Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-28

Lenberg both. And a nurse. Col"
He stopped the question on her lips,
2 young Caesar grasping power as her
Roman matron's pride in him would
without word to the telephone. In the
hall she found Michigan, a shaggy ami
mai tortured beyond further outcry,
swaying his head and whispering:
Done come-done come, Lord!'
When she e back the two men
were by Aurelie's side. They had been
muttering to each other Curran was
staring at the younger.
You knew-last night? How could
o know"
Father told me. And Tanner We
choked 1t out OF him. And no one else
knows. Wiley. Ladeau is dead-and
Tanner dares not speak. I'd swing him
county," Then Harlan's new-found
wonder broke again. But your little
girl. Wiley!"
"Yes-God help me. I let her grow
up any way-without care, without
Just fighting her own way, al
moved me SO about her-the delight
she gave me. And you. boy-you
thought"-he whispered it-"she'd
come between us! Why, she loved you
alWays-put it away in her mighty
loved you always! Why,
with all her laughter and her
playing, I never dreamed of loving
her as you did. Oh. the wonder Of It'll
She led me on to her LAND OF joy!"
B still" the younge mar NUT
tered. Shes trying to say something.
Home! She's home now" Harlan's
ayes went to his mother cool, fair,
listening by h bedside: he slipped his
arm down ahnJt A,,roljo,s Mood 40
watch the feck OF crimson on her lips.
Home, mother!"
The mother put her hand upon his
shoulder; the other on AuKelie's brow.
You'd better go now. The doctors are
here. She's shot low in the side. Will
You cav her O moment?"
Cprran was moving to the door. But
Harlan, as he tried to rise, found Au-
relies fingers stealing through his
hair; he was listening to his name up
on her lips.
Mrs. Van Hart was with Curran as
he passed out. With a gesture she held
out her hand to him. "These are things
beyond us all, MI. Curran. Deeps Of
life that move n sweep us all to
things we have never dreamed-that
we cannot evade or compromise. And
SO we accept-with courage and with
gladness. am sorry-humbly sorry
will o believe me?" He
long at her and his face did not
soften.
"A word from you-a kind word
any little gracious act would have
changed 1t all. Would have given her
to Hanlan long ago and saved us this.
It's hard to forget"-his brief smile
that you held cheap, unworthy-her
love for your son kept her good and
fine n simple through 1t all
and that meant nothing to you"
TN sorry" the mother whispered.
HI will have his way-and we accept.
Some day shall we tell her all?"
Yes. But not now"
why not now?" The mother stirred
in the doorway.
She is not so badly hurt, they say.
And Harlan is trying to explain. What
Is greater than the truth for her?"
Curran stared at her. holding her
cool fingers for an instant, then look
ing in the half dark Of the room.
Tell herr" he muttered. Then drew
back. But a sound from within came
to him. Aurelie's tired smile had end
ed In a sigh with Harlan's murmurings.
The physicians had stood apart.
Curran went In. The mother in the
presently. heard a cry, the all their
voices low and awed. She looked in as
she passed, for she would not enter.
me men were on either side the bed,
holding Aurelie's hands. Mrs. Van
Hapt could not hear what they said,
the men bending to her.
But after a while Curran rose and
came out. The mother in the hall saw
him pass, and the glitter of tears was
on his cheeks. He found Janet in The
window seat as he reached the door.
The mother heard his voice rise 10y
fully.
"She said that dreams come true
Janet! Yes-good dreams, child
dreams. like those that sent her out to
find and love me. oh, you should have
heard her say it, Janet! Father-the
proudness of it on her lips!"
Janet went with him out into the
bleak night.
Where are you going, Wiley?"
IL don't know. Yes-back to the
shop-my old shop. I thought of cav
ing-selling out, for nc one'll ever I'M
derstand. But I'll stay-1ll fight it out.
Face It all with silence-the defeat and
relies sake. It's safer-it's better for
her, Janet"
They were passing High street, along
which a few people were still coming.
The thousands a melted away from
the tragic feld out the creek road.
They crossed the square, and at the
corner of his office he stopped. The
lights were coming here and there in
h stores, but the place seemed yet
deserted, SO still that the creak OF the
frosty trees on the bluff came down to
them. Curran paused while Janet tore
the hem from her skirt and bound
again his forehead where a buckshot
had furrowed It.
What an election day!" she whis-
pered. II don't think half the county
vote was cast, Wiley. But there's the
Mercury-Journal carrier coming from
the interurban-and the polls closed at
six"
He had no word as he watched her
buy a paper from the boy. When she
turned, he had one In the News office
n was looking at the grimy old press
and the worn cases.
Come here, Wiley!"
"Yes?" He went over and looked
down with somber eyes to the sheet
she had spread upon his desk.
The Lindstrom story" had Ave coll
umns Of the front. But across the other
two was this head:
"Concede Curran's Election"
He looked up at Jane with a mutter:
Election? Didn't they see the News
last night?"
No. Come out in the back yard,
Wiley
He followed to where she pointed to
the heap Of burned paper half way
along the path to his cottage.
"For the first time In 80 years there
was no issue Of the News this week."
She was at hfa houildorpnont