Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-11-06
judges son come to drive him home

The Bobhs-Nerrin Connsnx
judges son come to drive him home
now"
A young man was getting out Of 8
rather smart rig at the court house
hitching rail. He helped after him {
girl in white and although the evening
hid their faces, the frank md easy
banter of their parting made plair
their o~&maraderie. The girl tripped or
to a store and the young man saunt-
cred toward the News office. Hall
way across his careless hail came tc
Wiley Curran. Then his eye went tc
RUDE. He leapeG the tarweed gutter
and grasped his uncle's hand.
Why Ruhe." he cried in his rare
friendliness. Put her there! Wiley
and l saw in h Tribune about that
triple o and Kelly and Schmitz put
over In that last game with Peoria
some class. Rube."
Rube grinned appreciation. Flare
up. Harlan. My arms all in" He held
this good hundred, lithely built nep-
hew Off and looked him over. His
blond hair curled in a likable way for
women and his smile had openness
and serenity. Yet In his h%eartiness
there was reserve. His clothes helped
that i~ndefinable impression of class
and poise which was inherited; but
above all significant distinction there
stood forth his 1.-THE and common sense
democracy. that uneradicable quality
OF the best American.
Harvard" went on RUDE, don't
seem to have much on YOU"
Harlan laughed. TIe pounded Rube's
dusty shoulder. Come on up to din
ner, RUDE. Father and I want q line
On the, worlds series.
Rube hesitated. I'm going with
Wiley, son. Somehow. I couldn't talk
baseball up at your house. The judge
Is all right. but somehow a man can't
hang out at a livery stable and feel
at home with your mother. She always
looks as II l smelled."
Harlan smiled slowly. "oh. come
on" But he was thinking. Every
body knew RUDE would work all win
ter at Carmichaers stable and get
drunk on bootleg whisky with printers
and farm hands. and his mother-well,
Rube finished the thought you see,
Harlan, your mothers a mighty fine
woman, but there's never much be-
tween US. Up at your table my hands
and feet seem SO blamed big-and
once. Harlan. I busted right into q
wimmen's club when I went there"
Wiley and Harlan shouted. RUDE, the
sheep. at Mrs. Van Harris club
meeting-they could imagine that.
Rube went on grinning. when you
and Elsie Dickinson get married and
have a home, I'll come up and tell you
how we put EN- over the plate"
Harlan's reserve came back. "Rube,
I'm not engaged to Elsie. Evehytime
I go back to school somebody starts
that yarn"
Wiley watched him keenly. He could
see the rich grocer's daughter down
High street apparently waiting at the
drugstore me Elsie was going
TO school this year-Bryn Mawr
or Wellesiey-Wiley recalled. He
hough It was Mrs. Van Hart who
prompted this rather than have Miss
Dickinson finish" at the Baptist Sem
mary in Rome. Mrs. Van Harris word
was OF weight on High street-and the
grocer had more money than any one
except Thaddeus Tanner.
But something IN Harlan's straight
U declaration decided Wiley that the
da~ughtertnlaw would be in vain. Elsie
was an extraordinarily mice girl.
There was no douht of that. But what
attracted Curran the most was some
potential rebellion In Harlan. Judge
Van Harris wife was not only the ar
bitter OF High street, but It was said,
with show OF truth. that she ruled her
family with something Of The authority
ct a grand dame Of the old school. Nj.
Curran and the News were her pet ay-
ersfons-as MI. Curran m~ischfeyously
knew. but nothing, had ever withheld
the affectionate friendship OF Harlan
and himself.
We'll. Ididn't know." ,nuttered R,,ha
alphabetically. IAN the kids grow up
and get married. Except Wiley and
me-hut then we never growed up!,
Ana he and Wiley. laughed w~istfully to-
9ether. Well, I'm going down to the
station and.lug up my stuff" went on
lube: Tell Aunt Abby to have hot
The town kids struggled after Rube.
Nobody" sighed Mr.. Curran. wants
to be an editor"
Nobody did. AT least nobody IN
Rome. All the kids would rather grow
up to be noble and handsome and great
able to bat 400 like Probe Van
Hart. They would rather sneak into
Carmichael's stable and help bed the
horses than go fishing.
Only w OF all the b~arelegged crew
remained. The yelps and kyoodles had
home or after Rube and his
dotators-al except the Widow steg-
of dog with 40 legs to speak Of. a lone
some boyiess kyoodle that had to 20
nome early and sleep under the eeran-
ium box.
Harlan looked with friendly interest
at he two urchfns remaining. They
Wcto q AdiI open pTee0 or the North
tOw-headed. summed by wholesome
summer. The editor smiled OFT ~
them from his desk which he was lock-
ms. The Danish boys held his fancy.
he was given to sentfmentaIixing over
h race fusion OF the West. and fine
edltorfaIizing OF that sort when he
ought to have been down meetinr
trains for personals. or noting the Fan
millinery openings around the Square.
Well. Knute," he began, and the ell
der 81 the two found some awkward
feGrlessness to address him:
We Just thought you might know
first. Knute said. ''Jnst az room az
tho jury gets IN"
Curran glanced across at the court
house again. ''Oh. yes. Your dads
case a %. isn't Il! Hope he Hicks sela.
Knuteis ~
The boy nushed gratefully. .Mr. Ma
son said we'd win sure!,ssHis young
nOteaof faith arose. 'eHe said what's
law and Justice for II Old Thad don't
to dir up for having his crus1er
fixed SOS pawsd get his arm cut OFF.
Mason. he said what's law and Justice
Is aspoor manacan't win against q
Rich man
Tho 3ndse,s son listened With 4 smile.
Next 20 Wiley CurrAn, LafesNason. the
lawyer. Waa h deinagogfc scalayyn9
OF Roma Wiley reached . hand "a
KnNtes0s eA0,Sss"TatA maniNT hnnn