Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-11
THE MIDLANDERS
By CHARLES TENNEY JACKSON
Author of Che Dq, of Souls. My Brothers Keeper ETC.
wright 1912. The Bobbs- Merrill Company ..

pool for bass, and she had mockingly
derided him. She met him again hunt
ing, and showed him an otter's den ir
wild morass Of the bottoms, when
none would have believed there was
an otter in the state. After that-well
he met her day by day, and then by
night-a unique creature, he said al
first, laughably untamed. And he
amused himself by tanning her and
ended by loving her. To be French and
Catholic, to come "up-river" out of q
corner of the south, foreign and un-
known-to know the outdoors as the
wild alone know it-this was the sum-
mer madness that seduced him.
Hungry? Why the first winter here
when Michigan's house-boat stranded
in the Pocket and the old Indian wo-
man who raised me, died Of pneumonia
we were always hungry-we trapped
any sort Of animal to live. And when
the Lindstroms came and lived with
us, 1t wasn't much better-sometimes
Then they started me to school-and
couldn't read or write when I was
twelve! Amt done we'll, Harlan p
"Adorably. But" he sighed.
II know. You want me to go on and
graduate-and be a regular lady!
Just to show everybody! Oh, and
will, dear! I promised myself I would
just for you! Everything's just fol
you!"
He was laughing, again with that
curious hurt in his heart. And as he
held her, murmuring his fondness, he
WINGED at the stateliness, the Van Hart
tradition-Harvard, his law career
vague and of the well-ordered future,
but he knew that on him was the OBJ
legation Of his parents devotion, the
singleness of their pride OF class and
environ. Aurelie-what was all this to
her, and what could she be to It?
"And now you'll go east" she went
on. "And If I can't go to school / don't
know what shall do. Oh, Harlan, hfe's
so snarly-one can laugh and be proud
but 1t hurts! And to have Papa John
in jail-he's rough with me, but that
hurts, tool"
He was still, and at length some
thing like sigh came. Il wish you
could know my father, Aurelie. Why
he'd be the first man to help Lindstrom
If he could-and Uncle Michigan, and
Knute and Peter and all of you! He's
the gentlest, most tender-hearted man
I know. But you see John damned the
court-that damned everything father
stands for-and his father before him
and behind that hundreds Of years OF
-of'-he paused. wondering If she
could realize what he meant-"well, OF
our family!"
I'VE don't want charity" she
cried, I'VE wanted justice!" And then
at the hurt in his eyes she went on
with quiet passion: "All this summer
I'd been so happy! Just waiting
here, unknown and alone for you
Oh, it was wonderful to have you
come to love mel" She held out heI
hands triumphantly. "Of all the girls
you knew-High street girls-you
came up here to me-alone."
"Aurelie," he muttered, that's one
thing I'm sorry for"
She looked up quickly, and he went
on slowly. Mother wouldn't like it. ;
She tried dimly to grasp this rev
erence. What it meant Of upbring.
ing was beyond her in her meager ane
unadvised idea Of honor. She had
sense of some strength back Of hin
that had made his character, tina
had made the great land. Vaguel!
she felt it meant a home, a large
house with wide lawns about 1t, like
the Van Eart's; good living, a sure!
or motor at the door; and the cas-!
and welcome fitting of fair girls II
cool white such as she had seen-s
beautiful way Of life, linking all clear
and clever people together every
| where but never extending to quar-
ryman's shack. 1t was this blin(
| cropping to understand his world tina
made her humble with him, and 81
proud without him, to brave tn
ignorance she knew was hers. Tn
conscience of her lover was quite be
yond her. For with him, thougl
youth might be high, and blood hot
and there was adventure in the Sep
tember nights-yet always he woul'
think back to the obligation of hi
birth and breeding.
! And she? Well, such little thin
it takes to make or defeat one-sucl
a little thing! The sort of girl on
meets unknown to all in the moon
light.
| Aurelie was shot through with he
old jealousy of this mother. this col
lege in the east, and all the brillian
world that claimed him. "You
mother wouldn't like It? Or me!
hate"-then she bit her lip-"Of
I'll not spoil it, Harlan-our last nigh
together! And it's only another yea
as you say. You'll be free and ca
work" She stopped again, suddenl
fearing. What would that freedor
mean? He had never asked her I
marry him. They had lived an idI
, Of the hills, the moon shimmerin
over the purple valley, the rive
winding to the sea; all the glory
the summer nights they had felt, br
} never had they taken thought be
yond it.
5 He went on gently, but troubled
the tenseness of her face: "Only
year. And the east isn't far. dea
? Only two days travel or SOL"
The east was an unknown splende
| to her. 1t looked too critically, wit
2 the cool measuring Of his mothe
the same reserve she had seen at time
: in his own eyes. And-she was read
to give all, to pour out her life at n
n feet. She took his arm and p'
y it about her and looked down at tf
:, front Of her simple little gown.
{ don't know what I'll do. 1 was on
k going to school because Of you, Hal
e Ian. 1 hate It.! Only for you
i and now Papa Lindstorm won't hay