Evening star., 1924-07-20

necessary trips to the store merely
to feast her eyes upon it. She would
look from 1T to the faded homespun
that she wore and sigh enviously.
Once she even mustered the courage
70 ask the price. 1t was an, insignifi-
cant sum, but it might just as well
have been a thousand dollars. She
had never owned a piece of money.
Slowly plan formed in her mind.
Paw" she began timidly one day.
Il got a hankerin'.''
''S'pose you have?" Shug's manner
was more surly than usual. "A hank
erin never hurt nobody yet
"But-but l shore 'nough want
sumpm."
"Wantin' an gitten is diffrent
things. What is it?"
"They's the purtiest dress over to
Pruitt's store" Selma Jo began Gag
erly, IAN it's made outen real ging-
ham,"
"Gingham?" Shug whirled about
with a snarl. What air you talkin'
about, gal?"
Selma Joe's heart sank.
81 amt never had nary one" she
offered placatingly. "An'-"
"Ner amt never li'ble. to, neether:
Homespun's good enough for yore
pore NAV. an it'll halter be good
enough fer YOU. ! amt goin' to be
workin' myself to skin an bone to be
fittin' out no young 'un in fancy
riggin's.'
But, paw, it don't cost much"
at costs that much more'n you're
Goin' to git. Shet up!'
1t was then that Selma 10 unfolded
her plan.
I'm goin' to git me that air dress"
she announced dispassionately. I'm
amin to pay fer it myself, too"
How"
"Yearnin' the money at public
work"
YOU" Shug snonted derisively.
"Wharell you git any public work.
I'm Fruits turkentime orchard
They's a heap O the work 1 kin do.
could do scrapin' er dippin'. Reckon
1 could even do hackin'."
Shug had slumped into the one
comfortable chair in the room. Turn
ing his head, he glared at his daugh-
ter.
You air not goin' to work in no
turkentime orchard he replied. You
air goin' to stay right here an hep
wore pore NAV an me. I told you
oncet to shet up
1t struck Selma 10 suddenly that
life was terribly one-sided and un-
fair. Other girls in. the community
who didn't work as hard as she did
were beginning to wear gingham
dresses for Sunday. By everything
that was right, she reasoned, she had
earned at least one store-bought
dress. Yet it was roughly denied her.
Her soul cried out against what was
a patent injustice. But she managed
to speak calmly.
Fer as ! kin fgger it out, paw"
she said, II been doin' my sheer O.
keepin' this here family up. 1 broke
them last yoke o steers, an one of
EN- you was afeared to tech. I've
split rails an laid fences. I've broke
new ground. An the fu'st time 1 asst
fer anything you say I CANT have it,"
She ceased speaking for moment
but her steady gaze never left Shugs
face.
Now, I'm goin' to work for Pruitt,"
she continued slowly, "till I git me
the money need"
x = x
CHUG rose from his chair. Taking a
~ heavy leather strap from the wall.
he started toward Selma 10.
You air, huho You'll git a lar
rupin, that's what
Selma 10 paled suddenly. A cary
ing knife lay upon the rude deal ta-
BILE beside which she was standing.
One slim. brown hand grasped the
knife. Her emotion visible only in
the tumultuous heavinS of her breast
and the white, set expression Of her
face, she waited, motionless, her
dark, sombe- eyes gazing unwaver-
ingly into Shus's face.
Paw she said evenly, Just you
tech me oncet with that strop an as
shore as God gives me stren'th I'll
cut yore heart out"
Shug recognized a danger sign
when he saw it. The ahand which
held the strap dropped to his side.
He backed slowly away.
''You-you-' he sputtered and
stopped.
Lou an nav been sayin'," Selma
Jo continued, that I'm tryin' to be
better'n my raisin'. But amt forgot
how them Briggs settlement folks
looked at US slanchwise. They
knowed, somehow, we was plumb
low down an ornery. That's why
they didn't none of 'em asst us to
Sunday dinner. They seed we was
trash. Course I'm hopin' to be bet
tern that kind O. raisin'--an' Pm goin'
to, too"
Shug had retreated to the doorway,
where he stood watching this new
daughter of his with furtive, fearful
eyes. 1t was several moments before
he mustered courage to speak.