The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-17

slip of blue calico, her only garment, and
the sun has freckled but not tanned her
face. and not even her feet Her mother
wears skirt of black and white calico
over coarse but clean chemise of white,
with low neck and short sleeves, and no
other waist
Mrs. Burghart talks a little English,
and looking up at me inquiringly. she
says: 'Do you come from boleece?" l
said, mo; you had some trouble over
here with the police, believer"
Here Mrs. Etzel, who had seated her
self on a bench beside the little sick boy
as he leaned his pale face against her
arm, scowled ever so slightly. and she
glanced apprehensively down the lane
as Mrs. BurgEart unconsciously shifted
her position and looked the same way
before she replied: "DroUbles; vas, lots
droubles, plenty droubles. Boleece COON
hare and beat names and womens."
''Why did they do that; what were they
doing?'
Here little Eva was appealed to, and
she said: at was on a Sunday, and police
come and go to hit mans aud womans
can't say any Eng lish, and make signs
go-away and police hit 'em. Mis- E Eel
and Mis- EzeFs grandma and Mis-
EtZePs aunt, when they didn't done moth
ing" Eva has not mastered English
grammar yet, but she has no trouble
voicing her own and apparently the en-
tire settlements fear of the "boleece,"
and she bites nervousIy at her finger
nails when she talks
Here the conversation is interrupted by
very old woman whom l had noticed
gathering corn in the field as l came up
the lane. She pays no direct attention
to the intruder, but she talks loud and
long at Mrs Etzel rather than to her who
is, learn, her daughter law, she be-
ing the grandma referred to by Eva The
old woman wears the short sack waist
that most of the others do and the blue
calico skirt to match is tucked up over
brown petticoat She wears shoes with
out stockings and on her head is little
three-cornered shawl which makes me
feel warm just to look at it.
After she had talked for ten minutes
without intermission, all the time affect
ing to be at work at something's l begin
to feel decidedly uncomfortable, for now
and then she gives me a look that is
anything but encouraging.
She can certainly look as vindictive as
if l were an emmissary of the car,
ready to drag her to Siberia's wilds at
once, or the most aggressive blue coat in
free America Her bare arms look equal
/ to the task of picking me up bodily and
her face reminds me with its frame of
rough hair, a little gray and good deal
faded. of one of Wagner's characters in
Siegfreid.
With eyes down cast, Eva tells me
slowly that "the grandma" thinks that
yes and no are sufficient answers to give
to my questions.
l feel rather uncomfortable but do not
retreat at once and "the grandma" goes
back to the field.
Mrs. Ezel takes her sick child indoors
and l ask Mrs. Burghart through Eva
if there will be any objection to my go
| ingain some of the houses.
she evidently does not trust me and
| gives a reluctant consent with a scrutin-
iZing look that seems to expect to find d
| policeman's club concealed about my
skirts or in my boutfant sleeves.
By this time the curious ones of the
group have begun to scatter, and go
TO work, no one seems TO ever
be idle, and it is almost time to prepare
the evening meal.
The first house on the right is the
| E Eel and Burghart home.
There are four small rooms, two for
each family.
In the one where l intrude there are
three chairs, a small stand, and plain
bedstead on which lies the aunt Eva told
me of.
X =
of the Savior are on one side of the wall
and number of advertising pictures.
The little sick boy lies on pallet and
| his mother fans him.
There is no show of hospitality or
welcome, and I feel strangely out of
| place as l seat myself, and in spite of
knowing she cannot understand, try to
| talk to Mrs. Etzel
She slowly shakes her head with a
hale IL hnk - 7
| scarcely think of anything to say and
ask Eva, who has followed me to the
| door, if some of the people are going
| back to Russia as l hear.
| She hesitates a moment then tells
| them what l have said
There is a perfect volley of words
| from the women, and Eva says, half eau
| tiously, ''Some of them will go back to
| Roosland, but they not tell, because po-
| liceman might come get 'em, so they
| can't GO"
But" asked, "isn't this country bet
| ter than Russian
mo policemans come to beat mans
and womens there" she said.
Then, in a burst of confidence, "Are
you afraid police?"
l assured her that I was not, where
upon she said: 'But you can talk good
English, and here only / of all the wo.
men can talk English, My mother, she
speaks and writes German, but not Eng
glish."
am not accustomed to being an I'm.
welcome guest, and Pm afraid 'the
| grandma" may return and look ferce
again, so l rise and say goodbye
I to my little interpreter and her mother
AS go, Eva asks for the women: "Do
you tell police we say anything abou
| 'em?o With solemn promise not tC
| speak to the police on the subject,
leave, thankful that there is nothing il
the world that fear so much as the in
habitants Of this apparently peaceful lit
tie community do that autocrat, the blue
coated policeman. BECKY SHARP.
IRL HICk'S STORM.