The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-07-17

heard scarcely word of 1t, their
minds being intent on Sabra's new
dress. She had worn it for the first
time at the club meeting, and it was
bombshell far exceeding any tumult
that her paper might create.
Her wealthy Cousin Bella French
Wan, visiting the Worlds fair in Chi
cago, had sent it. 1t consisted of
blue serge skirt, cut wide and fiaring
at the hem but snug at the hips;
waist-length blue serge Elton jacket
trimmed with black soutache braid;
and a garment called a shirtwaist to
be worn beneath the jacket. But as
tonishing- revolutionary-as all this
was, it was not the thing that caused
the eyes of feminine Usage to bulge
with envy and despair. The sleeves!
The sleeves rive the attention of
those present, to t..e utter neglect OF
WHITTIER Oklahoma?" The balloon
sleeve now appeared for the first time
in the Oklahoma territory, sponsored
by Mrs. Yancey Cravat. They were
bouffant, enormous; yard Of material
at least had gone into each of them.
Every woman present was, In her mind,
tearing to rag strips, bit by bit, every
gown in her own scanty wardrobe.
Sabra returned home, flushed elated.
She entered by way of the newspaper
Office, seeking Yancey's approval. Curt
seying and dimpling she stood before
him. She wanted him to see the new
costume before she must thriftily take
it off for the preparation Of supper.
Yancey's comment, as she pirouetted
for his approval, Infatuated her.
Good Cd! Sleeves! Let the
squaws see those and they'll be throw
ing away their papoose boards and
using the new fashion for carrying
their babies, one in each sleeve"
They're the very latest thing in
Chicago. Cousin Bella French Wan
wrote that they'll be even fuller than
this, by autumn"
held in his hand slip of paper. Later
she knew that it was teiegram-one
of the few Geographic messages which
the Wigwam's somewhat sketchy serv-
ice received. Listen, sugar. Presi-
dent Cleveland's just issued proc
lamation setting September sixteenth
for the opening of the Cherokee strip
Cherokee strip"
'Six million, three hundred thousand
acres of Oklahoma land to be opened
for white settlement. The government
has bought it from the Cherokees. It
was all to be theirs-all Oklahoma.
Now they're pushing them farther and
farther out" ~
Good thing" snapped Sabra, still
cross about the matter of Yancey's
Indifference to her costume. Indians.
Who cared! She raised her arms to
unpin her hat.
Yancey rose from his desk. He
turned his rare full gaze on her, his
handsome eyes aglow. Honey, let's
get out OF this. Clubs, sleeves, church
suppers-G-d! Let's get our hundred
and sixty acre allotment of Cherokee
strip land and start ranch-raise
cattle-live in the open-ride-th
town life is no good-it's hideous."
Her arms fell, leaden, to her side.
"Ranch? Where's"
You're not listening. There's to be
a new Run. The Cherokee strip open
ing. You know. Let's go, Sabra. It's
the biggest thing yet. The 1889 Run
was nothing compared to It. Sell the
Wigwam, take the children, make the
Run, get our hundred and sixty, start
a ranch, stock up with cattle and
horses, build ranch house and patio;
in the saddle all day"
"Never" screamed Sabra. Her face
was distorted. Her hands were clutch
ing the air, as though she would tear
to bits this plan of his for the future.
II won't. won't go. I'd rather die
first. You'll never make me go. I'll
stay here with my children and run
the paper. Mother! Cim Donna !"
She had a rare and violent fit of
Mysteries. after which Yancey Invested
her of the new finery, quieted the now
screaming children. and finally re-
stored to a sembiance of supper-time
order the household into which he had
hurled such a bomb. Felice Venable
herself, in her heyday. could not have
given finer exhibition of Marcy tenn
permanent Yancey was properly solic-
itous, tender, charming as only he
could be. From the shelter of her
husbands arms Sabra looked about
the coy room, smiled wanly upon her
children. THAT" she thought to her.
self, bathing her eyes, smoothing her
hair, and coming pale and wistful to
the table, her lip quiyering with u
final effective sigh, settles that"
But it did not. September actually
saw Yancey making ready to go.
Nothing that Sabra could say. nothing
that she could do, served to stop him.
She even negotiated for little strip
of farm land outside the town of Usage
and managed to get Yancey to make a
payment on it, in the hope that this
would keep him from the Run. N"If
it's land you want you can stay here
and farm the piece at Tuskamingo.
You can raise cattle on it. You can
hroad horses on IT,"