The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-05-07
CHAPTER XIII.
TIE T T PEOPLE.

III BETTER PEOPLE.
Many men or the county drove to
town early that day. 1t was the ever
present restlessness OF election eve;
and In MS instance a sense OF new
Issues. of unusual n dramatic Sc
quences, was in the air. Then 1t was
to be the night OF the big Curran
meeting at he opera house, the wind
up with red fire and tho band; and the
country people. with n lively apprecia-
non OF tho spectacular, We're eager to
hear the candidate. Wiley" would
make the most of his last chance to
scald the county crowd" with his
satire, that was sure. All the day the
court house was thronged with farm
ers, politicians, candidates, standing
about, smoking, gosstping. The dingy
central corridor was a reek OF tobacco
n smells.
Harlan was wont to pass here on his
way to his office. He had not con-
cerned himself with the l1th-hour
wrangles and petty i%ntrigues. for he
mad no opposition in his own fight.
me county crowd would put young
Van Hart over every one said, and
approved. The countrymen looked
back at him with diffident respect.
When he reached Miss Vane's door he
saw her at her desk. Hemminger, the
lonely, insurgent board member from
the river district, was there, sitting.
awkward, constrained. holding his hat.
Harlan was waving his hand cheerily
IN passing, when Janet arrested him
with a gesture. Her eyes had a hard
brightness. When the young man
came in she babe him close the door.
Then she sat again. The hubhub of
voices in the hall was lessened.
Janet motioned Harlan to a chair.
We she began quietly, have been
discussing you. Mr.. Hemninger and I
have discussed YOU for two weeks"
Harlan looked up at Hemminger with
a surprised smile. "Indeedi Now, I
had noticed Hemminger in your office
a number OF times lately. What is
the extraordinary INTEREST,""
She disregarded his easy banter.
Harlan she went on sharply. ..youll
be the next prosecuting attorney"
Without a doubt. On the first of
next month";
She seemed dwelling on the three
weeks intervening. Then: I'VE are go
Ing to conflde In you something that
we might have said before; only
her glance held q curious suspicion
We'll, thought we'd better wait until
nation to Tanner, the old crowd, and
WELL, you'll pardon my frankness. but
we hesitated."
"Hesitateds What on earth are you
driving att"
Hemminger smiled uneasily. won
WkASi Joa 6SS11lN, AIT, AN
Hart. Kind o. thousht 1t would put you
in bad to load this on YOU"
He still looked his wonder at Janet, |
She was unlocking the drawer Of her
desk. h took out an envelope and
from it a yellow and worn bit of paper.
we shall demand" she began deci-
that the first act OF your adj
ministration is to go before the grand
jury n ask for the Indictment OF
Tanner and Dan Boydston and Archie /
Curry for the giving and the accepting
OF brides on the county road contracts
for the last six years.
He looked silently at her. Hem-
shifted his hat nervously.
THE proof" Miss Vance went on, sis
here" She laid the yellow slip OF
on the desk. It was COW
cred with careless entries, figures, alb
To Harlan 1t meant
nothing. This is Boydston's writing
the go-between..
Those old yarns" Harlan muir
hen her dominance stilied him.
He looked again at the paper. You
mean this is-proof?"
This and Boydston's Confession
Confession"
1T amounts to that. His admissions
to Hemminger, his fellow board mem
Der, on the way the last deal-the !
Pocket deal-was put
through. He admitted he took money
he offered HemIninger $500 to keep
silent on this
She tapped the paper. Harlan stared
at her incredulously. why, / saw
Boydston coming from the bank not an
hour 8 There was q conference Of
sonne sort. Father was there, and
and Wiley Curran. There are
rumors that Tanner threw up the fight,
md wants to make an agreement with
Wiley I'M his league hackers to keep
their hands of the county committee
shipi"
~'Boydston," she retorted quietly, ..has
confessed, two weeks ago. He dare not
tell Tanner He has beon begging.
threatening, pleading with Mr.. Hem
minger to keep silence, and to destroy
lhis'---she fingered tho paper. Last
tuesday week ago this was placed
IN my hands by q mistake, The silliest
thing & bribe-taker ever did, and only
= aDungling old farmer like Boydston
could have done Il. I drove out to the
syiccka' place to get q petition that the
peopla have been circulating there to-
divide their school district. This Ii the
place Hoyduton sold to decks when he
moved 20 town. Well. this German hadl
chargo o1 this petition and Kept IL In
q crack Of thu chimney In Boydston,s
Qld Milling room. When / called for
the petition hia wtfe-who can,f resd 81
worA suf EnKlish--handed me An an
yelope. which ! did not look AZ until
came back TO town, Then when I
went 20 Mo that petition / didn't have