The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-01-29

is
He hummed an old melody. for Wiley
was always happy When he worked,
Misunderstanding, and the clank of the
old machine always soothed. Up over
the dusty front windows he saw the
tops OF the trees In thes square silyered
by the moon, and the weather vane on
the county building. Sunday nights the
Gem restaurant, Home .Cooking-Chi-
.cago Style" was lighted. save for the
blur of the bank window where an in
Ecandescent showed the vault front to
Marshal Bee IL he CHANGED to be out OF
bed.
He vas distinctly surprised to have
Aurelie come in-and yet not sur
have been thinking Of her. He rubbed
his inky hands on a spoiled handful
and hers. why. Aurelie!" He
looked owe her dress with its girdle
of sugar leaves been smoon-gazing
up on Eagles point again."
Il ran off," she answered. and sat
down with a sigh. He saw a culver
on her features grimace as If she
wanted to cry and would not. Seems
like nothing but trouble colnes OF it
all, Mr.. Curran."
Ran off? ?" He smiled. moi very far.
Aurelie; and Tn glad YOU ran to me"
"Oh. Mr.. Curran-don't make a joke
of it. Poor little Peter was SO scared.
I had a quarrel and left everybody
and I'm not going back. And 1 just
came to YOU. for you're the only friend
I've got.r
II hope l am one. anyhow" The edi-
ter nodded his young-old head. Some
how. I expected you'd have trouble.
John-when he heard Of 1t"
What hurts me is Uncle Michigan.
He can't hardly set about any more.
And it will just kill him"
Wen fix it up. Aurelie. You stay
with US here, for a bit, and Uncle
!eg?
THE wooden ope'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 ~ the table-"there's
One hundred dollars! And she had
never possessed two in her whole life.
The editor sat staring at 1t. Poor
little prize.
ITS a shame" muttered Mr.. Cur
ran-"they ought to give o a mil
lion. But it's just a newspaper graft
to work up circulation. Juat advertis-
enough for YOU"
~ don't want. any glory. 1 want a
cork leg-for Unclo Michigan. Like
the one in the catalogue Hen McFet-
ridge gave him. Do cork legs cost
$1,000"
bend and twist and seem as good as a
meat one-yes, SIR, I'm afraid they do,
Aurelie."
you put this check away, Mr.. Cur
ran. And Tn a-goin' on the Bta ges and
save up my money and buy Uncle
| hf{oL fha hast Loo tHn~~ t. >,
The editor folded up the beauty
prize. He put it in his pocketbook
with a sigh. Nv not e &c much
money in-I don't know when, It's
just grand of YOU, Aurelie, to think Of
Uncle Mich. And SO you're really go
ing on the stage?"
II guess so. I'm sick Of everything.
The letters I get, and all this publicity
its just upset me, Ny. Curran. And
Harlan, he went away"-she looked off
-"and left me-
Mr.. Curran sighed. For his life he
could not have asked her further, but
with an instinct for her underflow Of
trouble, he knew. Youth was not so
far away from hin--nay, 1t was crying
in his heart. He wished guilty. she
would say more of this amazing sum
mer He loved Harlan as he
had loved few.
Sometime I'll tell you" she went
on; "but now l just want you to tell me
what to do"
About going on the ntage?"
Yes"
Wiley rubbed his head. What he
knew Of the stage was not much. II
suppose must do something. And
the McFetridge boys-well, honestly, /
think they're straight, down in their
hearts. They're pretty near impossible
and rought, ~maybe-but some way, 1
don't think ho6- nP .'or, - M 49,,
never thought bad Of any one, even Old
Thad. He was always a%pologizinS 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
eager to live" He sighed-"I know
how 1t Is I had my fling" He
took her hands and drew them across
the desk: I'm going to take a great
responsibility. I'm going to tell you
fgo."
Yves, Tm glad, I like you, Mr.. CIR
ran. You mako me feel that you had
trouble. too-and weren't afraid, and
were misunderstood. And 80 Tn go
ing"
That's right. And be a good little
girl, Aurelie. and don't let 'em spoil
YOU"
"And some day I'll come 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 moon light. he holding her
hand. both laughing. She seemed 30
like himself-he could understand ali
that she ould not say.
Aunt Abby listened, and then set
them out Banbury tarts and milk
Observation-Disclosures glad you've come
back again-and to us In your troubls.
And If Q want to go be an
actress and marry m~illionaires, 30
there-go do 1t, and don't mind
what this town says" Aunt Abby
was a vigorous, ~broad-faced old
Phtlistine and a great cook. Wiley had
found her on his wanderings, sitting On
the tongue Of her prairie schooner,
watching a dead mule that she had de-
pended on to lake her out OF the Da-
kotas when the chinch bugs ate the
wheat. n she had abandoned ber
claim. She had kept house for him
eyer since. fat. decently so. and fl1ed
with huge chuckles. And the laughter
came back to Aurelie's eyes that nigh,
though n did lie awake WONDERING
about Uncle Michigan good thing
about wooden legs vas thai one cculdn't
get rheumatism in them.
"Wllev" grl1nhleI Amt Ahb,, -,h.,