Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-04-30
CHAPTER xx11-(continued).

ricians. The red-necked Boydston was
frownfng cyaSively. The other were
still. 1t was Curran's moment of
triumph. He went leisurely down the
street with his mail. Mrs. Van Hart
was driving into the square. She did
not notice Curran, of the News, but
Curran smiled airily. He could afford
to be complacent to High street now.
He was Curran. the insurgent leader
of the south countess; he had broken
the ranks of the reserve. He was a
friend of the governor. Best Of all, the
country folk knew him. He was their
man" He wished he could see Janet.
He would nave liked to tell her this.
At 11:30-purposedly he had kept
Rice waiting Is minutes-he strolled
over to the bank corner. The door
a sElall one at the side used by the Of
~f1cers-opened before he touched it. He
had had an impression that Rice had
been watching him from the shade OF
the window in front and had scurried
back to let him in. That was another
sense of his winning. Even 10Y Rice
bowed and trotted ahead down the
gloomy bank corridor.
This way, Mr.. Curran. All, late?
Not at all-not at all! He opened the
door to his private office and the
guest went in. 1t was rather dark, but
Curran knew that a number% of men
were there. He paused, surprised to
see Ransdell, the editor of the Earlville
Mercury-Journal. But then, Thad con-
trolled the Journal. Boydston, the SUI
perviSor. whom Curran had fought for
six years. was there. Judge Van Hart
was there, sitting obviously i'll at ease
county boss. in his swivel chair before
the bank directors table. Curran
looked them over with a belying calm.
They were a representative gathering
of his ancient enemles-men of the old
regime in politics. in wealth and social
place in the county. He was received
in a silence that somehow was slowly
strangling the inc glow Of confidence
in which he had come. He felt him
self intuitively brace as one Toe to
whom a physical peril is imminent. The
air was hostile. 1t breathed evil; the
room had the of a trap.
Thad was cutting a cigar leisurely.
He did not rise nor extend a hand.
When he spoke 1t was with a precision
as one stating a ~prearranged program,
a conclusion to which the other had
given assent.
Good evening, Mr.. Curran. We were
expecting you"
80 I imagine"
Tanner sat forward, his brows con-
tracted over his narrow eyes. Then, In
his rapish voice, with the direct dis
regard of courtesy which always made
his authority, with a. weaker man, take
the aspect Of bullying, he went on:
I'VE sent for you. Curran, to ask you
to withdraw your candidacy before
the people Of the Eighteenth district"
Curran appeared unmoved. So swift
had been his revulsion, so sure was
he Of a trap. that he had steeled him
self. He had an instant struggle to
| speak with the cool satire which was
all they saw.
rre-+1o,,,o&, ~, n sir - rr~oI I1D1,j
The other stirred. They had expect
ed amaZement, at least.
Tanner eyed. the victim shrewdly.
TITS our duty to ask a good deal. The
party's welfare, the good name of our
people, may say the purity of our
homes-demand it. l presume you
know what 1 mean"
Curran looked steadily at him. II
presume. in turn, that you mean a
story Of my early MARRIAGE story
brought to this town and to your at
tention by Maurice Ladeau?"
Thad was irritated at this cool per-
~tinacity and frankness. He had boasted
/ a moment before to Judge Van Hart
that he would make the News mar
cringe and crawl.
Yes. An Incredible story, Curran,
an intolerable story! A girl you de-
serted-and without marriage"
There was a marriage"
we uuNe ZIG ldClS. 1Hey CAME "
light strangely enough. You left this
girl Adrienne LIE Gania-in New
Orleans in 1891. She died the fol-
lowing year during an epidemic of
yellow fever" Thad was looking at
@ slip of memoranda, and with each
point he tapped the table with his
pencil, his face, under the light, pal
prosecutor Of an inQuisition. He looked
up briefly: Am I right in these facts
You are"
Again the group moved at Curran's
quiet confidence. Again Tanner lev
eled an eye, for the moment non
went to Mexico. She lived on at ar
old woman's house-Madame Artois-
and died there the following year
leaving a child!"
The man standing before them die
not move. His eye was as steady as
Tanners own. But he twitched in
wardly with the shock.
You recall that?"
mo. 1 never knew of that-and it is
a lie"
He had broken from his spell a
last. He started forward with a hoI
menace.
Thad raised his hand d~eprecatingly
but his grin of triumph came. He ha6
made his boast good to the others thai
he would crush the editor.
There was" he went on laconical-
ly, "a child born on the third day Of
June, in a hospital on Rampant street
We have the name. The child was
baptized OF the first Of August. W.
have the name-the name of thu
priest; it was taken charge of by al
tnstitution-we have the name of tina:
institution. We have the after histor,
of that chiId-we know its identity to.
day. Do you follow me, Mr.. Curran
Do o believe meT'
No"
you admit this-marriage?"
II admit nothing except that my
wife died during the yellow feve.
when people were rushing out of tn,
city. l wrote to ask of her-to THU
same Madame Artois. you mention
yes. But I did not desert her-ant
there was no child of this, union"
He spoke steadily again. Judge Val
Hart was studying him. They al
were watching. He had impressee
them. Even old Thad nodded appre
Gladly. Then he went on: We'll. w
need not quarrel on the issue TIL
point is that we, as representatives o
the party, of the honorable men an
good women of the community-fo
the good name Of thai community
ask you to withdraw from the con
gressional contest. It is not a prett,
tale, Mr.. Curran, and we have no de
sire to spread 1t broadcast. Our PEG
Rsae you know how they dstsst