Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-01-01
tried to get young Mills OF the Earl
vile normal to run against you. didn't

tried to get young Mills Of the Eerl-
vile normal to run against you, didn't
he? But Mills didn't run"
Janet put a Arm gloved hand on his
arm. Not since I put on my best
clothes and went to an Elks' club
ladies' night dance purposely to put the
notion out OF Mr.. Mills mind! 1t took
half my dance program. thought"
Wiley rubbed his hands delightedly.
Lord. Janet-it's genius!"
"No-business. And Wiley-oh. !!
want you to wake upl Do something!
Be with us-the people who try some
thing! Oh. Wiley. l want you to!"
That was ever her old fond cry.
Ever since their school days she had
a success Of Wiley. Even he, with the
trifiing blindness Of a man, might havo
known what was behind 1t all. She
went on m%ournfully: You said some-
thing had stirred you at last, Wiley!"
He was looking past her out the
window to Harlan and Arne across the
sse evenings nas seST T tss spsa' c aaa
stealth OF autumn. The breeze
upon the r facades OF the
rock behind the town showered
down the red and yellow leaves. AL
ready, from h elevation of Curran's
shop, n could catch glimpses of the
49, 4 AN
cottonwood OF the bottom lands. And
his eyes were there with their old
detachment OF a man who dreams OF
what he had found and lost out be-
yond the circling hills; Of what the
years had given and taken away, and
he had stood by empty-handed. But
he turned to her with sudden new
eagnerness.
Janet, I wonder If It's all as you and
Arne say? And Mcbride, over In
Earlville. n Purcell, and these men
who have such a curious notion that I
can beat Hall in the primaries? And
Governor Delroy, he spoke of me?" 7.
Yes. You know his organization
doesn't amount to much down here. It
needs local leadership. They want a
man out for congress. Assemblyman
Barrett, of Dallas county, was con
Is. And all the other progressives are
like father-too-well, they've had their
fling. The movement wants new men
and young men,
But me in congress. 1t sure would
be a treat for congress-"
ooh, Wiley! Be s%erious!"
He was still for a long time. Yes,
he had been the watcher from afar Of
the fighting men. He had thought his
years Of ardor done. He spoke at last
very gently.
Janet, I'm remorsefully humble.
lou We peeH my BOOQ
since we were kids in school. Good
God, how a mar filings his youth away!
Eh, l thought that was what I'd done.
But Janet, I've Awakened have!"
Her eyes were sparkling. She tensed
with q new splendid j%ubilance. She had
been the militant: h was Of that fine
modernity that has given to strong
women the fearless vision and the will
to do, and has taken nothing from
their womanhood. She was alert with
the expression of sex, unacceptable, UNI
daunted, as free as a mans virile pride.
n Curran, with his love for the
modern. his hatred Of sham, had felt
at times, the pulsing of her power and
had misunderstood nothing. That was
the bond of their intimacy: this
knowledge unspoken but unafraid.
Wiley" h murmured. you will
come col NJ. out? 70 You will go in the
SO long, Wiley! For you!"
II know. And this very week II
seemed to see myself aright-to re-
alize what a miserable failure I'd been
"a dreamer. oh, something very
wonderful awakened me-quickened
me. I'll tell you. Janet, the very first
thing!" -
She looked curiously at him, but with
her bright fond faith. her overt owing
happiness. The fine hard lines that the
years had schooled about her eyes were
gone.
THE very first thing! Oh, but the
point is that you've done 1T! Well
work for you-all my friends who've
stood by men will be with you. But
the first thing-was it today?"
mo. Last Tuesday. A little thing
such a foolish little thing. But it hit
me hard-it appealed to the senti-
mental in me. l uppos But you
know me-all that sense Of romano
that's. made a beggar of me. Janet! 1t
was Aurelie Lindstrom."
She did not stir; her attentive eyes
w-7e on him merely, but the cool
shrewd reading Of her workaday life
came over the eagerness of a moment
ago "Aurelie?" she murmured-"and
her prize-winning?" She smiled slowly,
Why. Wiley, you hardly knew the
child"
Eyes. But the thing hit me. Janet.
She came to me"-he hesitated over
mentioning Harlan's name in Aurelie's
troubled case-"this thing confused
her so. And hurt her-it was-sort of
a-a-tragedy; Janet. And she left it
all to me-what she should do. Here's
this great newspaper going to shout
all o her next Sunday-you know
the stuff-her beauty, and her DO
sition and life and prospects-all that
sort of thing. I Know it's cheapness
and its Stiffness, but it's her chance.
Janet! She asked we what to do"
Yes" She watched his ardent
eyes.