San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25

? was the father talking in the child
| Any place that isn't here. Different
Out of years of bitter experience
: she tried to convince the child of hel
error.
Places are just the same" she
said, bitterly, land so are people
when you get to EN-"
They cant be-" the child argued
stubbornly. India and China and
Spain and Africa"
Milly Pardee had turned accusing
eyes upon her amused husband. 81
hope you're satisfied"
He shrugged, We'll, the kids right.
That's living"
She disputed this, fiercely. at is
not. Living's staying in a place, and
helping it grow, and growing up with
it and belonging. Belong!" 1t was
the cry of the rolling stone that is
bruised and weary.
Sam Pardee left for Oklahoma the
following week. Milly Pardee refused
to accompany him. 1t was the first
time she had taken this stand. "If
you go there, and like it, and want
to settle down there. III come"
For three years, then Sam Pardee's
letters rocked of oil: wells, strikes,
gushers. drills, shares, outfits. 1t was
early Oklahoma in the rough. This
one was getting five hundred a day
out of his well. That one had sunk
forty thousand in his and lost out.
Five hundred WHAT" Maxine ask,
] ed. Forty thousand WHAT"
dollars, I guess" Milly Pardee an
swered. That's the way your father
always talks. Id rather have twenty
five a week. myself, and know it's COM
ing without fail"
Il wouldn't. Where's the fun in
that"
Fun. There's more fun in TWEEN
ty-five a week in a pay envelope than
in forty thousand down dry well. :"
Maxine was fifteen now. al wish
We could live with Father in Okla
homa. think it's wrong not to-
Milly Pardce was beginning to think
so, too. Especially since her hus-
bands letters had grown rarcr as the
checks they contained had grown
larger. On his occasional trips back
TO Chicago he said nothing OF their
joining him out there. In sudden
fright and resolve MilIy Pardee sold
the furnishings of the four-room flat,
packed the peripatetic linen and silver.
and joined a surprised, and rather
markedly uncnthusiastic husband in
Okkoochee, Oklahoma.
The first thing Maxine said as they
rode lin a taxi TO the hotel, was !:
But the streets are paved" Then,
But it's all electric lighted with
cluster lights" And, in final and
utter disgust. "Why, there's a movie
sign that says, The Perils of Paul
inc That was showing in Chicago
just the night before we left"
Milly Pardee smiled grimly. "Pal-
estine's paved too" she observed.
And they're probably running that
same reel there next week"
Milly Pardee and her husband had
plain talk. Next day Sam Pardac
rented a two-story frame house with
the understanding that the rent was
to be considered as payment made
! toward final purchase. Milly Pardeo
was happier than she had been in all
her welded life. In a burst of TEN.
porary prosperity Sam Pardce paid
, five thousand dollars down on tho
houses and lot. That left bare thou.
Q sand to pay. There were three good
meals a day. Milly Pardee belonged
p to the Okoochee WOmans Thursday
Club. All the women in OkoochcC
seemed to have como from St. Louis
Columbus, Omaha. Cleveland, Kansas
City, and they spoke of these as Back
East. When they came calling they
9 left cards, punctiliouSly. They play"j
bridge, observing all the newest rul
ings.
: Maxine graduated in white, with 9
Z sash. Mrs. PardcP began to talk o
buying an automobile. The town wa
T full of them. There were the flivveri
Il and lower middle-class cars owned by
small merchants, natives (any on,
= Boosting twelve years residcnce) an,
r unsuccessful adventures of the San
: Pardec type. Then there were th
n big, high-powered scouting car
: driven by steciy-cycd, wiry, cold
?, blOOded young men from Pennsylyaui;
and New York. These young mel
r had no women-folk with them. Hell,
Q, conferences in smOke-filled rooms n
the Okmulgee Hotel. The main buSi
It ness street was called Broadway, an
the curb on either side was hidden b.
r lines of cars drawn up slantwise a
n. an angle of ninety. No farmc
70 wagons. A small town with all tn
o. airs of big one; with none Of tn
PC charming informality of the ol
>. Southern small town: none Of the cr
. gaging ruggedness Of the establishc