Flowing Gold

realized with a start that meal time was near and that the menfolks would soon be home. Leaving Allie to entertain their guest,

ech completely failed her and she answered Gray with nods or shakes of her head. The most that he could elicit from her were brief "yeps" and "nopes." It was not unlike a "spirit reading," or a ouija-board seance. He told himself, in terms of the oil fields, that here was a dry well-that the girl was a "duster." Having exhau

right, but it's an awful

dee

. "He's got mor

was flushing and paling as a result of her sudden excursion into the audible. Eventually

got to be elegant." She laughed loudly, abruptly, and the explosive nature of the sound startled he

right," Gray

s and show me how to play it!" There was another black hiatus in the conversation. "We haven't

lligence and of sensitive makeup; a girl with looks, too, in spite of her size, and no doubt a full share of common sense-perhaps even talents of some sort-yet with the knowledge of a child. F

their bodies, fashioned them into ludicrous, grotesque, or hideous monstrosities for king and populace to laugh at, and then resold them. Soft, immature faces were made into animal likenesses; tender, unformed bodies were

sely what env

d-scrabble Texas counties, had dwarfed the intellect, the very soul of a splendid young ani

n a smart gown molded over a well-fitting corset, with her feet properly shod and her hair dressed-but the task was beyond him. Probably she had never worn a corset, never seen a pair of silk stockings. He thought, too, of what was in store for her and wondered how she would fit into the new world she was about to enter. Not very well, he feared. Might not this prove to be the happiest perio

las to do some tradin'," the girl was sayin

r mentioned

ack stuff was really oil, Ma busted out cryin' and said she'd see the mountains, after all-then she wouldn't mind if she died. Pa he cried, too, we'd allus been so pore-You see, Ma's kind of marked about mountains-

"Times must have been hard." The

Their hosses died and they couldn't go on, so we kep' 'em-'til we burned out. I don't know how we managed to get by except that Pa and Buddy are rustlers and I can do more 'n a hired man. We never had enough to eat. Stuff just wouldn't grow. The stock got bonier and bonier and finally died, 'count of no grass and the tanks dryin' out. And all the time the sun was a-blazin' and the dust was a-blowin and the clouds would roll up and then drift

alking naturally, feelingly, and he

r with green leaves on it. And grass that you could lay down in and smell. I guess Ma was kind of feverish. We was drier 'n a lime-burner's boot

e oil came, too. It mus

n's. Seems kinda dreamy." Allegheny Briskow closed her eyes, her massive crown of damp,

girl. On the contrary, she had intelligence and feeling. There had been a rich vibrance in her voice as she told of that frightful ordeal; a dimness had come into her eyes as she spoke of her mother gabbling feverishly of

s to do your shopping, won't you let me take you around to the right shops and see that you get the r

"Why, that's right nic

on we'd b

alls were tucked into boots, and a ragged Joseph's coat covered his flannel shirt. Both the man and his makeup were thoroughly typical of this part of the country, except in on

ever expected you'd come 'way out here an' bring your plu

he glittering display still spread

roke into a sunshiny smile. He wiped his hands upon his trousers legs and picked up a ring. Bu

heroic mold. They formed a massive pair of children indeed, and, as in her case, a sullen distrust of strangers was inherent in him. He st

dent that he feared to betray lack of conserv

' lot of trink

inquired of Gray, "How much i

hundred thou

ilingly, then he said, "With oil at three an' a quarter, it wouldn't ta

ucing twelve hundr

as white and as sound as railroad crockery, but his next words were directed a

royalties were interrupted by an announcement that

n' I wouldn't trust Ma to pick out no jewelry by herself-them prices would skeer her to death. We're ignora

you'll keep me," Gra

arrangements. He was not surprised to find the chauffeur with nose flattened against a pane of the front-room window, his hands cupped over his eyes. Ignoring the fellow's confusion

interesting experience, and Gray obtained a deal of first-hand information that he believed would come in handy. Buddy's first mistrust was not long in passing, and, once Gray had penetrat

was thirsty, his curiosity was boundless, questions popped out of him at every step, and every answer, every bit of information or of philosophy that fell from the visitor's lips he pounced upon, avidly examined, then carefully put away for future use. He was like a magpie filling its nest. Gray's personal habits, mannerisms, tricks-all were grist for Buddy's mill. The stranger's suit, for instance, was a curiosity to the boy, who

ith womenfolks, but if Gray wore them there could be nothing disgraceful, nothing effeminate about the practice. There was a decided thrill in the p

ly took the gold case out of his hand and exa

d purty things. I-I'm goin

ou li

It's s

make you a p

speechless surprise. "What-wh

you adm

solid gold

be s

ch d'it

ed, "you shouldn't ask questio

w, then he inquired, "Say, wh

. "It is a custom in some countries to present an

I didn't have to have and couldn't get along without. This cigareet case is worth more 'n all

you accept

, I d

ying, "Perhaps you think I'm-trying to make a goo

ted his eyes. He wa

case into young Briskow's pocket. "I don't have to br

nes

s my

or some time thereafter he remained red and silent, but he kept one big hand in the pocket where lay the gold c

Ozark took the first occasion to show his gift to Allegheny, and to

me, an' I bet he could 'a' do

you?

in language like a natif. That suit of clo's was made for him, an' he's got thirty other

It was the doubting female of the specie

's doin' this to he'p a friend. Told me al

much." Allie regarded her brother keenly, understandi

t ai

look like his. And me, too. We're too big, Buddy, an' the more money we got, the more clo's we

ld," the boy asserted. Then, after some delibe

ever, he looked upon it as a natural and wholly satisfactory demonstration of his idol's supreme prowess, and he roared with delight at being bested. Gray promptly taught him the wrestling trick by which he had accomplished the feat, and flattered the boy immensely by refusing to again try his skill. The older man, when he really played, could enter into sport with tremendous zest and he did so now; he taught Buddy trick after trick; they matched each other in feats of strength and agility. They wound up finally on o

fastened a cheap brass stickpin, much as Gray wore his. During the meal he watched how the guest used his knife and fork and made awkward attempts to do likewise, but a table fork was an instrument which, heretofore, Buddy had looked upon as a weapon of pu

and again examined the jewelry. It was an absorbing task, they did not hurry it. Not until the following afternoon, in fact, did they finally make their selections, and then they were guided almost wholly by the good taste of their guest. Gray did not expl

ed within herself again and he could get nothing more out of her. He would have believed that she actually disliked him, had it not been for the fact that whatever he said, she took as gospel, that wherever he chanced to be there she was, her ears o

there was protest, loud and earnest, from the Briskows, father and son. Buddy actually sulked at being denied the pleasure of drivin

, she'd do a hund

for the security of t

safe to trust those

plans, refused to listen. "There's one thing you can do

The family regarded

If you have no cr

uddy, go kill a rooster, an' you, Allie, get them eggs out of the nest in the

was un

n as a first-class man. When Ma and Allie come over to Dallas to get rigged out, I'd like you to help '

rst and his prompt refusal of the

y. "It takes a lot of thinkin', and I ain't used to thinkin'. Some day

ess wo

ur lives, an' done without things till we're-Well, look at us! I reckon we've made you laugh. Oh, I bet we have! Ma an' me can stand it, but, mister, I don't want folks to laugh at my children, and there's other things I don't wa