The Coolidge examiner., 1931-10-23

form, were less daZZled now. They
saw the indefinable break that had
come to the magnificent figure
not break, really, but a loosening
a lowering of the resistance such
as comes to steel that has been too
often in the flaming furnace. You
looked at the massive shoulders
they did not droop. The rare
glance still pierced you like a
sword thrust. The buffalo head,
lowered, menaced you; lifted,
thrilled you. Yet something had
vanished.
"Where'd you join up, Yancey?"
"San Antonio. Leonard Woods
down there-Colonel Wood now
and young Roosevelt. lieutenant
colonel. He's been drilling the
boys. Most of them born on a
horse and weaned on a Winchester.
We're better equipped than the
regulars that have been at it for
years. Young Roosevelt's TO thank
for that. They were all for issuing
us winter clothing, by Cd, to
wear through a summer campaign
in the tropics-theSe 1incompC Dps
in WashingtOn-and they'd have
done it if it hadn't been for him. "
Southwest Davis spoke up from
the crowd. THAT case, you'll be
leaving right soon, won't you?
Week or so"
''Week :" echoed Yancey, and
looked at Sabra. Il go back to
San Antonio tomorrow. The regi-
ment leaves for Tampa next day"
He had not told her before. Yet
she said nothing, gave no sign.
She had outfaced them with her
pride and her spirit for five years /;
she would give them no satisfac-
tion now. Five years. One day.
San Antonio-Tampa-Cuba, the
Philippines-War. She gave no
sign. Curiously, the picture that
was passing in her mind was this ::
she saw herself, as though il were
some one she had known in the
dim, far past, standing in the cool,
shady corridor of the mission
school in Wichita. She saw,
through the open door, the oblong
of Kansas sunshine and sky and
garden there swept over her again
that wave of nostalgia she had
felt for the scene she was leaving :;
she was shaken by terror of this
strange Indian country to which
she was going with her husband.
g. but here in this land,
Sabra, my girl, the women, they've
been the real hewers of wood and
drawers of water. You'll want to
remember that"
Sabra remembered it now. well
enough.
Slowly the crowd began to dis
perse. The men had their business ::
the women their homework. Wives
linked their arms through those of
husbands, and the gesture was one
of perhaps not entirely unconsci-
Gus cruelty, accompanied as it was
by daring glance at Sabra.
Rough Rider uniform, sack of
gold, golden voice, and melting
eye" that glance seemed to say
You're welcome to all the happi-
ness you can get from those. Sc
curity, permanence, home, husband
i wouldn't change places with
you"
Come on, Yancey" shouted
Strap Buckner. "0ver to the Sunny
Southwest and have a drink. We
got terrible lot of drinking to do,
amt we, boys? Come on, you old
longhorn. We got to drink. to you
because you're back and because
you're going away"
"And to the war;" yelled Bixler.
"And TO the Rough Riders I"
And Alaska"
Their boots clattered across the
board floor of the newspaper office.
They swept the towering figure in
its khaki uniform with them. He
turned, waved his hat at her. Back
in a minute, honey" They were
gone
Sabra turned TO the children.
Gin and Donna, flushed, both, with
the unwonted excitement; out of
hand. Her face set itself with that
look of quiet resolve. Half the
mornings gone. But / want you
to go along to school, anyway. Now,
none of that It's no use your
staying around here. The paper
must be got out. Jesse'll be no
good to me the rest of the day. It's
easy to see that. I'll write a note
to your teachers. Run
along now. | must go to court"
She pinned on her hat, saw that
her handbag contained pencil and
paper, hurried into the back room
that was printing shop, composing
room, press room combined. She
had been right about Jesse Hickey
That consistently irresponsible one
was even now leaning a familiar
elbow on the polished surface of
the Sunny Southwest bar as he
helped toast the returned wander
er or the departing hero or the war
in the semi-tropics, or the SHOWS
of Alaska or God knows what -
concluded Sabra, in her mind.
Cliff Means, the ink-smeared
printers devil who, at fifteen
served as Jesse Rickey's sole as
sistant in the mechanical end of
the Wigwam Office, looked up from
his case rack as Sabra entered.
ITS all right, Mis- Cravat.
got the head all set up like you
said Vice Gets Death Blow
Reign of Scarlet Woman Ends