The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-05-15
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fitting ring after ring to her fingers.
All were TOO small, however: most
| Of them refused to pass even the
| first joint and Gray realized Nov
+, what Gus BriskOw had meant when
| he wrote for rings "of large siseS.'
Eventually the girl found one that
| slipped into place, and this she re-
! gardcd with complacen. adm.ration
"This on,ll do for me- she de-
clared And It's whopPer." Y
| Gray took her hand in his; as set
it had not been greatly distorted by
manual labor but the nails were duh
and cracked and ragged and they
were inlaid in deep morning. II
don't believe yOu'll like that mount
ing" he said gently. cts what we
call a mans ring. This is the Kind
women usually wear" lie held up II
| thin platinum band Of delicate work
manship which Allegheny examined
with frank dsdain.
''Pshaw! I'd bust that the first time
| hOed row of 'taterS,' she de-
clarcd. 81 got to have things stout,
| for me-"
CHAPTER V
Pa Briskow Buys Diamonds
For perhaps half an hour the wo-
| men tried on one piece of jewelry
| after another, exclaiming adj
hiring. arguing. then the mother
realized with Il stsrt that meal time
was near and that the menfolks
would soon be home. Leaving Allie
to entertain the guest, she hurried
out, and the sound of splitting kind
ling. the clatter of stove lids, the
rattlng of utensils came from the
kitchen.
Gray retired to the patent rocker,
Miss Briskow settled herself upon n
straightforward char and folded Mer
. capable hands in her lap; al OPP
pressive silence fell upon the room.
Having exhausted the usual COM
monplace topics in the course of a
monologue that induced no reaction
whatever, Gray voiced perfectly
natural remark about the wonder of
sudden riches. He was in Il way,
thinking aloud Of the changes
wrought in drab lives like the Bris-
kows by the discovery of oil. He
was surprised when Allegheny re-
sponded:
Ma and me stand it all right, but
it's an awful strain on Pa" said sic.
"lndeed?"
The girl nodded. "He's got more
nutty notions"
Gray endeavored to learn the ma
ture of PAS recently acquired &C.
centrcities, but Allie was flushing
and paling as u result of her sudden
excursion into the audible Eventual
ly she trembled upon the verge Of
speech once more, then she took am.
other desperate plunge.
He says folks are going to laugh
at US or with us, and-r;ch peo-
pie have got to act rich. They got
to be elegant" She laughed loudly,
abruptly, and the explosive nature
of the sound startled her as greatly
as it did her nearer. "Hc's got to
get somebody to teach Buddy and
me how to behave"
Now that the e.r; was beginning
to lose her painful embarrassment,
She showed to somewhat better adj
and no longer impressed
him. as bovine, sto!id, almost stupid.
First off, Ma and me are goin'
over to Dallas to do some tradin',"
the girl was saying. after that
we're goin' to the mountains" \
"Your mother mentioned noun.
tains."
yep. Her and Pa have allus been
crazy about mountains, but they
never seen 'em. That's hOw> me and
Buddy came to be named Allegheny
and Ozark. But we never expected
to see 'em. The drought burned us
out too often" IT, q+,,a.
Gus briskow was sandy, angular
man; ring of tor holes cut in the
crown of his faded felt hat showed a
head of hair faded to match the
color Of his headgear; his greasy
overalls were tucked into boots, and
a ragged Joseph's coat covered his
flannel shirt.
He came directly IN to greet his
visitor, then said: II never expected
you'd come way out here an bring
your plumber with you. Ma says YOU
got hull gripful o dimon's." \
II have, indeed" Gray pointed to
the glittering display stilrspread out
upon the varicOlored counterpanc.
RriSEovu anproochol A., III
sazed curiously, silently down at the
:reasure, then his face broke into a
'unshinny smile. He wiped his hands
upon his trousers legs and picked
Up ring But instead of examining
he jewel. he looked at the price
mark, after which his smile broad
med.
Ozark had entered behind his
ather, and his sister introduced him
low. He was a Year or two younger
han Allegheny, but cast in the same
leroc mold III
The elder Briskow spoke first, and
was evident that he feared to be-
ray lack of conservatism, ,for ne
aid, with admirable restraint:
"Likely-lookin' lot of trinkets, en-,
sud?' ~
Bud grunted. After moment ke
inquired of Gray. "How much is
hat hull lot with, Mister"
"Close to a hundred thousand dol.
ars."
Continued in Our Next Issue)