The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-04-02

AO NdACU. Win MS abCCLC uuLIlOE
or q propagandist. his capacity for en-
thusiasm, Curran had become. since
MS victory, o figure panoplied with
power. their leader. their loved one. He
still o boys vision and the need
OF hero loving. When he had gone
out to his team at the hitching rail-
kube Van Hart sauntered after. $50
Wiley's running for congress7 Suf-
ferin' johnson, Arne--I can't believe II.
But II this here Cajun / brought UP
from the bush league towns 10 going
to hurt him. I'll kill the Gus. Yes, sir,
take him to EAGLE Point and let him
fall on-accidentally." -
Harlan was in the door. The Cajun.
In Wiley's office seat, rolling q Gig
aret had come to stay, 1t seemed.
Hurt him?" blurted Arne. That story
would beat him. IL Tanner and his
crowd ever got it. But we've can
keep It close, RUDE. If you'll help"
Help? Help Wiiey2 why, we was
kids together--him and me-"
He got In with Arne and they drove
on to the stables.
Back in the office, Ladeau, with the
air of q barber In distress, oily haired,
shabby Of coat. was fumbling in a
pocket for tobacco. Curran silently ex-
tended his case
"Merci." smiled tho ca1un. 'Yo' sho'
new fo'get old friends. Wiley"
Still Curran had no word. Harlan.
studying him silently, had never seen
him so IN q dream. The stranger set
tied himself in the chair with the air
Of one who had come on q lucky turn
OF fc"tune. And I come up VIII dat
RUDE and find yo' first thing. RUDE
say you run To- congress-"
Yes: / have the nomination"
Who'd fought dat? Old Wiley who
used to play dat guitar TO dem island
girls to dance at La Cheniere."
The candidate ran his hands through
his hair and looked Off al the Meth
odist church spire. TITS different up
here. Maurice. I'm mighty glad to
see you-but II wish you hadn't
come" He seemed to have forgotten
Harlan's presence. Suddenly he uprose
and came swiftly to the other.
See here. Maurice. why can't you
get out Of town. You zee you'll get to
talking, II o hang around, and my
frtends-it will bother them. Person
ally, I don't care, but they-the people.
these western country people"
He. stopped. In Ladeau's small eyes
was q curious confidence Of evil.
"Eheui Desc YankeeI Dey boil d.
coffee, Wileyl Savagesl But dey don't
know you, eh7 Dat TT"
Curran was staring out the window.
Ladeau came nearer Il reckon 20 got
|" "a ~ ~ "a
Wiley's hand went down. 'Hera."
"Mebbe 357 Look at deM SHOES
name Of Godi Dat Rube-we walk from
TT haven't that much here, Mao
rice. But-weM. I'll get It But nor
god's sake. go; let me tastSdt q ntt"
Then. as LGdea1E shambied On q STEP
he hurried to him. Wait. Yea khSw
Of Adriennef She died-are you suns
she died?"
Madame Artois tell me when I 70
back to N'Awlyns TO years after. She
say h write yo'. She say yo' send
back wan beautiful letter when
say, Wiley. Wan beautiful letter-but
no money to bury Adrienne."
II know. I wag broke out In ART
IONA. Maurice. Madame Artois knows
that. I Just could thank her for taking
care Of Adrienne, that was all"
"Oh, madame knowl She cry when
she read dat letter. All women yo' can
make cry. somehow. madame she say
Eheu, dat beautiful letter."
Curran was watching past him to
the western sky. Tomorrow" he NUT
tered, come back, Maurice. and I'll do
what I can-that money. But Haven't
much. I'm in debt terribly"
He watched Ladeau shamble down
the street feeling Of the dollar, turn
ing presently into the billiard hall
among the idlers. He did not see Har-
Ian In the shadows. After a while he
raised his hand toward the shiftlesS
figure. ~"That-might have been me!
Me-mel But God help me-Tm saved"
From the numbinR vision OF his own
past he turned slowly and saw the
younger nan. He came to him swiftly.
do you hear, Harlanf Just that
shambler, a wreck" He sat down and
covered his face with his hands. Pres
emily he writhed with some agony.
God. what a Ia MISSES" he exclaimed.
what he finEs away" What ghosts
come back. Harlan! After 20 years."
What Ia 1t. Wiley-that hurts so?"
II don't know. Fear-that must be
1t. Nervous fear. OF late it's been so
fine Just to live, Harlan. To go down
the street n feel that you've done
something. That you have ambition,
purpose; and that they've counted with
men. That's THAT you've won! New
hope. new courage; rye felt like shout
ing 1t to all the world"
Il know, Wiley"
mo, you don't boy. You've got to
be down and out first; you've got to
be adrift and lose hope, and know
yourself the failure first, before you
can ever realize how fine 1t Is to sue
coed. how sweet II Is to live. oh. boy,
when I was your g I drifted over all
the old west-it was a big adventure.
I wanted to write what I felt-its sweep
and power and bigness. Nevada, New
Mexico, California. Alaska-wherever
life beat fast and free. I wandered.
But / couldn't write it-no-no.
It was too big and splendid for
me-the epic. But I lived it. Har-
Ian. And then I came back here
when father died and left me the old
shop. No one knew; I had failed, that's
all. / settled down here and worked,
but the old ine ardor was gone. Eight
years Of this village-common, prosy.
dull-not to speak with Of the big
things but you and Janetl And then !
awakened-why here was the poem ]
had dreamed and lost-here was my
work, my place, my people He
lifted his arm and swept 1t out to hills
beyond the leafy square. Yes, I got
back my old spirit. my fighting soul,
but I didn't put 1t Into o poem. Harlan
but into politics, this battle-and
wonl"
Harlan had stirred before his ecstasy.
Was this the man Of yesterday?-this
winging spirit, whom the SNUG town
had never understood?-who had come
back to ar ~ennobling youth?
Wiley came to put his hand upon the
younger mans shoulder: II o and
there's something for me, Harlan.
There's work there's ltfe-there's
love-" He Strengthened and struck his
A. A- ALA