The Coolidge examiner., 1931-09-25
CHAPTER V-Continued.

CHAPTER V-Continued.
10
Slowly, in Sabra's eyes, the 9th
er women of the town began to
emerge from a mist of drabneSs
into distinct personalities. There
was one who had been school
teacher in Cairo, III. Her hus-
band, Tracy Wyatt, ran the spas
mOdic bus and dray line between
Wahoo and Usage. They had no
children. She was a sparse and
simpering woman of thirty-nine,
who talked good deal of former
trips to Chicago during which she
had reveled in the culture of that
effete city. Yancey was heard
learnedly discoursing to her on the
subject of Etruscan pottery, of
which she knew nothing. The ex-
school teacher rolled her eyes and
tossed her head a good deal.
You don't know what a priv
ilege it is. Mr.. Cravat, to find my
self talking to some one whose
mind can soar above the sordid
life of this horrible town."
1t was Sabra who started the
,Philomathean club. The other
women clutched at the idea. 1t
was part of their defense against
these wildS. After all. town that
boasted culture club could not
be altogether lost.
Sabra timidly approached Mrs.
Wyatt with her plan to form
wOman's club, and Mrs. Wyatt
snatched at it with such ferocity
as almost to make it appear her
own idea. Each was to invite four
women of the towns elite. Ten,
they decided, would be enough as
charter members.
81" began Mrs. Wyatt promptly,
sam going to ask Mrs. Louie Hef-
ner. Mrs. Doc Nisbett-''
"Her husbands horrid! | hate
him. | don't want her in my club"
The ten barrels of water still
ranked.
Were not asking husbands, my
dear Mrs. Cravat This is a ladies'
=. =.
Wyatt. introducing snobbery into
that welter of mud, Indians, pine
shacks. drought, and semi-barbar-
ism known as Usage, Indian terri
tory, was Krumpf of Ouachita,
Ark"
Sabra, descendant of the Mar
cys and the Venables, lifted her
handsome black eyebrows. Private
ly, she decided to select her four
from among the less vertebrate
and more ebullient of Osages' ma
irons. She made up her mind that
next day. after the housework was
done. she would call on her candi-
dates. beginning with that pretty
and stylish Mrs. Evergreen
Waltz. AT supper that evening she
told Yancey of her four prospec-
tive members
"Waltz' wife" Surprise and
amusement, too, were in his voice,
but she was too full of her plans to
notice Besides. Yancey often was
mystifyingly amused at things that
seemed to Sabra quite serious.
"Why, that's fine, Sabra. That's
finel That's the spirit !"
"She looks kind of babyish and
lonely. sitting there by the window
sewing all day. And her husbands
so much older. and a cripple. too.
or almost. noticed he limps quite
badly. What's his trouble?"
"Shot in the leg"
"Oh." She had already learned
to accept this form of inquiry as a
matter of course. II thought I'd
ask her to prepare a paper for the
third meeting on Mrs. BrOwning's
Aurora Leigh could lend her
yours to read up on, if you don't
mind. just In case she hasn't got
it."
Yancey thought ii unlikely.
The paper on Mrs. BrOwning's
aurora Leigh" never was written
by the pretty Mrs. Evergreen
Waltz. Three days later Sabra,
CHANGING to glance out of her sit
ting room window, saw the Grip
pied and middle-aged gambler pass
ing her mouse, ana In spite OF his
infirmity he was walking with great
speed-running, almost. In his
hand was piece of white paper
a letter, Sabra thought She hoped
IL was not bad news. He had
looked, she thought. sort of odd
and wild.
Evergreen Waltz, after weeks of
tireless waiting and watching, had
at last intercepted a letter from
his young wife's lover. AS he now
came painting up the street the girl
sat at the WINDOW, sewing. The
single shot went just through the
center of the wide white space
between her great babyish blue
eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me that
when she married him she was q