Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-06
FLOWING GOLD
BY REX BEACH
CHAPTER NV
A Lesson in Department

| ln3ly. Pleasure III up ner lace, ana
she fell into a brief flutter of delight at
seeing him; but soon as their first
greeting was over he led her to her
lounge and insisted upon making her COM
Portable. He had tricks with cushions and
pillows, so he declared; they became his
obedient servants, and there was a knack
| in arranging them-the same knack that
robin uses in building it's nest. This he
demonstrated quite conclusyely.
1t was nice to have great, masterful
| man like this take charge of one, and Ma
sighed gratefully as she lay back ut
does kinda feel like birds nest" she
declared. And you kinda look like robin,
too you're allus dressed so neat"
Exactly" he chuckled robins are the
very neatest dressers of all the birds. But
look! Like a real robin I've brought spring
with me-" He opened a huge box of long
stemmed roses and held their COOL dewy
buds against Ma Briskows withered face,
then, laughing and chatting, he arranged
them in vases where she could see them
Next, he drew down the shades, shutting
out the dreary afternoon after which he
lit the gas log, and soon the room, whether
| by reason of his glowing personality or his
deft rearrangement of its contents, or both
| became a warm and cheerful place
He had brought other gifts than flowers
too; thoughtful, expensive things that fairly
took Mas breath. No one had ever given
her presents; to be remembered, therefore,
with useless, delightful little IuXuries filled
her gentle soul with guilty rapture.
But these were not gifts in the ordinary
sense; they were offerings from the Duke
of Dallas, and his manner of presenting
them invested every article with ducal dig
nifty.
Gray was seated on the side of her couch
with her cold hand between his warm
palms. and he was telling her about the
princess of Wichita Falls when the sum
mons to dinner interrupted them.
| Ma was not hungry, and she had eX-
pected to have a bite in her own room;
but her caller was so vigorous in his OBJ
| iections to this plan that she finally agreed
to come downstairs.
The, Briskow household was poorly or
ganized as yet, and it only natural
that it should function imperfectly; never
| thelesS, Gray was annoyed at the clumsy
manner in which the dinner was served.
"see here, Ma" Gray threw down his
napkin "You have a beautiful home, and
you want it to be perfect, don't your
"Why, of course. We bought everything
| we could buy"
"Everytring except skiIlful servants, and
| they are hard to find. You are capable
| Of training your cook and teaching your
| upstairs girl to sweep and make beds; but
| the test of a well-run house is we'll
| served meal Now, then, you're not eating
bite, anyhow, and Gus won't mind wait
ing awhile for his dinner. With your per-
mission, I'd like to take things in hand
and add a hundred percent to your future
comfOrt?"
would do anything her guest suggested,
whereupon he rose theoretically and called
the three domestcs into the dining room
eve are going to start this dinner all
| over again., he announced, land we are 60
ing to begin by swapping places | am going
to serve it as a dinner should be served, and
YOU are going to eat it as Well, L dare say
nature will have to take its course. MI ana
| Mrs. Briskow are going to look on. After
we have finished you are going to serve US
exactly as l served you"
Naturally this proposition amazed the
"help;" in fact, its absurdity convulsed them.
The man laughed loudly; the cook buried
| her ebony face in her apron; the second girl
bent double with mirth. But the gentleman n
was not Joking. On the contrary, he brought
this levity to an abrupt end, then, graVely'
| tremendously he seated the trio.
Gray played butler with a correctness and
a pose deeply impressive to his round-eyed
! audience. .
! It was an uncomfortable experience for all
! except Gray himself-he actually enjoyed 1t
and when the last dish had been removed,
and he had given instructions to serve the
| meal over again exactly as he had served
| it, the three negroes were glad to obey.
''You see what q meddlesome busybody L
! am" the guest laughed. 81 don't know how
! to mind my own business, and the one luxury
I enjoy most of alI~is regulating other peO-
| pies affairs" He was still talking, still lee
| turing his hearers upon the obligations pros
| perity had put upon them, when he was sum-
| mOned to the telephone by lOng-distance CALL
| He returned in some agitation to announce:
| ''Well at last [ have business of my own to
| attend"
"Was that Buddy talkin'?"
cit was, and he gave me some good news
| He says that we'll on thirty-fve is liable
! to come in any minute, and it looks like
| big one" The speakers eyes were glowing
! and he ran on, breathlessly. "He says they're
betting it will do better than ten thousand
| barrels!"
''Ten thousand barls?" Brsl1ow echoed
'That's what he said Of course, they
can't tell thing about it. Buddy's only
| guessing, butt haven't had big we'll yet"
Gray took a nervous turn about the room
| it come inf it comes in. l told Buddy
to stop work. not TO drop another tool until
I arrived. 'Fatted for destruction. I like
the sound of that Ten thousand barrels!
HO I'll write this day i'll brass. Why, that
lease will sell for a million. lit may
| mean the end"
Gray brought himself to with effort,
! hastily he kissed Mrs. Briskow's faded cheek
and wrung her husbands hand. A moment
| later he was gone.
| "Thirty-1ve," where Buddy working,
was only few miles from the Briskow
ranch, therefore the boy was able to meet
his sister at Ranger and drive her directly
to the old home.
The ranch house seemed very mean, very
| insignificant to Allie, but she slipped into
one of her old dresses and prepared the sup
per while Buddy straddIed kitchen chair
and chartered upon ten thousand topics of
mutual interest
On the morning of Gray's coming Allie
rode with Buddy over to Thirty-fve. 1t was
wretched, rainy day, and nothing is more
bleak than a rainy day in drilling camp.