The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-05-14

proud as he voiced their conscience
against outworn theories OF wealth and
privilege, he had fallen. He thought OF
how they would discuss him tomorrow
about the polls, his useless name on
the ballots--a man apart. branded with
IA nameless stain, the eternal whisper
following him. Yes. he had found bot
tom after the resurge or his life. He
had risen to fall. Love had made the
way and then defeated him.
From the high point he saw q yellow
scar and know 1t was the quarry. with
beyond the shanties of the pocket
squatters. Up this trail she had romper
and grown, his child, his little girl
laughing the way OF her vulgar UP.
bringing, all unknown and uncared for
And he-he might have done so much
he who all his thriftless life had
needed the touch OF a hand in hist
He tried to recall the first time hS
q red dress going past his shop with
the b~arelegged Lindstrom boys. Then
a schoolgirl, slim, with sharp-eyed lit
tie Gallo tricks and poses; and Their
the maid he had come to know. Moody
at times, and lonely; passionate still
with eagerness to live and be. And
thence on to his miracle-laughingth eE
into his dreams. the bizarre 70.
nance in his obscure struggle. lifting
him by her kinship of feeling, of adj
venture. of follies and extravagancesL
Oh. the way they had come unknow-
,ingl--the two outcasts to their tri-
umphI "
Then he bowed his head with hum
bleness at this other miracle. With all
her droll playing with him, her CRATE
full fondness for him. he had been the
pure in heart. The wonder Of It'll That
always, his passion had been a shell
tering and protecting one-a father
hood. indeed. that defended her against
the towns tongues. that exulted in her
success. And ono again he looked of
to the east and his mystic impulse
came. He kissed his fingers to the dun
sky and whispered: Because yours
there. Aurelie--just because yours
there!" IN.
At dark he went to the cabin. and
before a tiny fire sat long. A morrow
was to be thought ola sober reckon
ing tomorrow. the long straight road.
He would have to 60, he reasoned; he
was crushed. destroyed here. And then
q flame Of logged courage swept him.
No, he would not go! He had done no
wrong. Fate had struck him down, but
he accepted. He would make his fight
"a losing fight, perhaps-with' the In
finite cruelty of ostracism and the jeers
Of misunderstanding; the mutter Of
nameless things that men whisper onIl
W vac NAAANt NA @1SoN "a DoA
he would stay; he would steel his soul
to It. with some sort Of new patience
and pride in remuneration that none
could know. Unless II was best for hert
Then he would go. gladly the wanderer;
silent, crying dow his fa~therhood, his
lonely love for her. For she had best
not know he whlspered-never, neverl
What need of this burden on her?
In the dark he CROPPED about this cir
Gle, and nothing could he ind except
that what was for her. he would do
Nothing else would matter. Then he
slept, as he had not dreamed he could
sleep. in a child's peace; or as one who
had emptied his soul, beholding a flame
burn 1t out to purity. Once, in the
night, he awakened and found his lips
muttering: Thank God!" and then
slept again in his inexplicable peace.
Only, on this consciousness, there
seemed to come sounds. faint and far,
like the firing Of a shot now and then.
When dawn came he arose, hungry
and stiffened with WEAKNESS and cold,
but with q cleansed hunger, a somber
resolve, a feeling OF the need OF men.
When he came out the low pressing
gray Of the sky was still on the hills.
He looked down and saw a farm wagon
the far valley road. 1t came to him
that this was election day, and about
the polls the groups were gathering.
But on the hush of the morning there
came again sounds that he could dimly
recall in his dreams-gunshots. Once
they were almost like q volley.
Now, on his descent to town, he could
see black distant figures, men moving
out the road along h creek.