The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-09-11
Edna Ferber
Copyright by Edna Ferber.
wNU service.i

ing of Indian gold, and even he fire.
quently was unable to cope with their
mad extravagances.
'It's disgusting" Sabra Cravat said,
again and again. "What are they
\ good for? What earthly good are
they? Ignorant savages who do moth
ing but eat and sleep and drive around
in their ridiculous huge automobiles"
Keep money in circulation" Sol
Levy replied, for she often took him
to task after seeing line Of Indian
cars parked outside the Usage Mer-
camille companys store.
"You ought to be ashamed of your
SELF"
NOW, now, Sabra. Not so grand,
please. / don't do like dozens of
other merchants here in town. Make
out bills for goods they haven't bought
and give them the money. Or charge
them double on the bill that the Indian
agent sees, and return them the over
charge. They come in my store. they
pay what the article is marked, and
they get what they pay for. Inez Bull
comes in and gets silk step-in, or
Sun Maker he buys twelve pounds of
chicken and ten pounds of pork.
should tell them they can't have it,!
Let the President of the United States
do it. The Big White Father"
Not only did Yancey agree with Sol,
he seemed to find enormous satisfac-
+;o,, - +bo 10 ,;cI,rosc with xx,b;ol, %box,
spent their oil money; in the very abb
surdity of the things they bought.
Donna came home from bridge
party one afternoon, the creamy Ven
able pallor showing the Marcy tinge
Of GENEROUS rage. She burst in upon
Sabra, home from the office.
do you know that Gin spends his
time at the Big Elks' when we think
he's out in the Oh fields?"
Sabra met this as calmly as might
be. Hes working near there. He
told me he had seen them"
"Seen them! That miserable Gazelle
Slaughter said that he's out there all
the time. All the time, tell you, and
that he and Ruby drive around in her
car, and he eats with them, he stays
there, he"
"Tll speak to your father. Gins
coming home Saturday. Gazelle is an
CRY at Gin, you know that, because
he won't notice her and she likes
him."
She turned her clear appraising gaze
upon this strange daughter of hers.
! She thought. suddenly, that Donna
was like cobra, with that sleek black
head, that cold and slanting eye, that
long creamy throat in which pulse
| sometimes could be seen to beat and
| swell little-the only sign of emotion
in this battling creature. :
/ ''Ill tell you what, Donna. If you'd
pay a little less attention to your
brothers social lapses and little
more to your own vulgar conduct, per-
haps it would be better"
Donna bestowed her rare and bril-
liant smile upon her fortnight mother.
"Now, now, darling! I suppose I say,
What do you mean?' And you say,
You know very well what l mean.
"You certainly do know what l
mean. If you weren't my own daugh-
ter I'd say your conduct with Tracy
| Wyatt was that Of a-a-"
"Harlot," put in Donna, sweetly.
| Donna! How can you talk like
that? You are breaking my heart
Haven't / had enough? I've never
complained, have I? But now-you-'
| Donna came over to her and put
her arms about her, as though she
were the older woman protecting the
younger sits all right, mamma dar.
ling. You just don't understand. Life
isn't as simple as it was when you
were a frontier gal. 1 know what
want and I'm going to get it,.
Sabra shrugged away from her
faced her with scorn. I've seen you
I'm ashamed for you. You press
against him like alike "a" Again
she could not say it. Another gener
alton. "And that horse you ride. You
say he loans it to you. He gave it to
you. It's yours. What for?"
She was weeping.
81 tell you it's all right, mamma. He
did give it to me. He wants to give
me lots Of things, but won't take
them-yet. Tracy's in love with me
He thinks I'm young and beautiful ant
stimulating and wonderful. He's mar
ried to dried-up, vinegary, bitter ole
bag who was just that when he mar
ried her, years ago. He's never known
what love is. She has never giver
him children. He's insanely rich. ant
not too old, and rather sweet. We're
going to be married. Tracy will get hi:
divorce. Money does anything. Il
has taken me year and half to dc
it. I've never worked so hard In al
my life. But it's going to be worth it
Don't worry, darling. Tracy's making
an honest woman Of your waywart
daughter"
Sabra drew herself up, every incl
the daughter of her mother, Felict
Venable, nee Marcy. You are dis
gushing"
'Not really, If you just look at i
without lot of sentiment. i shall b.
Il l. L-sE