politics. There's sure to be q howl
raised about II, dad"
The Judge selected a cigar. The mo-
ther nodded eovertly to him.
Harlan, dear, you admit tina creek
ought to be diverted7"
Why, yes. And It'll be q good thing
Tor US. mother. Itn put all our north
tract on the market drained"
The Judges frown came again. |
'That has nothing to do with II,
boy. The natural bed OF |
tho creek is down the old
Pocket where those squatters' shanties |
The quarry gang beyond Lind
gtrOm,g--' Ha nauaad Pnr ha he'd ratI