Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-10-15


face was white. set.
You're going to run this. Yancey?'
"Yes."
You'll never be governor of the
territory"
Never"
She stood a moment. her face work.
Ing. She crushed the galley proof in
her hand so TINT her knuckles stood
out, white.
i've forgiven yon many. many
things, God knows, in the last ten
years I'll never forgive you for this
Never"
yes. you will. honey. Never Is
long time. Not while I'm alive, may
be. But some day. long time from
now-though not SO very long. maybe
you'll he able to turn back TO the
old files OF the Oklahoma Wigwam
and lift this editorial of mine right
out OF it, word for word. and run 1t
as your own"
Never. E. Donna Gin. :"
Il can't live my children's lives for
them. Sabra honey. They've got to
live their own. believe what l be-
lieve. This town Is rotten-the terri
tory--the whole country. Rotten"
You're fine one to say what is
or isn't rotten. You with your whisky
and your Indians and your women.
despise you. So does every one In
the town-in the territory"
"A prophet Is not without honor,
save In his own country and In his
own home" A trifie generously.
She never really knew whether he
had done this thing with the very pur-
pose OF making his governorship i'm
possible. 1t was like him.
Curiously enough. the editorial,
while 1t maddened the white popula-
ton OF the territory. gained the paper
many readers. The Wigwam pros
pered. Osage blossomed 1t was no
longer camp. II was town. 1t be-
gan TO build schools. churches, halls.
Sol Levy's store-the Levy Mercan-
tile comnany--llad two waven ladies' In
the window. their features only slight
ly affected by the burning southwest
sun. Yancey doomed Sol Levy for
mayor OF Usage. but he never had q
chance. 1t was remarkable how the
Oklahoma Wigwam persisted. though
its position In most public questions
was violently unpopular. Perhaps it,
like Yancey, had vitality and
charm that no one could withstand.
Although Sol Levy was still the
town Jew. respected. prosperous, the
town had never quite absorbed this
oriental. A citizen OF years standing,
he still was a stranger He mingled
little with his fellow townsmen out
side business hours. He was shy OF
the town women though the women OF
the town found him kindly. passionate,
and generous. The business men
liked him. They put him on commit
tees. Occasionally Sabra or some
other woman who knew him we'll
enough would say. half playfully, half
seriously why don't You get mar
ried. Sol? A nice fellow like you.
You'd make some girl happy
Sometimes he thought vaguely OF go
Ing to Wichita or Kansas City or even.
Chicago to met some nice Jewish girl
there, but he never did. 1t never en-
tered his head to marry Gentle.
Between him and Yancey there ex-
listed deep sympathy and understand
log. Yancey campaigned for Sol Levy
In she mayoralty race-if thing so
one-slded could be called race The
Wigwam extoled him.
why. the very ideat I" snorted the
redouhtabe virago. Mrs. Tracy Wyatt,
whose husband was the opposing can
didate. "A Jew for mayor OF Usage
they'll be having an Indian mayor
next. Mr.. WAITS folks are real
Americans They helped settle Ar
kansas And as for me, why, can
trace my ancestry right back to Will
liam Whipple, who was one OF the
signers OF the Declaration OF indie
pendence."
DOL Levy utNtI udu chance I0T
public honor. He. In fact, did prac-
tically nothing to further his own pos
sible election. He seemed to regard
the whole matter with a remoteness
slightly tinged with ironic humor.
Yancey dropped into Soils store to
bring him this latest pronouncement
OF the bristling Mrs. Wyatt
Declaration Of Independence Sol
exclaimed. thoughtfully. TELL her one
of my ancestors wrote the Ten Com
mandments. Fella name OF Noses
Yancey, roaring with laughter, used
this In the Wigwam, and 1t naturally
helped as much as anything to defeat
the already defeated candidate.
The town went by-IndIans, cow
boys up from Texas. plalnsmen, ranch
ers. They still squatted at the curb,
as In the early days. They chewed
tobacco and spat. The big sombrero
persisted. and even the boots and
spurs.
There was talk Of paving Pawhuska
avenue, but this did not come for
years The town actually boasted q