The Detroit times., 1913-08-09
Sterling Novel of The Great Middle West
The MIDLANDERS
BvCHARLES TENNEY JACKSON
Author OF The Day my Brothers Keeper.
Merit

tears. II don't care. came back
here yesterday-perfectly happy And
the way this awful town treated me! -
'Aurelie?" he said sternly, white
with battle 10 be the master: for
ever this desire TO shelter her and
teach her mingled with his passion.
You do SO many things, Racing
around the Square yester day in that
machine. And you ought not to have
kissed Wiley Curran,'
Why not?" She looked up innocent
ly. Il felt happy-and he was so
glad TO see me-
He sighed with iseouragement.
And then there's that story Aurelie,
did Hen McFetridge give you any dia-
monds?'
Yes A tiny one" She held out
her hand with naive pride. And he
said he'd have given me lots more il
he'd sold more oil stock"
Harlan forced back a smile Har-
ward and two hundred years OF his
fathers culture had no answer TO this.
u ought TO be angry" he muttered
She was regarding him with her old
puzzled air OF respect 81 reckon, a."
she went on. that friends can give
one presents if they want to-" She
sighed pensively. You're funny peo.
ple-you and your mother and every
body. ! never can understand. And
SO | want TO go away and be a great
actress, and sometime come back
here again with lots Of clothes and a
bulldog on a chain"
"Aurelie,"
"A bulldog and press-agent-"
"Oh, Aurelie I'd rather have you
back again-the little wild-woods girl
Uncle Mich's girl--and not prize
beauty and an actress-not a Bit"
He had reached to take her hands,
and with them drew himself down be-
side her. She laughed blithely: "Har-
Ian, I'm heap prettier than | used
10 be, ain't II"
Not amt L, Aurelie,"
Well, then-something else. Pref
tier, and with clothes-you ought 20
love me a heap more. Harlan, If [
amount to something"
But | don't want you to amount to
His arm slipped down
about her slenderness, he tried TO
shake her angrily; and then, with a
great passionate pity, he swept her up
In his arms In the old way-her breath
upon his lips, the culver or her warm
flesh against his own. He was no
more the boy; new mans madness
TO possess her beat on him. 1t over.
bore his control, his heritage. 1t was
not so that his father had loved
loved with this young lust of triumph,
this barbaric holding of poignant life
and the beauty that was in her. A
flame, a whatever il was
he held Aurelie, it was sweet to know
she was lying in his arms, still and
content. IF you knew how | cared |,
haven't any law or morals with you
its just you--and | want you to
stay. You shall stay, Aurelie-by Cod
! shan't have you go away to be
cheapened and ground up In the cities
with all that life you'll lead! No
no."
She looked up from his kisses. III
stay, you'll marry me?"
Yes, dear-a thousand times"
That's like you and old times. Har
Ian! But to live here in Rome-oh,
they wouldn't have us!
"I'll make them have u.s." He cried
it fiercely to the town below them in
the dusky light
Mr.. Curran said you could be dis
trict attorney next year. And that
you were getting on fine. Oh, you'll
have to give that all up. Harlan"
lie was still. Then he muttered:
But | love you, dear"
Il know. But your mother-and
what they all think of me, never
knew until yesterday how bad they
You'll stay and make your place,
dear. tn be the big, brave way. On,
we were right before! The night
seemed bic and generous, didn't IL,
dear? And then we let 1t go. Oh, we
were right-and all the world was
She drew his head TO her and kissed
him. soft humbleness In her eyes
Then she sat up and put his arm gent
ly aside and looked down long at the
valley. Somehow she could not quite
forget. A strange idea tnat she had
exchanged places with Harlan grew in
itI. IciI idsl Hlsul III tuc Nils IL
had been she who was burning with
this wild passion, this splendor of love
that considered nothing in all their
lives but love. And he had been the
his cool. sane blood that had
saved them and held them pure.
And now, slowly. with her sense or
the bigness OF his love, grew the sense
Of his unrealized sacrifice. 1t seemed
as If the long. unequal years while he
was fighting down the handicap. win
ming his place despite her lacking
she, who had even no name except
what Lindstrom had given her, no par.
entage save what disreputable whis.
key peddler chose to tell of her; who
was not the towns daughter of evil
the roll unfolded to her, and she was
curiously shaken, cropping amid haz.
ards, yet cool with purpose.
Il want you to stay" he pleaded,
"iust to show these people how | love
you. Aurelie Why, we can laugh at it
all together
(Continued)