The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-07-10
feel SO queer

TO feel SO queer 1ah-
cey. =. :"
AS she began to topple, Yancey
caught the Usage Joan Of Arc in his
arms.
Incredibly enough, she actually did
paper the entire house, aided by
Isaiah, and Jesse Hickey. Isaiah's
ebony countenance splashed with the
white paste mixture made bizarre
effect, trife startling to anyone COM
ing upon the scene unawares. Also
Jesse Rickey's inebriate eye, which so
often resulted in many grotesQue pied
print lines appearing in unexpected
and inconvenient places In the Okla
homa Wigwam columns, was none too
dependable in the matching of rose
bud patterns. The result, in spots,
was Burkankian, with roses grated
on leaves and tendrils emerging from
petals. Still, the effect was gay, even
luxurious. The Philomathean club, as
one woman, fell upon wall paper and
paste pot, as they had upon the COW
cred Jars in Sabra's earlier effort at
decoration. Within month Louie
Hefner was compelled to install a
full line of wall paper to. satisfy the
local demand.
Slowly, slowly, the life of the COM
munity, in the beginning so wild, so
unrelated in its parts, began to weave
in and out, warp and wool, to make
a pattern. 1t was at first faint, almost
Ia pI1f hn
could trace here motif, there figure,
here a motif, there figure. The shut
tie swept back, forward, back, forward.
"It's almost time for the Jew"
Sabra would say, looking up from her.
sewing. IT need some number forty
sewing-machine needles"
/ And then perhaps next day, or the
day after, Gin, playing in the yard.
would see familiar figure, bent almost
double, gnomelike and grotesque,
against the western sky 1t was Sol
Levy, the peddler, the Aisatian Jew.
Sabra would fold up her work, brush
the threads from her apron; or If her
hands were in the dough she would
hastily mold and crimp her pie crust
so as to be ready for his visit.
Sol Levy had come over an immi-
grant in the noisome bowels of some
dreadful ship. His hair was blue
black and very thick. and his face was
white in spite of the burning south
west sun. A black stubble Of beard
intensified this pallor. He had deli
cate blue-veined hands and narrow
arched feet He belonged in crowded
places, in populous places, in the color
and glow and swift drama of the
bazaars. God knows how he had
found his way to this vast wilderness.
Perhaps in Chicago, or in Kansas City,
or Omaha he had heard of this new
country and the rush of thousands for
its land. And he had bummed his way
on foot. He had started to peddle
with an oilcloth-covered pack ON his
back. Through the little hot western
towns in summer. Through the bitter
cold western towns ~ winter. They
turned dogs on him. The children
cried, Jew! Jew!" He was only a
boy, disguised with that stubble of
beard. He would enter the yard of
a farmhouse or dwelling, in a'town
such as Usage. A wary eye on the
dog. Nice Fido. Nice doggie. Down,
down! Pins, sewing machine needles,
rolls of bingham and calico. and last,
craftily, his Hamburg lace. He brought
news, too.
"The bridge is out below Gray
Horse. The Osages are having
a powpow at Hominy. All night they
kept me awake with their drums, those
! savages. The Kid and his gang
| held up the Santa Fee near Wetoka
and got thirty.fve thousand dollars;
but one of them will never hold up
train again. Shot in the head. Verdi
| girls Bob by name. Would be feath-
| er in that sheriff's cap, to catch
the Kid! A country! My fore
fathers should have lived to see me
| here!"
| His beautiful, civilized face, mobile
as an actors, was at once expressive
of despair and bitter amusement. His
long slender hands were spread in
gesture Of wondering resignation.
| He sometimes talked to Dixie Lee.
There existed between these two a
strange relation of understanding and
something resembling respect. Out
casts, both of them, he because Of his
race, she because Of her calling "A
smart girl like you, what do you want
in such business?"
'Tve got to live, Solly. God knows
why!"
"You come from good family. You
are young yet, you are smart There
are other ways"