Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-18
FLOWING GOLD
BY REX BEACH
CHAPTER "
In Ranger Town

erbeaten, rundown railroad station, a
blacksmith shop, and a hitching rail, town
enough, incidentally, for the limited number
of people and the scanty amount of merchan-
disc that passed through. The few farms
and ranches round. about were scattered
widely, and life thereon was a grim struggle
against heartbreak, by reason Of the gaunt,
gray, ever-present specter OF the drouth.
Biologists had claimed for some time that
there must be coal in these north Texas coun-
ties, contention perhaps based upon a com.
Portable belief in the law of compensation.
They argued that a region so poor above
ground must of necessity contain values of
some sort beneath the surface. But as for
other natural resources, they secuted the be-
lief in such.
Nevertheless, petroleum was discovered,
and among the fraternity that dealt in it
Ranger became word of contradiction and
of deep meaning.
The town became a mobilization point a
vast concentration camp for supplies, and
amid it's feverish activity there was no rest
no Sundays or holidays.
This was about the state of affairs that
Calvin Gray found on the morning of his ar
rival. He and Mallow had managed to Sc
cure a Pullman section on the night train
from Dallas.
From the first MaIlow had laid himself out
obligingy permitted him to have his way.
When they had finished breakfast, he even
allowed his companion to hire an automobile
and driver for him. They shook hands
finally, the best friends.
The Briskow farm, it appeared lay about
twenty miles out, but twenty miles over oil
field roads proved to be quite journey.
"Gray's driver finally pointed out the
Briskow ranch. The house, an unsightly
story-and-a-half affair, stood at the back of
what had once been a cultivated field.
Nobody answered Gray's knock at the
front door, so he walked around the house
Over the garden fence, grown thick with
brambIes, he beheld two feminine figures. or
rather two faded sunbonnets topping two
pairs of shoulders, and as he drew nearer he
saw that one woman was bent and slow NOV
ing, while the other was a huge creature
wide of hip and deep of bosom, whose bare
arms, burnt to a rich golden brown, were
like those Of a blacksmith, and who welded
her heavy hoe as if it were a top. She was
singing in thin, nasal, uncultivated voice.
Evidently they were the Briskow "help,"
therefore Gray made his presence known and
inquired for the master or mistress of the
place.
The elder woman turned, exposing
Shrewd, benevolent face and after a moment
of appraisal said I'm Miz' Briskow."
Indeed" The visitor smiled his best and
announced the nature of his errand.
The women regarded each other silently,
their facial expression hidden beneath their
bonnets then the mother exposed her coun-
tenance a second time, and said: mister,
this is Allegheny, our girl"
Miss Allegheny Briskow lifted her head
nodded shortly and stared over the hoe
handle at Gray Her gaze was one of frank
h /,
had never beheld a creature like her
The mother abandoned her labor, wiped
her hands upon her skirt, and said, with
genuine hospitality: Come into the house
and rest yourself. Pa and Buddy'u be home
at dinner time"
There were three rooms to the Briskow
residence, bedrooms all, with a semi-detach-
ed, ramshackle WhiteWashed kitchen at the
rear and separated from the main house by
a narrow gallery" Into the front chamber
which evidently did service also as a parlOr,
Mrs. Briskow led the way. By now she was
in quite futter of excitement. For the
guest, she drew forth the one rocking chair
a pateH contraption, the rockers of which
were held upon a sort of track by stout spiral
springs It's seat and back were of cheap
carpet material stretched over a lacquered
frame, and these she hastily busted with her
apron; then she seated herself upon the edge
The volunteer salesman spread out his
dazzling wares upon the patchwork counter
pane then stepped back to observe the effect
Ma Briskows hands futtered toward the
gems, then reclasped themselves in her lap;
she bent closer and regarded them fxedly
The Juno-like daughter also stared down at
the display with fascination.
please examine them. I want you to look
them all over" Gray urged.
Mrs. Briskow acted upon this invitation
only after she had dried her hands, and then
with trepidation. Gingerly, reyerently she
removed a ring from its resting place and
held it up to the light. my! Amt it
sparkly?" she gasped, after an ecstatic pause.
"Weve never seen nOth-anything, nor
been anywhere, yet" 1t was Mrs. BriskoW
speaking. But we're goin. We're goin'
lots Of places and we're goin' to see every
think worth SEEM, so Pa says. Anyhow, the
children is First off, Pas goin' to take us
to the mountains" The mother faced the
visitor at this announcement-and for a mo-
ment she appeared to be gazing at a vision,
for her wrinkled count6nance> was gIorifed.
Although the mothers emotion was
aroused by the price marks on the price tags,
Allegheny paid little attention to them and
began vainly 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 now what Gus BriskOw
had meant when he wrote for rings "Of large
sizes" Evidently the girl found one that
slipped into place, and this she regarded with
complacent admiration.
This onell do for me-" she declared. And
! it's a whopper!
Gray took her hand in his; as yet it had
not been greatly distorted by manual labor,
but the nails were dull and cracked and
ragged and they were inIaid in deep mourn