Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-04-02

To Arne Vance. with his ascetic humor
OF a propagandtst, his capacity for en-
thusiasm, Curran had become. since
his victory, a figure panoplied with
had still a boys vision and h need
Of hero loving. When he had gone
out to his team at the hitching rail,
Rube Van Hart sauntered after. $50
Wiley's running for congress? Suf-
FERN Johnson, Arne-I can't believe it.
If this here Cajun 1 brought up
from the bush league towns ia going
to hurt him. I'll kill the Gus. Yes, sir,
take him to Eagle Point and let him
fall off-accidentally.'
Arne looked back at the News shop.
Harlan was in the door. The Cajun,
in Wiley's office seat, rolling a Gig
aret, had come to stay. it seemed.
would beat him. if Tanner and his
crowd ever got it. But we-we IA
keep 1t close, RUDE, if you'll help"
Help? Help Wiley? Why, we was
kids together-him and me-
He got in with Arne and they drove
off to the stables.
Back in the office, Ladeau, with the
shabby Of 0 was fumbling in a
pocket for tobacco. Curran silently ex-
tended his case.
"Merci." smiled the Cajun. "Yo' sho'
new fo'get old friends, Wiley"
Still Curran had no word Harlan,
studying him silently. had never seen
him so in a dream. The stranger set
tied himself in the chair with the air
OF n who had come on a lucky turn
Of fortune. And I come up wiz dat
RUDE and find yo' first thing. RUDE
say you run TO- congress"
Yes: I have the nomination."
Who'd fought dat? Old Wiley who
used to play dat guitar fo' dem island
girls to dance at La Cheniere."
The candidate ran his hands through
his hair and looked off at the Meth
odist church spire. IT'S different up
here. Maurice. I'm mighty glad to
see you-but IL wish you hadn't
come" He seemed to have forgotten
Harlan's presence. Suddenly he uprose
and came swiftly to the other.
See here. Maurice. why can't you
get III Of town? You see you'll get to
talking, if you hang around, and my
friends-it will bother them. Person
ally, 1 don't are, but they-the people,
these western country people"
He stopped. In Ladeau's small eyes
was a curious confidence of evil.
"Eheu! Desc Yankee! Dey boil d.
coffee, Wileyl Savages! But dey don't
know you, Ell? Dat it?"
Curran was staring out the window.
Ladeau came nearer. II reckon yo' got
a dollar TO- an old friend. Wiley?"
Wiley's hand went down. Here"
"Mebbe $62 Look at dem shoes
name of God! Dat Rube-we walk from
st. Joe"
II haven't that much here, Maui
rice. But-well. I'll get it. But for
Gods sake, CO.; let me think a bit"
Then. as Ladeau shambled on a step.
he hurried to him. wait. You know
Of Adrienne? She died-are you sur
she died?"
Madame Artois tell me when I go
back to N'Awlyns TO years after. She
say she write yo'. She say yo' send
back wan beautiful letter when
Adrienne died-just what a poet would
say, Wiley. War beautiful letter-but
no money to bury Adrienne."
Il know. 1 was broke out in Arr
iona. Maurice. Madame Artois knows
that. I just could thank her for taking
care Of A%drienne, that was ALL"
ooh. madame know! She cry when
she read dat letter. All women yo' can
make cry. somehow. madame she say.
Eheu. dat beautiful letter."
Curran was watching past him to
the western sky. Tomorrow" he NUT
tered, come back, Maurice, and I'll do
what 1 can-that money. But haven't
much. I'm in debt terribly"
He watched Ladeau shamble down
the street feeling Of the dollar, turn
ing presently into the billiard hall
among the idlers. He did not see Har-
Ian in the shadows. After a while he
raised his hand toward the shiftless
figure. "That-might have been me!
Meme! But God help me-Im saved"
From the numbing vision of his own
past he turned slowly n saw the
younger man. He came to him swiftly.
DO you hear, Harlan7 Just that-a
shambler, q wreck" He sat down and
covered his face with his hands. Pres
entity he writhed with some agony.
God. what a ma misses" he exclaimed.
what he filings away" What ghosts
come back. Harlan! After 20 years."
What is 1t, Wiley-that hurts so?"
II don't know. Fear-that must be
1t. Nervous fear. OF late It's been so
fine just to live. Harlan. To go down
the street and feel that you've done
something. That you have ambition,
purpose; and that they've counted with
men. That's it-that you've won! New
hope, new courage; I've felt like shout
ing it to all the world"
II know. Wiley"
No. you don't boy. You've got to
be down and out first; you've got to
be adrift and lose hope, and know
yourself the failure first, before you
can ever realize how fine 1t is to sue
coed. how sweet 1t is to live. Oh, boy,
when I was your age 1 drifted over all
the old west-it was a big adventure.
I wanted to write what 1 felt-its sweep
and power and bigness. Nevada, New
Mexico. California, Alaska-wherever
life beat fast and free. I wandered.
But I couldn't write it-no-no.
1t was too big and splendid for
me-the epic. But I lived it, Har-
Ian. And then I came back here
when father died and left me the old
shop. No one knew; I had failed, that's
all. l settled down here INT worked,
but the old fine ardor was gone. Eight
years of this village-common, prosy,
dull-not to speak with Of the big
things but you and Janet! And then I
awakened-why here was the poem I
had dreamed and lost-here was my
work, my place, my people" He
lifted his arm and swept it out to hills
beyond the leafy square. YES. I got
pack my old spirit, my fighting soul,
but I didn't put 1t, into a poem, Harlan
but into politics, this battlerand
wont"
Harlan had stirred before his ecstasy.
Was this the man Of yesterday?-this
winging spirit, whom the SINUS town
had e understood?-who had come
back to an ennobling youth?
Wiley came to put his hand upon the
younger mans shoulder: II won, and
there's something for me, Harlan.
There's work there's life-there's
love! He Strengthened and struck his
fists together. And I am not afraid,
howl I toli yo,, Tsua ~of ha.n -r,..1f