The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-05-29

necked, iong-sleeved nightgown. Her
eyes, in her white face, were two
black holes burned in piece Of
paper.
"What was It? What was itT
"What was what? Why aren't you
asleep, sugar?"
Those shots. And the screaming.
And the men hollering."
"ShotsT He was unstrapping his
broad leather belt with its twin six
shooters whose menacing heads peered
just above their holsters. He wore 1t
always now. It came, in time, to rep
resent for her sinister symbol Of all
the terrors, all the perils that lay wait
ing for them in this new existence.
"Why, sugar, 1 don't recollect hearing
any Oh-that!" He threw back his
great head and laughed. "That was
just a cowboy, feeling high, shooting
out the lights over in Strap Turket's
saloon. On his way home and having
a little fun with the boys. Scare you,
did it?"
He came over to her, put a hand on
her shoulder. She shrugged away
from him, furious She pressed her
hand frantically to her forehead. 1t
was cold and wet. She was painting
a little. II won't bring my boy up in
a town like this. I won't. I'm going
back. I'm going back home. tell
YOU"
''Wait till morning, anyhow, won't
you, honey" he said. and took her in
his arms.
Next morning was, somehow, mag
ically, next morning, with the terrors
of the night vanished quite. The sun
was shining. For moment Sabra
had the illusion that she was again at
home in her own bed at Wichita. Then
she realized that this was because
she had been awakened by familiar
sound. 1t was the sound of Isaiah's
voice somewhere below in the dusty
yard. He was polishing Yancey's
boots, splitting on them industriously
and singing as he rubbed. Sabra
knew he was utterly happy.
There was much to be done-a
dwelling to be got Somehow place
in which to house the newspaper plant.
If necessary, Yancey said, they could
live in the rear and set up the print
ing and law office in the front. AL
most every one who conducted a busi-
ness in the town did this Houses
are mighty scarce" Yancey said, max
ing q great masculine snorting and
snuffling at the wash bowl as they
dressed. "It's take what you can get
or live in a tent. / heard last night
that Doc Nisbett's got good house.
Five rooms, and he'll furnish us with
water. There're dozen families after
it, and Docs as Independent as hog
on ice"
Sabra rather welcomed this idea of
combining office and home. She would
be near him all day. AS soon as break
fast was over she and Yancey Jared
forth, leaving CHM in Isaiah's care.
She had put on her black grosgrain
silk with the three box pleats on each
side, trimmed with the passementerie
and Jet buttons-somewhat wfinkled
from its long stay in the truhk-and
her modish hat with the five ostrich
plumes and the pink roses that had
cost twelve dollars and fifty cents in
Wichita. and her best black buttoned
kid shoes and her black kid gloves. In
the tightly basqued black silk she was
nineteen inches round the waist and
very proud Of 1t.
Yancey, seeing her thus attired in
splendor, struck an attitude Of dazzle
ment, Blank verse leaped to his
ready lips. "But who is this. what
thing Of land or sea-female of sex 1t
seems-that so bedeck'd, ornate, and
gay, comes this way sailing, like
stately ship of Tarsus, bound forth
isles of Javan or Gadire, with all her
bravery on. :"
"Oh, now. Yancey, dent talk nom
sense. It's only my second-best black
grosgrain."
you're right, my darling. Even
Milton has no words for such beauty"
With his curling locks. his broad
brimmed white sombrero, his high
heeled boots, his fine white shirt, the
ample skirts of his Prince Albert
spreading and swooping with the
vigor Of his movements, Yancsy was
an equally striking figure, though per-
haps not so unusual as she. in this
day and place.
The first thing Sabra noticed, as she
stepped into the dust of the street in
her modish dress and hat. caused her
heart to sing The few women to be