Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-06
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BETrER PEoPLE.

Many men OF the county drove to
town early that day. 1t was the ever
present restlessness of election eve
and In this instance a sense of new
quences, was in the air. Then it was
10 be the night OF the big Curran
meeting" at the opera house, the wind
up with red fire n the band; n the
country people, with a lively apprecia-
ton of the spectacular, were eager to
hear the candidate. Wiley" would
make the most of his last chance to
scald the county crowd" with his
satire. that was sure. All the day the
cou house was thronged with farm
ars, politicians, candidates, standing
about. smoking. gossiping. The dingy
central corridor was a reel OF tobacco
n smells.
way to his office. He had not con-
cerned himself with the hour
wrangles and petty i%ntrigues, for he
q no opposition in his own fight.
The county crowd would put young
a Hart over" every one said, and
approved. The countrymen looked
back at him with diffident respect.
When he reached Miss vane's door he
saw her at her desk. Hemminger, the
lonely insurgent board member from
the river district, was there, sitting,
awkward, constrained, holding his hat.
Harlan was waving his hand cheerily
IN passing. when Janet arrested him
With a gesture. Her eyes had a hard
brightness: When the young man
came in h bade him close the door.
e she sat again. The hubbub of
voices in the hall was lessened.
Janet motioned Harlan to a chair.
We" she began quietly. have been
discussing you. Mr.. Kemminger and I
nave discussed you for two weeks"
Harlan Innkod I'M of Jorn,in0or ~,,SkI
2 surprised smile. Indeed! Now, I
had noticed Hemminger in your office
q number Of times lately. What is
the extraordinary interest"
She d~isregarded his easy banter.
Harlan she went on sharply, you'll
Without a doubt. On the first of
next month";"
She seemed dwelling OF the three
weeks intervening. Then: I'VE are go
ms to confide In you something that
We might have said before; only
her glance held q curious suspicion
well, l thought we'd better wait until
after the election. You owe your nom
ination to Tanner. the old crowd. and
well, you'll pardon my frankness, but
NO h~esitated."
"Hesitated? What on earth are you
driving att"
Hemminger smiled uneasily. WON
~ WAACk0 you u 0IAuO, MT. van
Hart. Kind o. thought 1t would nut YOU
II bad to load this on you"
He still looked his wonder at Janet.
She waS unlocking the drawer Of her
l0csk. She took out an envelope and
r0msi q yellow n worn bit Of paper.
I'VE y demand" she began deci-
issyeiy. that the first act Of your adj
slnflIistration is to go before the grand
jury and ask for the indictment Of
Tanner and Dan Boydston and Archie
Curry Tor the giving and the accepting
lef bribes on the county road contracts
tfor the last six years.
He looked silently at her. HEM
min9er shifted his hat nervously.
The proof" Miss Vance went on, els
here" She laid the yellow slip Of
memoranda on the desk. It was COW
cred with careless entries. figures, alb
breviations. To Harlan 1t meant
Nothing. This Is Boydston's writing
-~BoydstOn, the go-between."
Those old yarns" Harlan MUIR
INJURED; then her dominance stilled him.
He looked again at the . "You
mean his ie-prOof?"
This and Boydston's. confession"
Confession? 2"
ut amounts to that. His admissions
- Hemminger, his fellow board MEM
Indstrom Pocket deal-was put
through. He admitted he took money
d offered Hemminger $500 to keen
1ilent on this"
che tappedi the paper. Harlan stared
3 hsr incrednlously. WHY. I nav
hour no.. There was = conferences oi
leM0 oott. Father was there. and
Runner q Wiley Curlan. There an
Sunnofe that Tanner threw IN the 0ght
mn#Wanto toSMakA N .agreement With
10 = - oeguc backefs to keeI