The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-04-30
CHAPTER xxn-(continued).

sui. 1t was Curran'S momen OF
triumph. He went leisurely down The
street with his mail. Mrs. Van Hart
was driving into the square. She did
not notice Curran, OF the News, but
Curran smiled airily. He could afford
to be complacent to High street now.
He was Curran, the insurgent leader
OF the south counties; he a broken
n ranks of the reserve. He was a
friend of the governor. Best of all, the
country folk knew him.. He vas their
man." He wished he could see Janet.
He would have liked to tell her this.
At 11:30-purposedly he had kept
Rice waiting Is minutes-he strolled
over to the ban corner. The door
"a shall one at the side used by the Of
had had an impression that Rice had
been watching him from the shade Of
the window in front and had scurried
back to let him in. That was another
sense of his winning. Even now Rice
bowed and trotted ahead down the
gloomy bank corridor.
This way. Mr.. Curran. All, late?
Not at all-not at all! He opened the
door to his private office n the
guest went in. 1t was rather dark, but
Curran knew that a number of men
were there. He paused, surprised to
see Ransdell. the editor of the Earlville
Mercury-Journal. But then, Thad con-
lolACu III JUL ldi.F bOyuSlOIl, lIie 81.
pervisor, whom Curran had fought for
six years, was there. Judge Van Hart
was there. sitting obviously i'll at ease
by the door; and Old Thad, the wizened
county boss. in his swivel chair before
the bank directors table. Curran
looked them over with a belying calm.
They were a representative gathering
of his ancient enemies-men Of the old
regime In politics. in wealth and social
place in hi county. He was received
in a silence That somehow was slowly
strangling the fine glow of confidence
in which he had come. He felt him
self intuitively brace as one does to
whom a physical peril is imminent. The
air was hostile. 1t breathed evil; the
room had the menace Of a trap.
Thad was cutting a cigar leisurely.
He did not rise nor extend a hand.
When he spoke 1t was with a precision
as one stating a prearranged program.
q conclusion to which the other had
given assent.
Good evening. Mr.. curran. We were
expecting you"
$50 I imagine"
Tanner sat forward, his brows con-
tracted over his narrow eyes. Then, in
his rapish voice. with the direct dis
regard of courtesy which always made
his authority, with a weaker man, take
the aspect Of bullying, he went n
1--WE sent for you, Curran, to ask you
to withdraw your candidacy before
the people Of the Eighteenth district"
Curran appeared unmoved. So swift
had been his revulsion, so sure was
he Of a trap, that he had steeled him
self. He had an instant struggle to
speak with the cool satire which was
all they saw.
Gentlemen. you ask a good deal"
The other stirred. They had expect
ed amazement, at least.
nNonpar. aJyad fhn yio{ir, cI~ar,5Ixy
ITS our duty to ask a good deal. The
party's welfare, the good name of our
people, nay say the purity Of u
homes-demand 1T. I presume you
know what I mean"
Curran looked steadily at him. II
story of my early MARRIAGE story
brought to his town and to your at
tention by Maurice Ladeau?"
Thad was irritated at this cool per-
tinacity and frankness. He had boosted
q moment before to Judge Van Hart
that he would max the News man
cringe and crawl.
Yes. An incredible story. Curran.
an intolerable story! A girl you de-
serted-and without marriage"
There was a marriage"
I'VE a the facts. They came to
light strangely enough; You left this
Orleans in 1891. She died the fol-
lowing year during an epidemic Of
yellow fever" Thad was looking at
q slip Of memoranda. and with each
point he tapped the table with his
pencil, his face, under the light, pal
lid. craven mercilessly as that Of a
prosecutor of an inquisition. He looked
up briefly: Am I right in these facts"
You are"
Again the group moved at Curran's
quiet confidence. Again Tanner lev
eled In eye. for the moment nom
plussed. upon him. You left her and
old woman's house-Madame Artois-
and died there the following year.
leaving a child"
The man standing before them did
not move. His eye was as steady as
Tanners own. But he twitched In
wardly with the shock.
you recall that?"
mo. I never knew of that-and it is
a lie"
He had broken from his spell at
last. He started forward with a hot
menace.
Thad raised his hand ~deprecatingly,
but his grin of triumph came. He had
he would crush the editor.
There was" he went on l~aconical-
ly, "a child born on the third day Of
June, In a hospital on Rampant street.
We have the name. The child was
baptized on the first of August. We
have the name-the name of the
priest; it was taken charge Of by an
tnstitution-we have the name Of that
institution. We have the after history
Of that child-we know it's identity to-
day. Do you follow me. Mr.. Curran?
Do you believe me7"
NO"
You admit this-marriage?"
Il admit nothing except that my
wife died during the yellow fever
when people were rushing out of the
city. / wrote to ask Of her-to this
same Madame Artois, you mention
yes. But I did not desert her-and
there was no child of this union"
He spoke steadily again. Judge Van
Hart was studying him. They all
were watching. He had impressed
them. Even old Thad nodded appre-
cfably. hen he went on: We'll. we
need not quarrel on the issue. The
point is that we, as representatives Of
the party, of the honorable men and
good women of the communication
the good name Of that community
ask you to withdraw from the con-
gressional contest. 1t is not a pretty
tale, Mr.. Curran, and we have no de-
sire to spread 1t broadcast. Our peo-
~ you know how they detest q