The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-03-26

Harris always did irritate him with
their ideas Of he proper thing. Still
they were useful, because their ideas OF
the proper thing did not allow them
to oppose him either.
Well. Harlan, I hope o understand
you didn't even have to make a fight.
People knew your dad-and they could
just figure on you. It's a good thing
you're our man."
Mr.. Van Hart smiled ~impersonally.
II am not your man"
The county boss stared at him. Then
he bit the end off q cigar. Then he
spat on the sidewalk against the ordi-
nances made and provided. Well, I'm
a son-of-a-gunI" he murmured. Curl
Gus / never stopped to talk with you
before!" Then he rubbed his gold
headed cane. against Harlan's sleeve.
Young man, you're mighty young
you'll get over this"
But the honorable Thaddeus Tanner
sided into Judge Van Harris cham
bers, after court that day, and had q
talk Of a number Of things. but mostly
Of Harlan and what a brilliant career
he had opened for Harlan. And the
next day the Earlville Mercury-Journal
controlled through the stock which
Cal Rice's wife owned in it-came out
with a fulsome forecast OF young MI.
Van Harris career. "
Harlan met Arne Vance reading that
column to his sister when he left the
office that night. The farmer student
fixed his black eyes on The nominee.
Trying to rope and brand you, eh?"
See here-Mike Mcbride and I sup
posed we had something to do with
your big vote"
Harlan smiled. IT think SO. Arne.
You surely put Wiley over!"
Arne grimaced, nodding his head
toward Janet. IT know" continued
Harlan. Every one says she did i'll"
He put out his hand to Janet in the
buggy. She appeared tired and dis
trait. 1T has been q strain, hasn't it2
But Wiley-it will be the making Of
him, Janet.
She smiled a rare gratefulness. "He
can't fail Of election now. Only"-she
paused and Harlan lifted his serious
eyes to hers, II have sort of a feeling,
Harlan. he-he'u do some of the erratic
audacious things that have always
wrecked him!"
Like taking up the cause of these
going to evict for the new creek dam
-Ldndstrom-" muttered Arne. did
you see the News? He's already plead
ing some right OF theirs"
Janet looked way. "WeI1, ! hope
trust-but it's like Wileyt" Then she
smiled upon them. Well. I am tired
out. I'm going away"
rest2"
ITO work. 1 feel as if-well, my
work was done here. Harlan. And I
have chances. To speak, to write
well. for all the fine things we used
to discuss in the old News office. you
remember. The child-1abor laws-the
women's movement-my old ambitions,
He nodded alphabetically. Then
muttered: But your place here-it's
hard to fill. Janet. The school system
you've made a model for the stated"
Then he was silent. Janet was think
Ing OF the long years fight. And the
best people had not been with her IN
til Of late. She was too practical, too
speafe club tea at Mrs. Van Harris.
Harlan sharply differentiated her from
the tabby affairs Of High street.
He told his mother that night that
Janet Vance would resign her next
term and go east. The lady elevated
her brows wisely. Il suppose that will
end the affair between her and Mr..
Curran."
THE affair" was a matter of years
gossip. Harlan said nothing; he bad
never, after a mans fashion, bothered
his head about 1t.
Il imagine it's true. then, that that
Liadstrom girl has come between
them"
He looked attentively at her with a
trace OF suspicion of her subtlety. Au-
relies name had never been mentioned
between them except in the lady's ami
able satire on her career" But that
was common to the town.. And Harlan
had never looked upon Aurelie's appeal
to the erratic romanticism in Mr.. Cur
ran In that light. It seemed prepos-
ferrous. Mrs. Van Hart went on with
the cool impersonality. humanized by
her n OF amusement. with which
she looked on tho affairs of her neigh
bors, ever the ladies bemused In the
Shakespeare afternoons: -" think II
would be quite fitting. Those two-Mr.
Curran In 'congressi-and imagine a
whistling to all the dogs on his way to
the ~postoffice, in his shirt sleeves, in
James Halls seat!"
Harlan looked at her in silence. The
judge smoked his dinner cigar with his
deprecating assent.
His nomination, my dear, is more
than amusing. He-and all the rabble
OF demagogtsm-take 1t as an indorse-
ment by h people of the rant that is
subverting our political theory. Our
public men, u financiers. persistently
yelped at by Curran's sheet. and our
sober constituency applaud" He looked
mildly over his glasses. my boy,
wish you had stayed out OF 1t ali"
q" do not!" The mother was Incl
sive. 1T is time he was In the battle.
1t is the parting Of the ways, and there
Is enough common sense IN the county
to make Harlan's career. 1t is the day
Of the young men"
And to Harlan's mind there came tho
memory of a phrase. A Vision-Arne
Vance and the tramp Of his young men
up the hill. He became conscious of a
conflict within him here In the dear
familiar home, Here were his people
the best people, ever clingtng to fixed
forms. righteous, worthy, leisurely de-
veloping but needing inherent priv
ilege-this was the good. But here was
another good out In the world: a new,
hungry. lustful good, eager to seize,
to make place, to break down forms
and privilege-this was the eternal bat
tie. There was no ground under a
mans feet-he was with one or with
the other, And slowly 1t came to him
that, in the eyes Of his parents, the
eyes OF the world-a world rigid with
caste, resistant with ideals, however
much 1t might assent to the babble of
democracy-Aurelie was the symbol of
the lower standards. 1t was for him
to choose, and his love was the crux of
81 all q aiOn nnat 80 A. =