The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-09-11
CHAPTER XIII


urday. On Saturday, at noon, when
Sabra and Yancey drove from the
office in their little utility car to the
house on Kihekah street for their noon
day dinner they saw great limousine
drawn up at the curb. A chauffeur,
vaguely familiar, lounged in front.
The car was thick with the red dust
of the country road.
A vague pang of premonition
stabbed at Sabra's vitals. She clutched
Yancey's arm. whose car is that?"
= Yancey glanced at it indifferently.
Somebody drove Gin home. sup
pose. Got enough dinner for COM
pany?"
Donna had gone to Oklahoma City
to spend the weekend. 1t must be
Gin.
Gin" Sabra called, as she entered
the front door. "Cim" But there was
no answer. She went straight to the
sitting room. Empty. But in the stiff
little parlor, so seldom used, sat two
massive, silent figures. With the In
dian sense of ceremony and formality
old Big Elk and his squaw had known
the proper room to use for an occa-
sion such as this.
"Why-Big Elk"
"How!" replied Big Elk, and held
up his palm in the gesture of greeting.
"Yancey!" cried Sabra suddenly. in
a terrible voice. The two pairs Of
hio III Tpd;on oyoe, ct rod az bor Cohro
saw that their dress was elaborate;
the formal dress reserved for great
occasions. Side by side the two mas
sive figures sat like things of bronze.
Those dull black unsmiling eyes.
that weaving fan. moved Sabra to
nameless terror. "Yancey!" she cried
again. through stiff lips. "Yancey"
At the note of terror in her voice he
was down the stairs and in the room
with his quick light step. But at sight
Of old Big Elk and his wife his look of
concern changed to one of relief. He
smiled his utterly charming smile.
"Howi"
"Howw croaked Big Elk.
Mrs. Big Elk nodded her greeting.
She was woman younger, perhaps,
by thirty years than her aged hus-
band; his third wife. She spoke Eng
lish; had even attended an Indian
mission school in her girlhood. But
through carelessness or Indifference
she used the broken, slovenly English
of the unlettered Indian.
Now the two relapsed into impas-
sive silence.
"What do they want? Ask them
what they want"
Yancey spoke few words in Usage.
Big Elk replied with monosyllabIe.
"What did he say? What is it,"
81 asked them to eat dinner with us.
He says he cannot
Il should hope not. Tell her to
speak English. She speaks English"
Big Elk turned his great head
slowly as though it moved on a me-
| chanical pivot. He stared at his fat
round-faced wife. He uttered a brief
command in his own tongue. The
squaw smiled little strange, embar-
raised smile, like schoolgirl was
| less a smile than contortion of the
| face, so rare in her race as to be
more frightening than scowl.
big Elk and me come take you
| back to Wazhazhe."
"What for?" cried Sabra, sharply.
"Four o'clock big dinner, big dance.
Your son want UNI come tell you.
Want um know he marry Ruby this
| morning"
She was silent again, smiling her
| foolish fixed SMILE
God A'mighty" said Yancey
| Cravat. He looked at Sabra, came
over to her quickly, but she waved
him away.
Don't. I'm not going tots all
| right" It was as though she shrank
from his touch. She stood there, star
| ing at the two barbaric figures staring
so stonily back at her with their dead
! black Indian eyes. It was at times
like that that the Marcy in her stood
her in good stead. She came of iron
| stock, fit to stand the fire. Only be-
meath her fine dark eyes you now sud-
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