The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-04-23

q
was more in a week than Mr.. Curran
and his caterwauling Rome News made
In three months. Back home people
stratghtly refused to believe anything
Of the sort.
The after-theater feeders were leav-
Ing, swishing and waddling away with
sidelong glances at this colorful black
eyed girl who sat between the inper-
turbabl young man and the older
eager me-. Harlan had beckoned for
the waiter and ordered a cab.
It's l o'clock" he said, "and you
ought to be at your hotel, Aurelie,"
She shrugged as II about to rebel.
h was silent. Some bic habit OF ODE
dience to him held her. Wiley guessed
It. He would have sat all night watch
Ing this miraculous Aurelie. He re-
sented Harlan's tone. When she had
q man leveled g. challenge at the
other. Then, to Harlan's lips a ~resolute
smile came. "I told you she would
come" he murmured.
Aurelie was approaching. Never had
she looked so humanity beautiful as I'M
der the garish lights of the cafe vesti-
bule-never SO quick with feeling, so
true with life. Her world had not
spoiled her-had not touched the gen.
erous simplicity in her. When they
were In the cab, whtrling away to her
hotel. h reached from her furs and
patted Curran's hand with a happy lit
tie sigh.
down-river 1 remember putting hya-
cinths in my hair and staring down
river in the water. I thought I was
pretty! And that came true! Just the
gray cypress woods, and the lilies float
Ing to the sea, and the hooking birds
singing: and the Indian women catch
ing shrtInps on q stick, and Captain
Tinkletoes telling war stories and dig
ging for buried treasure! But Uncle
Mich a we'd go off sometimes and
see all the lands and states and coun-
tries. Oh, something very wonderful
must be UP In those lands and states
n Countries! And that came true:
The land O. joy! Well find it m
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 or 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 then Siteslt q the cab ratified away
to h railroad station through the
dreary after-midnight streets. Once,
passing a corner lamp, Curran saw
Harlan's face turned to him calm, hard,
| victorious.
The elder MAJ could not repress his
damn you, Harlan! You came hero
doubling her, and I doubted her.
She's Observation-Disclosures good"
IT know. Because she owed me after
this life-the notoriety and glitter-be-
cause she loves me, Wiley!"
The other man could not answer. His
cry now was to his own heart. He
seemed battling to evade some ineffa-
BILE self-pathos that YOU find its way.
Harlan-always to Harlan life brought
the best without price, without strug-
gle. He would say no more. When
they were in the smoking room Of the
Pullman they again were silent; and
when Harlan had gone to his berth,
Curran went forward through the train
seeking an open platform. He wanted
the open, the stars n 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
"Ah, well," He tried to reason. "The
the years he's been first with me-first
in everything" He could not grasp
his sense Of fatherhood, tender. mystic,
encempassing, for Harlan. Yet always
It had been so-this friendship that he
had held SO beautiful, SO true. Then
Aurelie had come to lay a finger
laughlingly against this faith. To
dazzle him, to enrapture him-to bring
the hunt to Harlan's eyes, and inexplic-
able rebellion to his own.
"Eh. well-those children!" He
arose, signing. TITS for me to play the
man at Last! God bless them! I love
'em both Inc neither could understand
how or why. And I can't ether"
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 ioved-nothing like thai was
a part Of him, he had said long ago.
I'D tell Janet" he muttered, "if
she'd understandable she wouldn't.
Yet Janet-Janet knows me-and I'M
derstands most e~verything!" Then his
sad smile came again. Grandfather
all, she's nearest-and dearest. But,
somehow, it took Aursus to awaken
mel"