The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-04-23
CHAPTER xXI-(continued,
CHARLES IENNEY. JACKSON

CssvdxaA
CHAPTER xXI-(Continued).
Harlan frowned. Hen and Ben had
not improved Aurelie's good name in
lone, Iowa; by going bankrupt back
on: Now tell me-, who made this up
TO come in n surprise me?s
Ihey looked at zach other. I'VE met
mere tonight" a Harlan. I'm the
'Indeed?" She read them a shrewd
IhstanI. And do you like the piece?
l don't. It's silly. Mr.. Curran. I don't
think SO much of the stage as I did.
It's all Graft. and unless a girl is very
lucky she won't get on unless
Aurelie paused-"unless she has the
right friends. But people have been
mighty good to me-"
L suspect, Aurelie," murnured Mr..
Curran, you are mighty good to them"
sne gave Mr.. Curran a soulful enig-
matte glance. That's why I like you.
MI. Curran! Just saying things like
that" She sighed: Harlan wouldn't"
n looked at him with long reproach.
Harlan could not smile. He was be-
whereby trying to imagine where
Aurelie had acquired all these manners
and yet not overlaid her naturalness.
b dressed beautifully, yet with taste.
even with all her old vagabond love
OF colors. She made them live with
health. Cohan & Snitz knew his inn
press on the audiences. Pretty things
and gladness! But one of the review
ers talked of Aurelie and the psychol-
ogy OF dress, Inc Aurelie shuddered.
LIE bon Dieu, did not psychology have
to do with ghosts!
She went on plaintively merry:
Sometimes I do get tired. Ada Nor
man says I haven't enough talent to
go on except my face. Just like a lot
OF Kids who've come up from the chorus
pretty soon I'll have to depend On the
masseurs, and grease paint won't make
up what l. lose. Then zing! says
them both. But Q know I don't care.
I'm going to save my money, n have
a cunning little place II some babies,
and 60 hunting rabbits sometime with
Uncle Mich in the snow!"
That is q large and brilliant pro
laugh. HarIan's smile came doggedly
at last. 1t was hard to resist her
spirits. She was unspoiled, but JOY had
been set free! In the hearts Of both
men had grown a miserable shame that
they had quarreled over Joe Benham.
The gilded youth, and the blatant press
for Aurelie who was thinking OF Old
Michigan and tracking rabbits In the
snowI
She went on stabbdns tho town and
stage folk with a vtvacious mi heed
less wit. h asked of Rome, Iowa. So
running for7 She just couldn't remem-
Der when h told the comedian whom
h had the date" with tonight. She
had said her friend was running for the
penitentiary! And Mon Dieu. the
comedian interpolated thts In his lines
and broke her all up with laughing,
And the house didn't know, OF course
| but It laughed with heri
Harlan listened. A Van Hart
chuck1ed at by a comedy man-and
chucked into his lines was exasperat-
ing-as exasperating as trying to be
with laughter. District attorney! OF
course! Something long and import
ant! I didn't mean the pen1tentiary!'
And she almost had the two men
laughing with her-almost. Only the
desperate hurt was there. And not for
Benham. Wiley looked triumphantly
across h table at Harlan Right?
OF course he was right
"But why did you come, Mr.. Cur
RAM? ust to see me7"
ITO give you this, Aurelie." He drew
out the rosary, and her cry Of JOY, the
| quick rush Of tears to her eyes vas re-
ward. h had the lost trinket to her
lips, to the aInazement Of all the after
theater feeders.
1.-THE boys found 1t behind the clap
boards in your little white room"
"It's just as you left 1t. They keep
1t waiting for you, Aurelie."
And then she cried indeed amid the
cafe feeders. Wiley looked away. "A
| child-just a child, yes, Harlan" he
muttered. and the other nodded.
"They all love you. Even John. Your
help and gifts and letters-why, ever
sour old John couldn't get around 1t
ALL"
IT loved him, .too-only he was too re-
| Hgious for mel"
MIR. Curran pointed at the rosary. $50
you are, Aurelie. Or thinking Of Uncle
| Mich and Peter and the baby wouldn't
| make 0 cry-among this sort OF peo-
pie! And this queer little chair OF
yours. 1t must have been you mothers
and I know where it came from"
Her eyes widened. "My mothers!
| Yes-yes-but where?"
New Orleans A crazy sflversmith on
| Charities street who thought he was a
genius SO he marked all his rosariea
and never made much else"
why, I had it when I done come up
river. When Captain Tink1etoes stole
me-. Uncle Michigan says he thought
l was a boy when they stole mel"
II know Mich's old yarn. But this
| cross is gone"
She looked quickly at him. he 70 un-
derstood what it would mean to her.
And Harlan, watching the two, saw
what a common piece Of sentiment they
weSe, the same Migrants of soui.
81 wouldn't say anything about It,
murmured Aurelie, "only Il was my
| mothers. And It's dreadful net to have
q mother-only Ada Norman and a
hairdresser!" She left an arch sad
smile with Mr.. Curran. Sometimes, I'd
rather not be a homeless stray. But
I suppose people must GO rafting On
In their harness n lover do the
things they love. Sometimes, I got the
old longing to run off dowa-rtver with
Uncle Mich. And take yeu, Mr.. Cur
rant"
Then she broke his enchaHtme1t with
her laughter. Harlan looks as II he
thought we-all were perfectly crazy!
Well, I suppose one can't. Ssne chap
is going to write a new piece-Just for
me. A real star part. I think they
cali it The Girl with tho Pink Eye
brow.'" Harlan's face set hard. That
was it. THE Girl with the Pink Eye
--.- IL ~ .