Nogales international., 1934-01-06

tossed them aside, and thrust her arm
into the opening. She brought up a
tin cash box which fell heavily as she
dropped it beside the hole. Then a
wolfsh grin twisted her lies and she
withdrew a quart bottle filled with
white liquid. "Here you is-;est ike
| tn voice say" she rumbled. :.
When Ruth brought her son into the
ranch house Ann was in the kitchen,
the last of the tortiilas crisply brown
ing OH the top Of the stove. The girl
received the surprise Of her life when
Ann looked at her with broad grin.
"Well, howdy folks-set down. tn
eats 'er comm"
'Why. Ann"
whats TIL matter, white girl
skeered o somepin' ag'in?" Ann
laughed, the full-throated, primitive
laugh of the negro She snatched the
burning toytillo from the stove and
flung il toward the table
Miss AIMS funny!" David's little
voice was filled with questioning de
light
Ruth said nothing bit seated te-Sii
at the kitchen table.
Nov Ter feed gr,.nted Ann.
| Her chair squeaked dangerously as
she slid into it. Here, white girl"
she invited holding out a pot. slopf
yerse'f a plate O. beans"
There was no spoon in the pot and
Ruth poured out the beans. She
couldn't understand what had hap
pened to Ann, but something warned
her not to ask for, spoon.
Ann" said the girl, ''it's begin
ming to rain and the wind is mitch
stronger-do you suppose we ought to
go to the barn and sec if everything's
shut tight? Is the windmill shut off 7"
For a second Ann appeared TO con-
slider the matter, then she grinned and
waved her arm aimlessly. 'Let 'er rain
cant do nothin' bout it !" She began
to sing, beating the table with her cup:
"A man kin sow corn,
: A man kin SOW oats,
A man kin git chillen,
A man kin raise shoats,
A man kin make one thing,
A man kin make two
But hit rains, dear Lord,
Like hit wants to dor
The cup broke and Ann settled back
in her chair, holding bit of the po,.-
celain handle between her big fin
gers and laughing-deep, gurgling
laughter.
David looked questioningly at his
mother. Ruth had an idea. "Ann's
great old sport, isn't she?" And she
laughed until David joined uncertainty.
Sing some more, Ann" she cried. pat
ting the huge knee which had slid to
press her own. She knew that Ann
must be drunk, but where she had OBJ
tanned the liquor was a mystery.
Ann Immediately obliged with
song which was evidently a relic of
the days when she run a dance hall
down in Texas" Terrified as she was,
the girl found time to hope that parts
of the song would not 1inger in Da-
yid's brain. She applauded vigorously.
That's fine p And leaning forward
conhdentially, when the cats away,
Ann-you knowl" She finished with a
wink.
But at the allusion to Snavely's alb
sence the giantess ceased to grin and
looked steadily at Ruth 'Aw hell|
she said fiercely, you're playin' a
gamel What're you up to, huh"
"Oh, nothing" answered Ruth air
lily. IF you want to be pig, all right
- just thought you might give me
drink, that's ALL
Jaw now, honey! Shorely, shore1y
you kin have drink-big drink" Ann
rose and went to the -four bin where
she pulled out a bottle, half full, and
showed it toward Ruth. $50 to it,
kiddoP'
Ruth took out the cork and put the
mouth of the bottle to her nose.
''What is this, Ann?"
"Gawd love us!'' she said explo
sively, "where was you raised? That