The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-01-29

He hummed an old melody, for Wiley
always happy when he worked,
whatever his shift Of fortune--it was
brain clearing, and the clank OF the
old machine always soothed. UP over
the dusty front windows he saw the
tops of the trees In the Quare silvered
by the moon, and the weather vane ON
the county building. Sunday nights the
square lay In deep peace-only the
Gem restaurant, Home C~ooking-Chi-
Style" was lighted, save for the
blur OF the bank window where an In
c~andescent showed the vault front to
Marshal Bee * he CHANGED to be out OF
bed. & -.
He was distinctly surprised to have
Aurelie come Inland yet not sur
prised: he had q notion that he must
have been thinking of her. He rubbed
his inly hands on a spoiled handful
and took hers. why. Aurelie!" he
looked over her dress with Its gtrdle
Of sugar leaves. Been moon-gazing
UP on Eagles point again." . '. .,
II ran off," she answered, and sat
down with a sigh. He saw a culver
on her ~features-a grimace as II she
like nothing but trouble comes Of II
all Mr.. Curran." ".
Ran of 2" He smiled. Not very far.
Aurelie; and I'm glad you q TO ma"
"Oh, MI. Curran--don't make a joke
Of 1t. Poor little Peter was so scared.
I had q quarrel and left everybody
and I'm not going back. And ! just
came to you, for you're the only friend
rye got"
II hope I arm one. anyhow" The edi-
tor nodded his young old head. Some
how, I expected you'd have trouble.
John-when he heard OF It."
What hurts me is Uncle Michigan.
He can't hardly get about n more.
And 1t will just XIII him." .
Wen fix 1t UP, Aurelie. You stay
with US here. for q bit, and Uncle
Michigan can hobble down. How's the
lsg?"
THE wooden opA's all right, but he's
got Rheumatism In the other one. Mr..
Curran"-she sat forward Frightening.
and unfolding her hand, dropped a bit
Of crushed paper on the table-"there's
tho prize! A ~chec&--$100t"
One hundred dollarsI And she had
never Possessed two in her whole life.
The editor sat staring at 1t. Poor
TITS a shame" muttered Mr.. Cur
ran--"they ought to give you a mil
lion. But it's Just a newspaper graft
to work rp c~lrculation.. JuAt adNertis-
ing. Aurelie, They think N glory is
enough for you"
Il don't want any glory. I want a
cork Ieg--eor Uncle Michigan. Like
ridge gave him. Do cork legs cost
S1Oof-
II think so. One Of thosS legs that
bend and twist and seem as good az a
meat one-yes. sir, I'm afraLd they do.
Aurelie."
"You put this check away, Mr.. Cur
ran. And I'm a-goin' on the stage and
w-rrA 49, - -nNnAR A~I HANU TT~nIA
Mich the best leg there Is anywhere"
The editor folded up the beauty
prize. He put IL In his pocketbook
with a sigh. i've not seen 30 much
money in-I don't know when!H It's
Just grand OF you, Aurelie, to think of
Uncle Mich. And SO you're really go
ing on the stage?"
II CUES so. I'm sick Of everything.
The letters I get, and all this publicity
its just upset me. Mr.. Curran. And
Harlan, he went away"-she looked of
and left me-"
Mr.. Curran sighed. For his life no
could not have asked her further, but
with an instinct for her underfiow of
trouble, he knew. Youth was not 90
far away from him--naY, 1t was crying
in his heart, He wished guilty she
would a more OF this amazing sum-
mer a He loved Harlan as he
had loved few
: Sometime Ill tell you" she y,cac
on; but now 1 just want you to tell me
what to do"
About going on the stageT"
Yes"
Wiley rubbed his head. What he
Knew of the stage was not much. Il
suppose you must do something. And
tho McFetridge boys-well, honestly, !
think they're straight, down in their
hearts. They're pretty near impossible
and rought, m~aybe-but some way. l
never thought bac Of any one, ever Old
Thad. He was always apologizin1 for
Old Thad TO Arne Vance's denuncia-
tons. And I can't blame you. Au-
relie"-he looked off above the silent
park-"the towns no place for you
perhaps for no one who's young and
eager to live" He ~sighed-"I know
took her hands and drew them across
the desk: Tn going to take a great
responsibility. I'm going to tell YOU
60"
Yes. I'm glad! I like you, Mr.. Chr
ran. You make me feel that you had
trouble, too-and weren't afraid, and
were misunderstood. And 80 I'm TO
That's right. And be q good little
yoG.~
"ARd some day III como back and
play in the tin opera house"
And they laughed, They went out
through the dingy old shop and UP the
path In the oon light, he holding her
hand, both laughing. She seemed 90
like hImself-he could understand all
that she could not say.
Aunt Abby listened, and then set
them out Banbury tartS and milk.
Observation-Disclosures glad you've como
back ~again-and to 10 In your trouble.
And II you want to go be an
actress and marry miiltonaires. 50
there-go do it. and don't mind
what this town says" Aunt Abby
a vigorous, broad-faced old
Philistine and a great cook. Wiley had
found her on his wanderings, sitting on
the tongue Of her prairie schooner.
watching q dead mule that she had de-
pended on to take her out Of the Da-
kotas when the chinch bugs ate the
wheat. and she had abandoned her
claim. She had kept house for him
ver since. fat, decently 60. and filled
with huge chuckles. And the laughtsr
came. back to Aurelie's eyes that night.
though she did lie awake wondering
about Uncle Michigan good thing
about wooden legs was that one couldn't
get rheumatism in them.
wv