Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-04-24

ndent step, a Orlghtenlng eye, and
brilliant daring in debates; a sense of
achievement.
Whats come over him?" muttered
Arne Nance to his sister. ct can't be
just the election! Elected? Why, he'll
roll up the biggest majority any man
ever got in this country! The demo-
as thrown up the fight. And the Tan
ner split is a joke-Ill bet Curran will
even carry the High street precinct.
RUDE Van Hart and l went all around
the square offering. three to one on
Curran nj couldn't get Il bet"
Janet looked calmly at her brother.
In his ardor OF h fight he had not
Steadfast in her work, %resolute and I'M
firing in her counsels to the impetuous
and Uncontrolled young men who
dominated the headquarters of the inn
pecunious progressive league over in
Earlrille and managed Curran's fight.
"Thad swears he'll resign the county
Craftsmanship if Wiley WINS" he went
on, and that means the end of
things!"
Yes" she answered, "the end of
things!"
He watched her %curiously, noting
she had come upon that story of
Ladeau's which he and Purcell and
Rube a Hart had so successfully
kept stilled. Wiley himself might have
told her. A least, with all Janet's 10y
atty. Arne discerned some unfathom-
able negation in her heart. He laid it
to her tiredness; h stress was in
evitably too much for a woman, even
for Janet's superb health and iron
vitality. But with a brothers. con-
straint he did not Intimately question
the matter.
He was busted with plans for the
big meeting the night before the cleo
ton. Curran had never spoken in his
home town. He had always evaded it,
and early in the campaign his mana
gers had thought it wise. But now,
when he had addressed the people in
every country district. in every town of
the constituency-when he had met
every issue and the progression of his
cause had spelled his triumph every
where, Mcbride. Purcell, the Vances.
and all the eXultant group of young
men in Earlville, had insisted that they
conclude the battle in his home spot.
The battle, indeed, was won; but thew
wanted TO brawl their victory in the
faces of he old county ring at Rome.
Curran had %asscnted; he caught the
tire OF their ardor. And it would be
pregant for his own soul. Here, where
ne had peen the failure, he would sting
them with his success.
1T can't go wrong" exclaimed Arne.
not even If every mossback in this
town stayed away. Wen take care of
II The Earlville bunch will send over
enough to pack that dinky opera house
and then Well overflow on to the court
mouse lawn. Two bands and red fire.
n Wen burn up half the sidewalks
on High street. Rub 1T in-yell it in
their faces, damn 'em!"
The town was talking of that wind
up meeting of the Curran campaign for
w weeks. The old line county com
mittee was helpless. Old Thad Tanner
might curse impotently in his office:
put on the street Curran walked with
the consciousness that men looked back
at i'm. The transformation suddenly
became acute in the. minds of his
toWnsmen: the farmers, over their Sat-
urday trading in the stores. said that
all the folks would come in to Wiley's
meeting"
Old Mowry. the undertaken, with his
lO years grievance against the coun-
~ crowd since they threw him out of
the office, ambled into the
News and sat where he could stare at
the Widow Steger's-always wait
ing"
Busted, Wiley!" He cackled: "Whv.
this mornin' even Dickinson admitted
they was busted! Some of these DAYS
therell be a board that'l pay me for
that niger 1 buried! Wiley. want
always our friend?"
Friend? The town, the county. tho
vast Midlands all voiced it.
He was getting his nail the day be-
fore election when Cal Rice, a white
raced, young man, habitually rejecting
the last word of his wife's father
Thaddeus Tanner. detached hinse1f
from a group in the postoffice lobby to
detaln him. His pasty smile was anolo-
getic. eNo
"HoW,s prospects, Wiley?" The
banker had never before had ANYTHING
but a grim nod for the editor.
"Splendid!" He felt a throb of mag
unanimous condescension.
i suppose you'll want to renew
your mortgage on the 1st?"
II think not. Mr.. Rice" Wiley smiled
elsurely. The Merchants bank, of
Rice looked up quickly dp, An xour
friend. Purcell. l suppose?"
" a good many friends over there.
wen acquainted these days. So I'll take
up that mortgage when it's due. Eight
hundre and forty dollars, interest and
all, isn't it?"
Something like that. Drop in this
morning. Well look 1t up" Rice fig
ured a moment. There's another mat
ter. Mr.. Curran. Come al H."
MI. Curran drew out his watch lazily.
He found it hard to conceal his triumph.
tai Klce. of the First National. coming
eh? And they knew 1.-THE whole
court house crowd! They wanted to
placate the victor, that was 1t. In a
flash Wiley guessed it-Thad Tanner
was going to offer some compromise.
piead for some agreement with him
anything. SO tina Thad might retain
control of the county committee. Cur
ran In congress and solid as he was
IN the county would dethrone Thad
from his local power sure as shoot
ing fish in a bucket" All over town
they mad discussed that days ago. II
Thad lost his grin aouno ai.LxS.