Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-02
COmn1etelv Done in Oils By Octavus Roy Cohen

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r YAus JOHNSON oezsi spslsgsteally ihto
birmingham. and, az the result ot timid
l. inquiry eventually made meek sppliea-
tlon for admission into the home % Sic
eails FiuksFs In the capacity OF paying guest.
sis callia eyed the applicant sksptiesiy.
Lyinus. ndgetiag awkmardiy and uncertainty.
was nothing % grow enthusiastic over lie re.
minded Sis cae OF an accident which had
long since had lls day. and mlsht possibly have
another, So she stinsnsd her atienaa.sd nSars
and sainsd . query
How come you 20 sit heahf"
Lymus voice pitlfuliy thin, "isiisr
ter me this MAS . good boadin' place. Miss
fiuksrs,"
"Feilsr tar you;"
"Uhrhgh'"
"what his name wass"
Lynus bent his head In deep thought. Thsn
he looked Up brightly. II got H. lie lowed his
name Was fiorian slappey."
The Msht OF battle narsd in Sis calliss eyes.
'Fiosisn always Was trying TO make Jokes on
me-"
Lymus dueksd hastily. Reckon ia ough,sr
be koin''
"wait minute"
"YAs'm."
Sis Cailis serutnised tile eringins figure
I.ymus wisgled nersousy under Inspection.
Neither was making a pronounced hit with the
other. As for Sis cailis. she was thinking:
shs needed boarders-somehow her acid tongue
made her establishment not overly popular.
and here was man who promised psrms-
neney II nothing more.
True, he was not the man she would have
selected. lie was small and skinny and very.
very black In his right hand he elutehed a
near leather handbag aud In the left an ap-
paiiingiy ercaky tin box. stiil he didn't ap-
pear 60 be tho sort Of person TO assume q
board bill and then elude the financial oblisa-
what yo' name isT'
"I-L-Lymus Johnson"
"Where you is FROM
"wh-where is I from?"
"You echoed me-"
Dunno. Reckon you might say is from
Knoxville. or Pensacola, or sumthin hke'n to
that"
"You travels?"
II has. Some. But aims TO stay In Bum
min'ham from now on henceford"
Hmm, What you does TO livin'?"
Tho stranger at the gates glanced affection
atey at the tin box. II pants!" he announced
modestly.
"You whches?"
~ pa!nts."
Sis Callle was enveloped by a sudden warm
glow OF interest. 'You paints?"
"Yas'm."
"You--you mean you is artist7'
"Uh-huh! / soht o aims to be-"
The front door gaped invitingly. "C'mon.'
"C'mon in an sillec' yo room.'
Twenty minutes later Sis Callie reverently
closed the door Of the best room In her home
and walked weakly to the parlor. where she
sank into easy chair to reflect intensively
upon the deceptive qualities OF personal ap-
pearance. She sighed with relief in contempla-
ton of the fact that she had obtained as
boarder the first negro artist in Birminghams
social history. Truly. Sis Cale had all un-
Willingly annexed plume for her society cap.
ah~ttx hA
cued a veteran pipe from the depths OF frayed
pocket tamped down the tobacco. and held a
match TO It. A few deep puffs served to soothe
his shaken nerves.
He stretched out on the bed and gave him
self over to some careful thought. And grad
uily there seeped through his brain the vague
idea that somewhere. somehow, there had
arisen a misunderstanding. Finally he sat up
straight on the bed and put his findings into
words"
"Dawg- -gawn!' exclaimed Lymus Johnson,
that woman is done gone and gotten herself
the idee that is a regular artist"
And at the thought even Lymus Johnson
smiled. An artist! He opened his tin case
and inspected the layout within. There. spread
before his eyes, was the complete paraphernaha
OF the sign painting craft
But events were transpirng which were
destined to affect Mr.. Johnson's immediate fu-
ture and professional status. Sis Callie was on
the job
1t was but the WORK OF II IlloHeHt u put vi
her best madeover hat and hit a due course
for the pretentious residence of Mr.. Lsha Tor
ring where dwelt Mrs. Edner Torring.
There reigned in the heart of Sis Callie
Flukers deep and abiding dislike for Mrs.
Torring. In fact. there were few feminine
members Of Brminghams duskiest society
crowd who had anything of the elegac to quote
regarding the newest addition to their inner
circle
The principal fault to be found with Edner
Torring that she was pretty. Even her
enemies were unable to deny her that compli-
ment She was rich chocolate in complexion,
with figure lavish in curves which were placed
where curves are most desirable. More she
was Travelled woman, having at various times
in her career resided in cities as far apart as
Bangor Me-, and San Antonio, Tex. She claimed
acquaintanceship with every colored notable in
the country. and from the day Of her Birming-
ham advent as bride to the wealthy and infu-
entail Lisha Torring she swept her way to So
cial supremacy with the naughty bosom Of
duenna.
She found Edner summing herself on the
veranda Of the Torring home. Sis Callie snort
ed at sight Of her enemy. Some day she hoped
to find Edner looking shoddy and shabby and
disheveled and human. But thus far that am
bition had been far from realization. Edner
appeared always ready for party society
tea, a trip to the movies Today was no ex-
ception, >-.
She greeted her skinny, garrulous. acid
tongued visitor with SOFT mild words Of well
come and bade her be seated in the most COM
Portable chair Of very comfortable porch
suite. Sis Callie banged antagonisticay into
sitting posture and laid down barrage.
Reckon you thinks you knows mos evy-
thing. doesn't you, Mis- Torring?"
mot hahdly, Sis Callie."
"Well then, you thinks you knows mos
sv'ything?"
"N'r neither amt caimin' that"
"An' you knows a heap of prominent culud