Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-05
THE MIDLANDERS
By CHARLES TENNEY JACKSON
Author of Che Da, Of Souls, My Brothers Keeper ETC.
wright 1912, The Bobbs-Merrili Company

discuss in the old News office you re-
member. The child-labor laws-the
women's movement-my old ambitions
Harlan"
He nodded sympathetically. Then
"But your place here-its
hard to fill, Janet. The school system
you've made a model for the state!"
Then he was silent. Janet was think
ing of the long years fight. And the
best people had not been with her until
of late. She was too practical, too
busily efficient, to be about the snake
speare club teas at Mrs. Van Hart's.
Harlan sharply differentiated her from
the tabby affairs Of High street.
He told his mother that night that
Janet Vance would resign her next
term and go east. The lady elevated
her brows wisely. The teas had heard
something of the kind. Il suppose that
will end the affair between her and Mr.
Curran."
"The affair" was matter Of years
gossip. Harlan said nothing; he had
never, after a mans fashion. bothered
his head about 1t. I'D.
81 imagine it's true, then, that that
Lindstrom girl had come between
them" .-...
He looked attentively at her with
trace of suspicion Of her subtlety. Au-
relies name had never been mentioned
between them except in the lady's ami
able satire on her career" But that
was common to the town. And Harlan
had never looked upon Aurelie's appear
to the erratic romanticism in Mr.. Cur
ran in that light. 1t seemed prepos-
ferrous. Mrs. Van Hart went on with
the cool impersonality, humanized by
her sense of amusement, with which
she looked on the affairs Of her neigh
bors. even the ladies bemused In the
Shakespeare afternoons: Il think 1t
would be quite fit. Those two-Mr.
Curran in congressional imagine a
person who goes along High street
whistling to all the dogs on his way to
the postoffice, in his shirt-sleeves, In
James Halls seat"
Harlan looked at her In imperturb-
able silence. The judge smoked his din
ner cigar with his deprecating assent
His nomination, my dear, Is more
than amusing. He-and all the rabpie
of demagogism-take 1t as an In
dorsement by the people of the rant
that is subverting our political theory.
Our public men, our financiers. per-
sistently yelped at by Curran's sheet,
and our sober constituency applaud"
He looked mildly over his glasses. MY
boy, I wish you had stayed out Of 1t
ALL"
81 do not!" The mother was Incl
siye. 1T is time he was in the battle.
It is the parting Of the ways, and there
is enough common sense In the county
to make Harlan's career. 1t is the day
of the young men"
And to Harlan's mind there came
the memory of a phrase. A vision
Arne Vance and the tramp Of his
young men up the hill. He became
conscious of conflict within him here
in the dear familiar home. Here were
his people-the best people, ever cling
ing to fixed forms, righteous, worthy
leisurely developing but needing inher-
ent privilege-this was the good. But
here was another good out in the world
a new, hungry, lustful good, eager to
seize, to make place, to break dowr
forms and privilege-this was the eter-
nal battle. There was no ground un'
der a mans feet-he was with one oi
with the other. And slowly 1t came tc
him that, in the eyes Of his parents
the eyes of his world-a world rigic
with caste, resistant with ideals, how.
ever much it might assent to the bab'
BILE of democracy-Aurelie was the
symbol of the lower standards. 1t was
for him to choose, and his love was the
crux of 1t all, a sign post at the parting
Of the ways. He might fight to vii
her, try to bear her from the vulgar
and common mode, but his socia
sense told him exactly what that woult
mean to his people. the best people
who, with a Nietzschean ruthlessness
must set their faces against the tram
pling onward marching forces tina
would level or destroy.
Even now his mother touched on tn
heart of 1t. II see that Mr.. Curran'
News is insisting that the county, o
the benefited landholders. should pa.
those squatters in the Pocket who's
patches will be flooded by the neI
dam. He insists they have a mora
title to that no-man's land"
And acting on that anarchistic the
ory," went Oh the judge amiably
"Lindstrom drove away the workme
whom the contractor sent there. ca
that an excellent example-Curran doe
not hesitate to put the law aside in hi
cryings for what he terms justice. T
announce outlawry."
IF Lindstrom is an outlaw. father
Harlan said quietly, "the law mad
him one"
. The judge looked up. He reddene'
Nothing in his kindly life, his right
eous world. hurt as did the gossip ths
he had crushed Lindstroms manhoo'
. And his son spoke as one who ma
brushed aside glib phrases and eas
precedents and had stared at the sol
/ of the man crushed. The judge frowr
ed, to forbid discussion. "The law ca
not take account Of a mans degeners
, tion under punishment. But you, m
: son? You are going into office as
J public prosecutor-where did you g.
: these ideas?"
Thinking. A fellow can't help
And the new things, father-the spir
of inquiry, fearless. reasoning, weigf
e ing values"
3 The Judge had shaken his head.
= always annoyed him to have to col
j slider that it was not enough to be VII
2 tuous. 1t was comfortable to belie'
that everything was honest, decor
= wholesome. God-fearing I'd comfor
e able to the constitution -everythir