Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-25
CHAPTER VIII
Tho Tramp of the Young Men.

Ing on q ruSn JOD lOT lhS Hoh f@csselN
rant whose illumination across the
Square, Home Cooking-Chicago
Style" was in his eyes as he kicked
the old press treadle, when Harlan
came in. Harlan had not intended to
see Wiley again, so deep was his hurt
and humiliation. but when he crossed
the Square and heard the clankety-
clank of the News job department, he
could not resist old faiths and ardors.
Wiley, too, would be hurt If Harlan
departed without word. So it SEEM
ed the most natural thing to lounge in,
sink down in the editors chair, while
the editor held up his inky hands a
minute to wave them cheerily. o.
And always it was something like
this: Hello, Harlan!"
Hello, wiley!"
Were you down at the Junction for
the seventeen this EVENING""
Yes"
who came in?"
"Old Lady Hicks and that Sheasby
girl-from Ottumwa, Billy said"
Hash 'em up for the local. Give
Old Lady Hicks a real snifter-her
subscription is about out and want
renewal"
So Harlan reached for some copy
paper and scrawled the items. and
looked over the stuff on the local hook
News Notes will be rotten this
week. The brakeman on Ten said his
wife had baby"
Shove 1t in"
'I don't know his name"
Shove it in anyhow. Splash 1t on
thick-jolly him about the cigars and
Number Ten, and let folks guess who
1t is"
So Harlan scrawled on while the
editor rehearsed all the news he could
think Of Tear up some editorial
dope-local option. Saloon must be
kept from our midst Home ana
Fireside Remember Our Boys
Outlaw the Unholy Traffic.
murmured Wiley above the
clankety- -clank.
Now, Mr.. Curran had no boys, and
the unholy traffic had piled beer bot
ties so high behind the News fence
that wagons could barely pass; and
his Home and Fireside consisted OF
one rotund old lady who had followed
his haphazard fortunes from Puget
Sound to the Rio Grande and back to
the old town, but nevertheless, Har-
Ian patiently denounced the traffic for
a stickful
"Theren be-" unused the editor,
"Banburg tarts and coffee in min
ute when Aunt Abby comes from
PRAYER meeting. Arne and Janet will
drop in-it'll be a farewell spree for
you, old boy. I'm glad we had you last
after ALL"
This was rare comforting. Harlan
had wanted to be distant to Wiley,
but one couldn't. Even Aunt Abby
couldn't, and she ought to know his
worst. He was a man, like many
bachelor, who sought the mothering
stimulus of elder women. He was MS
gayest and his best with them. Aunt
Abby had followed all the latter years
of his wandering; had homesteaded
with him under the gray low-hanglng
skies of the Dakota winters; she re-
membered the ceaseless winds and
sands of Nevada where he had pros
pected, and the dim buttes OF the
southwest where they had slept un-
der the stars in lonely cow camps. AL
ways she had saved him from sheer
vagabondia, given the respectability
of motherhood to his vagaries, de-
Tended him aaginst town gossip; was
proud of him against all the world
THAT limb, Wiley T." he was to her
lonely need Of love.
Janet" unused Wiley, "and Arne-
and you-thats about all there's been
to the old town for me. It's been
lonely here, Harlan-and I'm a bit
gray around the temples. You three
have made the town more green and
fair and livable."
His eye had an unwonted sparkle
today as he worked Presently smart
team drew to the door, and by way OF
welcome, with his hail, the editor
hurled a begrimed newspaper direc-
tory at the newcomers feet. A tall,
swarthy checked young man with the
air of the fields upon him, followed
Miss Vance into the shop. The woman
superintendent of schools listened to
her brothers exuberant chatting of the
others for a moment; she seemed
mentally taking stock Of the place
Curran wiping his hands on an en-
purpled towel, Harlan impaling copy
on the hook; the general ne'er-do-well
atmosphere of the Rome, Iowa, News,
"Tarts," said the editor, and cof-
fee. Maybe beer. Who likes beer? No
body. It's unlawful. But there's a
case under Aunt Abby's bed, and the
good old lady, all unsuspecting, is at
prayer meeting"
We've dined," rejoined Miss Vance,
keep on with your work"
Mr.. Curran was noted for his pre-
texts to evade work,-which explained
q deal about the News circulation.
Miss Vance sat down in the swivel
chair at the editors desk which Har-
Ian had vacated. She was tailored far
beyond Rome's possibilities even II
Sarah Coyne, the dressmaker, had
since a recent trip to Chicago, chang
ed the legend on her shop window TO
"Modiste." Tailored and groomed.
thirty, aggressive, keen, reserved-the
county said it was not for nothing she
was daughter of Jake Vance, the po-
litical farmer Janet was accredited
to be the most effective campaigner in
the court house; she had been elected
to her second term by splendid ma
iority after having carried her first
election to the courts. The old-line
party men had not wanted her, but
they had had to accept woman
school superintendent. She looked
Harlan over with critical interest; /;
Mrs. Van Hart and High street had
not given her much support.