The Coolidge examiner., 1931-12-04

Again the cropping wave of her
hand. I'm all right, l tell you.
Come. We must go there"
Yancey came forward He shook
hands formally with Big Elk, with
the Indian woman. Sabra, seeing
him, suddenly realized that he was
not displeased. She knew that no
formal politeness would have pre-
vented him from voicing his anger
If this mOnstrous announcement
had shattered him as it had her. so
that her very vitals seemed to be
whitening within her.
Sugar, shake hands with them,
won't you?"
mo. No" She wet her dry lips
a little with her tongue, like one in
fever She turned, woodenly, and
walked to the door, ignoring the
Indians. Across the hall, slowly,
like an old woman, down the porch
steps, toward the shabby little car
next to the big rich one. AS she
went she heard Yancey's voice
(was there an eXultant note in itO
at the telephone.
Jesse! Take this. Get it in.
Ready Ex-Chief Big Elk, Of
the Usage nation, and Mrs. Big Elk,
living at WaZhazhe. announce the
marriage of their daughter Ruby
Big Elk to Cimarron Cravat, son of
don't interrupt me-Pm in
hurry-sOn of Mr.. and Mrs. Yancey
Cravat, of this city. The wedding
was sOlemnized at the home Of the
brides parents and was followed by
an elaborate dinner made up OF
many Indian and American dishes.
partaken of by the parents of the
bride and groom, many relatives
and numerous friends of the
young :"
Sabra climbed heavily into the
car and sat staring at the broad
back of the car ahead Of her. Chief
Big Elk and his wife came out pres
emily. unreal, bizarre in the bril-
liant MONDAY Oklahoma sunshine,
ushered by Yancey. He was being
charming. They heaved their pom
derous bulk into the big car. Yam
cey got in beside Sabra. She spoke
to him once only.
81 think you are glad"
This is Oklahoma. In a way
it's what ! wanted it to be when /
came here twenty years ago. Gins
like your father. Lewis Venable.
Weak stuff, but good stock. Ruby's
pure Indian blood and a magnifi-
cent animal. It's hard on you now,
my darling. But their children and
their grandchildren are going to be
such stuff as Americans are made
of. You'll see."
u hope | shall die before that
day"
The shabby little middle-class
car followed the one whirling ahead
of them over the red clay Oklaho-
ma roads. Eating the dust of the
big car just ahead
She went through it and stood 1t,
miraculOusly, until one grotesquerie
proved too much for her strained
nerves and broke them. But she
went into the Indian house. and
saw Gin sitting beside the Indian
woman, and as she looked at his
beautiful weak face she thought,
wish that | had never found him
that day when he was lost on the
prairie long ago. He came toward
her. his head lowered with that fa-
miliar look, his fine eyes hidden by
the lids.
Look at me- ~ Sabra commanded.
in the voice of Felice Venable. The
boy raised his eyes. She looked at
him. her face stony. Ruby Big Elk
came toward her with the leisurely,
insolent, scuffling step. The two
women gazed at each other; rather
their looks clashed, like swords
held high. They did not shake
hands.
There were races, there were
prizes. there was dancing. In the old
Indian days the bucks had raced on
foot for a prize that was a pony
tethered at a distance and won by
the feetest to reach him. mount.
and ride him back to the starting
point Today the prize was a mag
nificent motor car that stood gilt
tering in the open field half a mile
distant. Sabra thought. | am dy
ing. I am dying. And Donna. This
squaw is her sister-in-law. Miss
Dignum's on the Hudson.
Ruby's handsome head right had
bought the young couple the house
just across the road from Big Elk's
"a one-story red brick bungalow
substantial. ugly. They showed
Sabra and Yancey through it. If
was furnished complete. Mongrel
Spanish furniture in the living
room-red plush, fringe, brass nail
heads as big as twenty-dollar gold
pieces. An upright piano. An oak
dining room set. A fine bathroom
with heavy rich bath towels neatly
hung on the racks. A shining
stained oak bedroom set with a
rose-colored taffeta spread. Sabra
felt a wave of nausea. Gins face
was smiling, radiant Yancey was
joking and laughing with the In
dians. In the kitchen sat a white
girl in a gingham dress and a kit
chen apron. The girls hair was so
light a yellow as to appear almost
white. Her unintelligent eyes were
palest blue. Her skin was so fair
as TO be quite colorless. In the
miCjt of the roomful of dark In
dian faces the white face of the
new Cravat hired girl seemed to
swim in a hazy blob before Sabra's