The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-08-09
A Thrilling
Night Life
Story

= lAN0A11S Tie SICdUyR
" gaze OF the aged negress the
white girl sat straight and defi-
ant. Between them, on a rickety
table, stood a battered cup, the
inside flecked with a grotesque
pattern Of tea grounds gathered
at the bottom in dank, irregular
sediment.
Whutfo' you comes, to me to
read dis we're fo'tune?"
Black Minnie Gumbo's voice
was heavy with challenge and
authority. Gigantically fat. In q
cotton wrapper, she filled her old
log cabin with cloud OF sullen
disapprovaL
In some inner recess Of her
heart Joslyn Poe was nerVously
chilled. All OF the black people,
and many OF the whites, believed
unresecvedly in the voodoo powers
Of the ticiturn wench. From q
young woman Minnie Gumbo had
been a creature apart from both
races, living on tribute bora Of
fear and awe in the breasts Of
blacks.
Wants Fortune Read
Now, alone with the great
ebony creature in the ramschackle
cabin in the woods that ekirted
the sterile Poe farmland, Joslyn
had to, grip herself secretly. to
brave the smoldering displeasure
that charged the surrounding air.
I've told you why want my
fortune read" she said, levelly.
I'm leaving home-the county
I'm going to earn my own living
in New York. I. want 10 know
whats In my future"
Hugh! You bin to Baltimo' to
school an you got no mo- sense
an to come traipsin' 'roun'
lissenin' to de foolishment Of dis
ol, niggah.. You oughta be
ashemed. Mis- Joslyn
foolishment."
''I'm bound to know what you
zee in those tea leaves" the girl
persisted, stubbornly
The eyes of Minnie Gumbo
were yellowish with reluctance.
'sYou boun' to know? All right.
You Graves de trrK an you gifts
&C.. Whut I reads is you go long
back to yo' pappy an nanny an
fo,gits all bout dis yere leavin'
home. City amt no place 10
purity galsr'
Home! The once noble. great
house with its leaking roof and
broken windows the
CHASTITY tragedy OF maintaining
gentility without modern plumb
aYou bettah stay home an
marry dis we're Mistah Gawge
RANSOM" Minnie Gumbo's words
rumbled. like thunder on the
horizon.
Suddenly the straining thing
IN Joslyn's bosom sprang wildly
A. bird beating its wings
4rantically against the bars OF its
cage. The small swelling OF her
breast strained against the neat
serge dress with the struggle of
her breathing. The proud head
with its lustrous black bob was
poised, thrown backward. In the.
uprushing rebellion that suffused
the whole symmetry Of her slen-
or body with wave after wave
of uncomfortable heat. Her eyes.
dark and wide. flashed passion.
ately.
II WON'T I won't! I WON'T"
Her voice glowed, vibrated. Her
words rushed pell-melI; not to
Minnie Gumbo, specifically, but to
the world, to Life itself. ST
won't be trapped! George Ran.
som, His knotted hands and
greedy eyes! Or anybody like
him. with their empty. lazy heads;
the hair always raggy back OF
the ears
Abruptly, she checked herself.
The Poes did not reveal personal
emotion before negroes.
Nevertheless. she was still trem-
bling.
Minnie Gumbo, too. was stand
ing. Her face was heavy. cor
rugated Ike something OF dull,
wrought iron.
Mis- Joslyn, honey =" Use
gwine To- to tell you whut
nobody else will" Sullen thun-
der. portentous and threatening,
doomed in her words. Use old
bawn in slavery. l be-
longed to yo' grandpappy. Nah
neople bin in yo' family since
afore de flood. And l says TO
you to marry Mistah Gawge
Pansom. caise twill be de onliest
way whutll save you from de
pizen dat's in yo' blood. 'Tain't
de Poe blood: OATS clean. Trub-
bic comes frun de odder side Of
de house. Yo' mammy's side.
Did any man come foolin' wild
Mistah Gawge's wife, dat mans