Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-04-23

was more in a week than Mr.. Curran
and his caterwauling Rome News made
In three months. Back home people
straightly refused to believe anything
Of the sort.
The a~fter-theater feeders were leav-
Ing. swishing and waddling away with
sidelong glances at this colorful black
eyed girl who sat between the imper-
turbable young man and the older
eager one. Harlan had beckoned for
the waiter and ordered a cab.
Its 1 O'clock" he said. land you
ought to be at your hotel. Aurelie,'
She shrugged as If about to rebel,
then was silent. Some old habit of obe-
dience to him held her. Wiley guessed
it He would have sat all night watch
ing this miraculous Aurelie. He re-
sented Harlan's one When she had
arisen n was busy with her wraps.
each man leveled a challenge at the
other. Then. to Harlan's lips a resolute
smile came. II told you she would
come" lie murmured.
Aurelie was approaching. Never had
she looked so humanity beautiful as IN
der the garish lights of the cafe vesti-
bulernever SO quick with feeling, so
true with life. Her world had not
erous simplicity in her. When they
were in the cab, whirling away to her
hotel, she reached from her furs and
patted Curran's hand with a happy lit
tie sigh.
II do think dreams come true! Away
down-river L remember putting hya-
cinths in my hair and staring down
river In the water. / thought l was
pretty! And that came true! Just the
gray cypress woods, and the lilies float
ing to the sea. and the mocking birds
singing; and the Indian women catch
ing shrimps on a stick, and Captain
Tinkletoes telling war stories and dig
ging for buried treasure! But Uncle
Mich said we'd go off sometimes and
see all the lands and states n coun
tries. Oh, something very wonderful
must be up in those lands and states
and countries! And that came true.
The land O. joy! Well find it some
time. won't we, Mr.. Curran-people like
you and mel"
Find it," he cried, "Aurelie, it's
here!"
"You understand" she answered, and
settled back on the cushions with an
other luxuriant sigh.
The two men left her at the hotel.
She had a curious, shy, studied, sweet
ness for them both in her parting that
left them silent as the cab ratified away
to the railroad station through the
dreary after-midnight streets. Once,
R0NooAAS a WI AASA Ia SoAloA1 0o"
Harlan's face turned to him calm, hard,
victorious.
The elder man could not repress his
cry:
doubling her, and I never doubted her.
She's good-good-always good!"
Il know. Because she loved me after
all. That held her good through all
this life-the notoriety n glitter-be-
cause she loves me, Wiley!"
The other IA could not answer. His
cry now was to his own heart. He
seemed battling to evade some ineffa-
BILE self-pathos that would find it's way.
Harlan-always to Harlan life brought
the best without price, without strug-
gle. He would say no more. When
they were in h smoking room of the
Pullman they again were silent; and
when Harlan had n to his berth,
Curran went forward through the train
seeking an open platform. He wanted
the open, the stars and freedom-he
must have air. He found an Enclosed
vestible and sat staring out at the
night. the black of the prairie mid
lands, with far off the silken veil of
the city flung luminous against the
sky;
boyle loves her, after all. And all
the years he's been first with me--first
III everything ne COulQ not grasp
his sense of fatherhood, tender, mystic,
encompassing, for Harlan. Yet always
1t had been so-this friendship that he
had held so beautiful. SO true. Then
Aurelie had come to lay a finger
laughllngly against this faith. To
dazzle him, to enrapture him-to bring
the hunt to Harlan's eyes, and 1nexplic-
able rebellion to his own.
Eth, we1l-those children!" He
arose, signing. Its for me to play the
mar at last! GOD bless them! l love
'em both and neither could understand
how or why. And / can't either!"
He went back defying his rebellion,
stumbling to grasp his old loyalty, that
fine ardor for his friend, which had
made the long years sweeter. 1t was
hard to define his struggle. A faint
smile came to his lips at the suggestion
that he loved-nothing like that was
q part Of him, he had said long ago.
I'D tell Janet" he muttered, off
she'd understanding she wouldn't.
Yet Janet-Janet knows me-and I'M
derstands most everything!" Then his
sad smile came again. "Janet-after
all, she's nearest-and dearest. But.
somehow, 1t took Aurelie to awaken
mel"