The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-01-09
despite MS inner warnlnk. Row Oreu
! him a sort of recklessneSs. He calie'

him a sort OF recklessneSs. He Gale.
himself weakling. fool that plny"'
with Are. And, 50 styling himself.
assented. Soon they had left the tow
behind them and We're bowling alon.
the moonlit road.
John. letting the rally and the prob
lem It presented drift into the bnck
ground. gave himself up to a reckless
enjoyment OF the hour The whit,
splendor OF the moon, undimmed b,
smoky torches. the silent majesty Of
the hills with their shadows and silver,
sheen, alone were real. The crowd OF
faces peering intently at him through
the half gloom. the struggle within
him "a he stood before them. his ironif
rejection q the part assigned him
seemed unreal. creatures Of fantastic
dream. And the Cir reside him. like
him smitten into silence. was real. very
real.
ut seems" she said. that must
always take the aggressive. But then
you never hunt me out-so what can
! dor suppose most people would
call me unwomanly. DO you think me
that?"
II do not" he answered unsteadily.
"You can't expect the beneficiary to be
critical"
do you mean that. wonder? Or
10 It only your nice way Of letting me
down easily? But am not comforting,
! am seeking. "A friendship such
as ours-means great deal to me =
Her voice dwindled away into silence
He was hard put to It to keep tight
grip on himself. to fight down the long
Ing surging within him. lnsistently ne
tried to think ct her as abe was. an
uniformed woman Of essential selfish.
ness. of generous caprices. He had not
vet found the solution to the problem
presented to him by his campaign, but
ae felt blindly that it was leading him
INTO paths whittier she would not fol-
Ow. into which he, II ne yielded to mis-
longing. would nOt-cOuld not-go
alone. He had sometimes thought he
felt in her that which would carry her
TO great heights: yet he knew she was
BOW Of the earth. earthly. She was
creature of luxury. He thought of his
last years income and laughed I'M
pleasantly
"Why this sudden hilarity?" she de
handed.
ITS a joke I've Just thought of-you
wouldn't appreciate it."
"Was it, she pressed him-"was it
about your speech tonight?"
"Indirectly. suppose" he replied.
"Will YOU tell me about that? 1t was
The reason one reasOn-why l wanted
you to come home with me. I'm of
TWO minds about it. OF course. I didn't
understand what it was all about. ex-
cept that you We're expected to say far
more and something different. Any
one could see that the men on the
platform were angry. But one had the
feeling that somehow you were finding
and asserting yourself-doing some
thing rather splendid. know it made
Aunt Roberta begin to snutfle-she said
L was cold In her head. heard one
man near us-a big. hulking farmer
say. BY Joshua! always thought
there was considerable Of man under
that white skin of Johnny Dun
meade's.' He didn't mean to be funny.
think. Another a different sort of
man. laughed and said. Now that's
the cleverest move yet. It's grand
stand play. but it'll make him II he's
big enough to follow It up It'll get
him following"
She looked up ut him inquiringly.
He saw again the eager interest in her
eyes.
1T was neither splendid nor crafty"
he said grimly II was expected to
rant and lie about the virtues of can
didates I've no faith in. cover up lot
Of things that, it seems. can't be an
swered. had that speech ready. But
when 1t came to the point couldn't
say 1t. That's all. Sheehan and the
organization will probably knife me
under cover and beat me If only as a
horrible example to the next young
man who happens along with work
Ing conscience"
why" she exclaimed incredulousIy.
shat would elect your opponent.
wouldn't It? Senator MurcheIl won't
allow it. surely"
Senator Murchell will be the first to
recommend the knifng," he laughed
shortly. Il begin to suspect that the
senator is a false god"
"What have you against the candi
dates?"
tits rather against the forces behind
them. Bad methods and general sus-
picion, guess. probably couldn't
make it clear"
"Just that? do not think" she said
slowly, that | like it, after all. I'm
~Aaoo .,pni,,4ol L., fn. ..o,, J,