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

told her. A least, with all Janets 10y
atty, Arne discerned some unfathom-
able negation in her heart. He laid it
to her ~t1redness; the stress was in
evltaply too much for a woman. even
for Janet's superb health and iron
vitality. But with a brothers con-
stralnt he did not intimately question
the matter.
He was busted with plans for the
! meeting the night before the cleo
home He had always evaded it,
ana early IN the campaign his mana
gers had thought it wise. But now,
Wnen ne had addressed the people in
every country district. in every town of
the constltuency-when he had met
every issue and the progression of his
had spelled his triumph every
where, Mcbride, Purcell, the vances.
and all the exultant group of young
men IN Earlville, had insisted that they
conclude the battle in his home spot.
The battle, indeed, was won but they
wanted to brawl their victory in The
races or the old county ring at Rome.
Curran had assented; he caught the
fire OF their ardor. And it would be
pregant for his own soul. Here, where
ne mad been the failure, he would sting
them with his success.
" can't go wrong" exclaimed Arne,
not even If every mossback in this
town stayed away. Wen take care of
that. The Earlville bunch will send over
enough to pack that dinky opera house
and then We'll overflow on to the court
house lawn. Two bands and red fire,
ana Wen burn up half the sidewalks
on High street. Rub it in-yell it in
their faces, damn 'em!"
Inc town was talking Of that wind
up meeting of the Curran campaign for
w weeks. The old line county COM
mittee was helpless. Old Thad Tanner
might curse impotently in his office;
but on the street Curran walked with
the consciousness a men looked back
at him. The transformation suddenly
became acute in the minds Of his
townsmen; the farmers, over their at
urday trading in the stores, said that
al the folks would come in to Wiley's
meeting"
Old Mowry. the undertaken, with his
10 years grievance against the coun-
~ crowd since they threw him out of
the coroner's office, ambled into the
News and sat where he could stare at
the Widow Steger's-always wait
ing"
Busted, Wiley!" He cackled: "why,
ms morntn' even Dickinson admitted
they was busted! Some of these daya
therell be a board that'l pay me for
hat Niger l buried! Wiley, want 1
always your friend?"
FRIEND? The town, the county. the
vast Midlands all voiced it.
He was getting his mail the day be-
fore election when Cal Rice, a white
raced, young man, habitually rejecting
the last word of his wife's father.
Thaddeus Tanner, detached himself
from a group in the postotfice lobby to
detaln him. His paSty smile was apollo
getic.
"How's prospects, Wiley?" The
banker had never before a anything
but a grim nod for the editor.
Splendid" He felt a throb of mag
unanimous condescension.
L suppose you'll want to renew
your mortgage on the 1st?"
%leisurely. The Merchants bank, of
Earlville. will take it up"
Rice looked UP quickly. "Ah. your
friend, Purcell. I suppose?"
I've a good many friends over there.
well acquainted these days. So I'll take
up That mortgaRe when it's u Eight
hundre and forty dollars, interest and
all, isn't it?"
Something like that. Drop in this
morning. Well look 1t up" Rice fig
ured a moment There's another mat
ter. Mr.. Curran. Come at H."
Mr.. Curran drew out his watch lazily.
He found it hard to conceal his triumph.
Cal Rice, Of the First National, coming
TO him, wanting a conferences! Beaten,
eh? And they knew 1.-THE whole
court house crowd! They wanted to
placate the victor, that was it. In a
flash Wiley guessed it-Thad Tanner
was going to offer some compromise,
plead for some agreement with him
anything, SO that Thad might retain
control of the county committee. Cur
ran In congress and solid as he was
in the county would dethrone Thad
from his local power sure as shoot
ing fish in a bucket" All over town
they had discussed hat days ago. If
Ihad lost his grip some mighty un-
pleasant stories of board contracts
might come out. They were gossiped
about. had been for years.
And now Curran thrilled with it. He
mad felt 1T coming. He had told Arne,
and Arne had cried sourly: Kick the
old son-of-a-gun out of your shop If
he ever m to you!"
Rice's next words sealed 1t. The
banker shuffled n%ervously and then
vent on: "Curran, you've been dead
wrong about the First Nationals atti-
tude toward you fight. We're not-er
against you-not at all-not at all.
And er-you'll com over at 11?"
Hardly" Wiley drawled with irrita-
ting amtability. Expecting a telegram
from Governor Delroy- something
about the campaign He looked at his
watch again, conscious that every man
IN the group was listening and In is
minutes would spread the report that
Thad Tanner was going to quit the
hight on Curran. Then he said: Make
1t 11:15 Rice. Best L can do oday."
Continued next weekly