Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-02-22

Stew Meat departed 1fCfu the tOuE
rooms Of the Sons and Daughters 0
VIII Arise and satintered happily to
ward the civic center Of Birmingham,
Darktown. he even smiled warmly a
the young gentleman whom he hag
come TO meet.
Mr.. Coot Waring was q large person
; with a complexion most uneQuiVocalls
4 black. He was 10 wears of age and moi
! overburdened with brain, but he pos.
sessed plenty Of bulgy muscle which,
during the football season-made him
a school hero.
Two other boys stood beside Coot
j They we're smaller than their leader
and considerably less Stygian in hue.
4 The expressions Of all three were sol
/ emn, and they bowed formally TO the
dapper Mr.. Rogers. Mr.. Rogers was IN
a friendly and expansive mood.
''Wha' yuh say, fellers?" he inquired.
Mr.. Waring Jerked his bulletlike head.
He said, sepulchrally: "Foller US"
Stew Meat follered more i'm
pressed than he cared to admit. At the
corner OF Fourth alley the trio hemmed
him IN and Coot Waring proceeded TO
touch Stew Meat thrice upon the brow.
Oscar Rogers" he announced, you
have now been tapped"
"Uh-huh. I sho have. But what fo'2"
A04 AA1FE DCC4A lftlDGu ~ the OOIL91
Brothers OF Friendship and the Sun
porting Social Sisters Of the Myster-
ious Ten"
Stew Meats eyes opened wide. He
said, Wei, I'll be daWg-bit!" He also
said, Listen, Coot-it amt that don't
appreciate this, an all, but / thought
that sassiety was To- seniors only"
1T is" explained Mr.. Warning. but
you have been at the high school long
HnOIIun Tn nn caTlfNvs frr4r
we lected you. Do you assept?"
stew. Meats acceptance was almost
tearfully enthusiastic.
Lection Friday night" announced
Coot Waring. Eight O'Clock at my
Stew Meat promised to be on time
and declared stoutly that no matter
now severe the initiation he would con-
tlnue TO be the happieSt colored boy In
Birmingham.
Friday night he appeared at the home
OF Coot Waring. 1t was a more than
Lnouest place. 1t was, in fact, a dilapi-
dated, implanted, three room alley cot
tage. It's sparse furnishing attested to
the near bankruptcy of Coot's parents.
FIVE persons were present in addi-
ton to Coot and Stew Meat There
we're the same two Young men who
had assisted in the tapping, and three
more or less pulchritudinous maidens
.of whom, until this moment, Stew
Meat had entertained no particular
passion.
The sextet conducted Stew Meat j
INTO large vacant lot. Then they pro- !
'eeded to initiate him. !
From the outset it became apparent /
nat this ordeal was to be both strenu- 7
us and humiliating. Stew Meat ex- I
lbited Spartan courage, but his flesh
ched and his spirit was crushed before
ne ceremony was half finished. His g
lgntty was in shreds-and he was bull /
'arked only by the thought that very r
Don he would be full fledged mem v
er OF the most exclusive organization d
! high school. Il
Mr.. Rogers soul revolted against h
NO hours Of torture. But he obeved
outrageous commands without finch o
lg. AND finally, when it seemed that 81
ne tleSh could stand no more re- il
ardleSs OF the spirit-Mr. Coot War n
lg nunched his massive shoulders and b
that the initiation was over. n
urtnermore, he said when the boys 81
gals at school heah about this
eyre goin' to laugh their se'ves q
when they heah about it?" Stew d,
eat knew moment Of apprehension. HI
7 ne had performed many antics that I'll
himself would have preferred to sr
rget. How come they'll heah about al
Coot? Amt these Invitations secret?"
Inese amt" responded Mr.. War VI
8 cheerfully th
Then-as though at a siRnal-tbe
ltiators threw back their heads and va
ffawed. A premonition that all was DIR
{ as it should be smote Mr.. Rogers. he
IL don't understand" he said
int member Of the United Broth st;
Of Friendship and the Supporting be
cial Sisters Of the Mysterious Ten?
Joot Warning roared with elee. ~Co,re vi vi
z amt, Foolish Face. An neither Is syI
The horror Of what had occurred All
nck stew Meat with crushing force. ]
You mean you amt none OF Won me
mberE Of that sassiety? You mean ma
! Just been maxim fool out of wa
That's the one thing we amt been tho
n anything else but" ish
tew Meat was not large. He was 40
lnds lighter than his bette noire. mo
tears OF futile rage and righteous -
'er welled into his eyes and he shook -
fist IN Coot Warnings face.
lie told Coot many things. He ex-
SSed his opinion In profane and
'arnlshed terms. His TRADE only
ca Wnen MIR. Warnings unprepos-
NN%AAAN(@A3AAANG
Coot's huge fist appeared under
nose.
One mo- word out OF you. Stew
at-an' III hit you so hard it1l
ok the spark plugs out Of yo' paws
omobile. I got a good min to do
anyway. Now git this Fo' a long
e you been too dawg-gone uppity.
been high hattin' folks an think
you was somebody. Well, I reckon
took you down. An If you don't
it-why you know Just ezackly
c you can do"
,ew Meat did Just what he could
which was precisely nothing. But
lid utter a few more uncompliment-
words, words which sttrng, and
Waring Issued final warning.
m all fed up with you, Stew Meat.
the next time you come aroun' me
en- TO one minute-Ifn goin' TO
you right in the nose. Now-sitl7l
T. Rogers got. He got with greater
e than dignity. He was bruised In
and soul, and he dreaded the
row. But the flame Of vengeance
led within him and he 6eteYuaffle6 l