Evening Star Newspaper, July 11, 1926, Page 66

; A\\'G»Ghot;in knn Juck? Joseph Hanker. a_ sparse l. and ‘meager m.h..fiud inquiring eves to the ber- culean bulk: of ‘his ex- ‘atory companioh. . ays-which, Odessy?” . + Jessy Brown furned a distraught e fia.mufbuw.- ¢ ¥ Vi an’ means ', ow osme?’ Vied tonight.”. o o gwire git o Sepia Wil % e seph's solemii, shake of the head ilicated profound sympathy. You sho’ is out of luck.” Ain't it the truth? But that ain't 1t's worryin' me. I made up my '] long ‘ago ‘there wasn't no way me to avoid makin' ma'iage with vae fightin® lady. She's kind of got \ acquirin’ “habit. It's something «'ve T was dawg-gonnin’ about.” “\What?" I ain't got it, My ma'lage license. . can't git it * ‘Splain yo'se't, Big Boy."” it's. thisaway. 1 got to drive a 1 i:kload of groceries out to Mulga, : 1 befo' I'gits back the license office i zwine to be all closed up. An’ i shows up at that house tonight “.ut no-ficense I is gwine happen to tad accident mighty sudden.” 5 “Truth which you utters. Sepia uld mos’ likely disaster you all over t » place.” Sh ‘)dessy Brown regarded his shrimp- - friend speculatively. You ain't busy this afternoon, Is Not_special.” 2 How ‘bout gittin’ my license fo loseph’s - face beamed. *Helipin' .+ out is the fondest thing I is of.” " “Good! Heah's the cash money. «t you go down to the Co't House n’ git- me that paper. An’ meet me at Sepla’s house at seven-thutty »arp tonight. Thé obsequeious take \ce at eight, an’ Sepla’s punkchul, Right you is, Odessy. Just you l Having. Started L But— 5 cured s license for his own marriage to, tl’):.&u‘nmlmu Sepia! Bl lly ignorant of the affair, he whistled about his work during the afternoon. When closing time came, the burly bridegroom had not yet returned fromthe ‘journey to Mulga, and so Joseph went home and busied himself with modest arrangements. He garbed himself in manner befit- ting so important a member of The Sons and Daughters of I Will Arise. i¢ | Across the bosom of ‘decidedly shiny. evening garment he draped a sash of azure satin, and on his bullet head he perched a plumed hat. Beneath the sash was a sword belt, and from the :lrtdwu suspended a gleaming Sis Callle Flukers' boarding house— | whers Sepia was a star but criticay boarder—was a hive of expectant mer- riment when the elegant Mr. Hanker arrived, Friends of the bride were gathering to; celebrate, and friends or the groom. were arriving to mourn. The dynamic little minister—the Revi- end Plato Tubb—was there, scurrying in and out of the .downstairs m’nl 1like a hen searching for a lost Shuick. His shrill tones could be heard above the chatter—as he voiced the query which -most ~keenly - interested -the guests, “Where Odessy Brown is at?” . drive ~yo' groceries an' leave ¢ ‘thin'_to Joseph. He's the man + hich does what you wish. Always :d to “blige’a friend.” . *okE X /" DESSY mounted his truck. His 7 countenance was wreathed in «~Iness. *From 'his lofty perch he ted down upon the slender and romewhat lop-sided frame of his dim- e friend. = “Ain’t mever been ou, Joseph?" < suh. = Nor “either I don’t alm “odessy sighed. “Tain't’ you' aim 1ta the lady's alm.” what counts. idea_once that Sepla Wilse \lanin‘to git me. An” any feller which mes cléar of that-gal is safe-frum us. « uld ppen to -me. 3 |shan’halookl like no fun a tall, an’ tots of it.” He " pressed the starter and the accato roar of the motor punctured +te stillness of the warehouse. He int in his gears, released the clutch dal and the truck rolled toward wentieth street on the first leg of s journey to the distant mining ramp. .Icflcph Hanker watched the de- 8.t ure of his massive friend. Joseph as feeling considerably elated. “heretofore, the mighty and power- ful Odessy had professed no friend- ¥ip for the little fellow. He had ~tared haughtily out over Joseph's ad as though Mr. Hanker was of '|lghtly less than no Importance at 1 £ Tt was therefore decidedly -exciting \at Joseph should have been in- trusted with so vital and personal a ssion for .the redouptable Odessy. 'Tnquestionably, “this t:finnl “Httle cervice was destined t0.win .thé life- long gratitude and undying friend- hip of the truck deiver who openly l.uasted that he cpuld whip any col- “red gentleman in Birmingham—fair fist and no faver. t amazed Joseph that all of dessy’s physical might had been ‘of 10 avell in his frantic efforts.to elude he amezonian Sepia Wilson. He— ‘oseph—had once been pursued . by he same lady, and had escaped by he simple expedient of withdraw- ng ito a sheltering; background, and 10t detaching himself therefrom until ~uah time as her eager affections had hecome firmly fixed on another mas- culine person. Marriage to anybody inade absolutely mo appeal to Joseph, hut the mere thought of life as the The bridegroom was yet conspicu- ous by his absence, and word of his possible defection reached the ears of the eager and positive bride. “Odessy ain't heah!” explained the| Rev’end Tubb. “What's that?” Sepla rose largely from her chair, dislodging one of her bridesmaids. ‘““Where at is that wuth- less cullud man?” A “I dunno, Miss Wilson. . Florian Slappey was bettin’ even money that he had walked out on you.” The, bride’s countenance ~purpled. “He'd better not—else a murder is gwine sneak up on him an’ happen.” “But sho'ly—' 3 “Listen at me!” Sepia wrapped mus- cular fingers around the unformidable biceps of the Rev'end Plato Tubb. “I is all'set to git ma’ied tonight. .I got the gues’s heah,"an’ I got the eat. ments fixed. ~An’ if that no-‘count, big-footed, -none-thinkin’ imitation of. a turkey byzzard don't show up pretty quick, Ise ne fetch him." ‘The Rey’end Tubb ducked. “‘Golly, Sepia—you 'sho’ly does take ma’iage serious.” “‘Serious is right. An’ if he ain't heah pretty quick—" ding as Best Man, Joseph - Relieved Forever of the Men- ace of Matrimony and Sepia, [ Mistuh—"_ AH‘ frown appeared on his for the Wed- Felt >\ blushing bride. In the parlor Odessy clutched the wrist of his friend Jo- ‘this angle of | seph “Brother Hanker,” He murmured. “You got to san’' up with me. Does’ ::‘url'gn.\(o ‘mey loose, Ise libel to topple P “Le's go, boys. Toot them weddin’ 80, 5 In a corner sat the orchestra. Prof. | h Aleck” Cl wand and - tapped. : The trap = drummer sounded off—and the somewhat jazzed wedding march spurted through the room. The Rev'end Tubb perched himself beneath ' a floral decoration ~which marked the fatal spot, From opposite directions the two couples advanced. Sepla dragging her bridesmaid and Joseph Hanker s ing_under the dead- weight of the unst struggling heroically to conceal grins of amusement. Several of them sidled toward ‘the dining room door where Sis Callie Flukers had pre- pared a;noble supper. ‘The expression worn by Odessy was e raised his | one ‘of ‘grim- and. fixed determination. ‘The Rev'end Platg Tubb regarded him gravely. » £ “Is you ready, Brother Brown?" .- "'Go qlud- parson. ' Reckon I can’ The Rev’end cleared his throat. He produced from an inside pocket th marriage license, He read sonorously— “‘Miss- Sepia Wilson an' Mistuh— forehead. ceased zo-.klnl'. re- moved his glasses, polished and re- them, and continued to.cease. Sepia bent forward. 3 “What's ~the matter, Rev'end? Somethin’. wrong?", “Oh-huh. ¥ Plenty. The bride frowned. ‘“‘What you mean; plenty?" “I mean,” announced the minister, “that they ain’t gwine to be no weddin’ heah_tonigh! A deathly silence succeeded his pro- nouncement. the bridegroom and Sepia braced her- self for action. “Foolishment whar you utters! | The Rev'end Tubb She ceased. From the front porch | cen: came the roar of a hoarse and uncul- tivated basso. The voice was undoubt- edly the property of Odessy Brown, the tune was that of the ‘wedding march, the words were appropriately extemporaneous: ‘‘Heah comes the groo: Heah comes the groom: Sweet suff'rin’ macks Look out fo' the groom?’ Sepla’s face broadened into a smile of relief. R ““Tha's him,” ‘she announced posi- tively. “An’ he suttinly stahted cele- bratin’ befo’ he come. The Rev'end Tubb passed through the door and into the beflowered par- loy. . Standing just inside was the Gar- gantuan figure of the; hridegrgom/ His eves were unnaturally; large and somewhat glassy. His ~“feet were planted firmly, but the huge ‘body swayed a trifle. Odessy “eyed the preacher hostilely. "Ehlefl. hmaEnho “‘Heah's me!"” “Uh-huh. .you *w you wasn’t comin’.” ‘@‘, G T “‘Swell chance I'd of had" i away. When I says T'iL do a thin T'll do it. "Even may’'yin’ Sepia.” “Good. Is you ready?” Odessy's teeth = clicked bravely. “Ring the gong!” through the - asseniblage. heah seen Joseph Hanker?". : An important, ‘plume-topped , figure. wriggled th.muth' the mass of guests, ' mate of Sepia was positively terrify- ng. He secured a half-hour leave of absence and moved toward the Jet- erson County courthouse. His mind stil quested for an answer to the @pblem. There was no doubt that sjessy was about to commit matri- inony with a woman who was decd- edly unpopular with him. The fact that he could whip any other colored man in Birmingham had helped him not at all. So far as Sepia was con- cerned, his spirit was broken, crushed, and completely ruined. Joseph sighed. After all, there were rewards for the physically unattractive. Downtown Birmingham hummed. The traffic lights winked red and yel- low and green, taxicabs skidded iround corners, and automobiles crawled in long, snaky lines from in- tersection to intersection. Eventually Joseph' Hanker reached the corner of Twenty-first street and Chird avenue. Across the way was the antique structure ,where the county transacts its ' business. Joseph's step slowed as he came in sight of the bullding. He was afrald of it. The knowledge that in- side those four walls were courts and judges and the bewildering wheels of legal machinery frightened him. He felt as timid as a gmall worm which has. just been impaled on a large fish- hook. He dragged leaden feet -down | malodorous corridor, ‘whispered query—and he was direcled to the license ~office. ~ There ~he cowered against the wall, staring ho) y at the window behind which the license clerk juggled papers and books and heavy humor. e But finally that dignjtary looked up. and saw the little negro. His hearty voice boomed across the room. *You boy! You want a license?” Joseph staggered forward. *Y-y-y- yas-suh! I—I sho’ly doel *‘What's your name?" & joseph Hanker, Cap’ - *“Joseph Hanker, eh? What's the girl’s name?” ““The—the which, suh?” * “The girl's name? The girl that's going to get married.” “Her mame is Sepia,” suh. Sepla ‘Wilson.” X % And old and feeble pen scratched © across the face of a formal document. Then fhis document was folded by the clerk and shoved into Joseph's face. *Ten dollars!” - barked the clerk. *Next!™ ‘With fingers that trembled violent- Iy, Mr. Hanker paid the fee, placed the marriage license in his pocket and boited out of the door. % The ordeal had been fearful, He was afraid of courthouses anyway— and this had seemed more than ordl- marlly forbidding. He was scarcely “conscious of ‘anything that had hap- pened since he mounted the steps— and now, as he found himself once more in the sunlit stretches of Third mnue. he heaved a vast sigh of re- He had fulfilled his trust. The license was safe in his pocket. Every: | commence. 7" Sepla’ was becom- ing unconti ly riled. ¥ “The mistake. This heah license Odessy a tall" Sepia turned slowly. upon the man she was about to have married. bl boy!" she breathed. “You sho'ly don’t care nothin’ f0’ yo' safety, does you?* . v “Now, listen, honey——". , _ “Don't you honey me—or I glves you a roamin’ nose. Comin’ to vo' own weddin’ 'thout no license, an’ the Co’t House done closed up. Ise gwine teach you to— . “But listen, Sepia: I don't go fo’ to do nothin’. They sent me out to Mulga with a load of groceries, an’ Joseph Hanker sald he would gif the license fo' me, an’——" “You ast me to” frightened. Mr. Hanker, he’ aifr’ gotten. it, didn’t you?" *‘Uh-huh. An’ ‘the man ten dolla: an’ e quavered the | tast you you she' ‘makes or—-" “Shut up! = Ain't I.done. ined you ain't nothin' to do with this? An' wasn't it yo' fault in the- fust place?. Had you got the license right this thing nov:t ‘mlll‘ *d happened.” QEPIA was quiszing the Rev'end. “Aln't no ol of gittin"that license altered t 2" “Ni chance, ‘Wilson. ] bite! T suttinty does it up a ', no-count. of water like Joseph Hanker." " h:. 2 nice feller, Sepia,” suggested ppy Odessy, “I has knowed him 10’ a long time, an’ I ‘b'lieves he'd husban’— hate to t. Lioense ready. h—“’rI"ekbn 1 Q#‘m sits yes.” “But, Sepla~—r" ¥ “Don’ staht off ‘our ma'ied life . "Tain't gwine be argu healthy.” e huxt flattened ‘with a crash. ning. back ‘and Sovia u the room, Tfollowed “Mawnin’, Florian. delighted , you called me.” 1 suf aroun’ to see 5 Florian renr\ld’ur.‘:unhr grave- | P! “‘Sepla and Odessy. this manin’, Sepla ca’ied the Rev'end Tubb office with' her an’ i Chattanooga on their honeymoon righ r the ceremonious.” ° Hallelujah!" “Tell. me——" bent for- “How come Odessy ossah, Joseph,” interjected Odes- |* 8y. *You got to do what that gal say: or lhl'?l Imn_yogu one.” L Sepia flung' around wrathtully on »| the triumphant Mr. “Keép y0' big mouf away fum this, Odessy. I'ain't ma'yin’ Joseph 'cause It was :fll 1 aimed tosgit wed with—an' I'd it till tomorrow, ‘ceptin’ it .ain't polite not to give my comp'ny no din® when they was all sot. As fo' Joseph—I guess hi an’ I can handle what we does. “Hot ! Sepia—I reckon you can; ush you is gwine be ter- €ro! came a’ volee which sounded very tfiuch like F‘lm?lln Slappey’s:: “Well—go.ahead an' staht Sepia dropped a firm and command- ing hand .on Joseph’s arm. Mr. Hanker cringed. His eyes closed an his lips moved prayerfully. Mr. Hanker was in the act of “You busted him? 7 “Uh-huh,” Right plumb in the nose ~Ilots of times." - ith nou,.';. Lm DM:": eyes P with amaze: N you l::owmt Odessy Bfown is a fool for fightin' ¥ “Yes, sir,” agreed Joseph-raptur- ously, “he sure was!" (Covyright. 19! adedl mh‘ Members of Congress on Their Vacations Will Revisit Some Natural Playgrounds HIS Summer the vacation mi- crobe is having a .very bad e e ok, oot Bpring. ana , 0ol 5 e S T legislation to be written into the statute books before adjournment; and €0 very many members are looking ap- prehensively to a wista of campaigns. Many of them, for some occult reason, refuse point-blank to admit that they have ewr‘hl:d a vacation in all the years of their career. bt 1t has all been very uncertain. Nim- red’s guns are rusting in their cases, and old Zaak's rods are yearning for the magic fly and the rush of a rain- bow ‘trout. | But their masters are bent 1in so many instances on weary fest to ed and musty halls, where the the packs it constituents wait, with questions in ™30k Soseph an desper and. a6 ut’Joseph sank de and into the slough of despond. n‘."z helple‘d‘lThl sl'\evhind Plato Tubb was waiting; pia. was becomis loudly insistent; Odessy Brown w':i grinning like a Cheshire cat. Joseph gazed at the bra frame of his erstwhile 'friend with profound dis- flznn‘nurlnt of an Ticraves to gt > ] "Aln't it the truth?” B -y agreed Mr. “volce of the Rey’ “"Tain't decent, tha's wha n’ fot fo' me.” - "'Tis fo' me, 9 e Y ey an’ that's all what A 3 Esiei T mont! dras- n Dl":g their-mouths, and potential sheaves of ballots in their hands. g Even the lucky ones who have no cam; are not always.able to fol- low the paths of their desires as ordinary fe ‘When the business of Denver, in the camp of his friend Col. A. E. Humphrey. And the erstwhile general dldn't miss a day out of the entire 10 from his fishing. Hip-boots and a lusty stream, and the quist ferences; but ;l the: picture the mountains and the ver. Mrs: Dawes went West. some_days II.'INA‘I:OR CAPPER AND A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS AT A SUMMER PICNIC. ually it s &' combination of salt air and golf. Walter- Edge of New Jersey does Europe as a matter of course. Before he ‘became a Senator, he went every years. And James Couzens will be in|abroad and in this country, stnes 1917, Michigan, too, at Pontiac, on his Being re, ntative for, personal prese; tarm, where he will be much occupied | first, President Harding, and since for with the building of a new "house. Senator Underwood and Mrs. Under- | the welfare of the men who President. Coolldge, in watching over ghve limbs » ng | wood are still too enamoured of their |and eyes and heaith in the war is a beautiful Virginia estate, Woodlawn, | strenuous undertal ind | to want to leave it yet awhile for-very |ad d | long. ps meet Representative Bloom of ‘New York, as that energetic gentleman is setting out with his wife and daughter t; do the entlire conux:nt'.htho Sean- navian counriesc<ean: e . Uni Kingdom beforé- Fai. — The traffic cops in Memphis, where Kenneth McKellar lives when he is-at home, ‘will "hail the exodus from Washington with anything but reltef. ’ | Because, 8o the ‘story goes, the ami. i P T E ::nutumg ur-tmll'— able Senator from Tennessee is one of the world’s worst drivers. Otie of. his friends 'tells how, last Summer, the Benator left his office to drive down (be the main street in Memphis. He drove; post. ‘That went 5 Mr. McKellar edkdm it turned home to see his two sisters! where he loves to swim, and he may benhhnl-otolflte brief trip to Mount Clemers, Mich., where:he has. 6. every vacation for the past 30 and | sch ds hef interest in . ‘To this she e well being of ~ (This is the part of the Wash-| the.textile ‘workers. in_her district, ington lands that the general gave.to|which centers around Lowell, Mass. Nellie Custis.) The Underwoods may | And there will be speechmaking and go to Hot Springs, Va., for a short|ail the so-forths of election activities time, as that is one of their - pet|to'flll these short months to overflow- places, and they may visit their home [ing. One at Tate Springs, in Tennessee. Senator Lénroot goes back to his|Senator Fess his. cottage. at | his” own ground -at ‘Yellow Springs. outdoors- | Here is Antioch Coll e Hoon ratocd | formerly president, and where Senator ‘Willis ‘and Senator Robinson of diana were his pupils. The Fess home is set in-eight acres of ground and the e Two of the ladies of the Hoi ndanna erchief around his e House Will| head and goes out to plow. his fields | sons and her remarkable | &1 potter around with his newest ex n the afternoon he returns to the Wisconsin ), _to Brule, He is one of the men of the Senate, havin, in_his brother’s lumber camp, and knowing the lakes and woods of his State with an intimate and happy knowledge. ¥ & - Jcamj g also. WO _grown mother walting ‘for her in San Fran-|Pe 18 one of .the. institutions, the Bay City. At 75 she retired from active school teaching, but: it was impossible for her to stay. unoc- cupied, ‘so the city put: her:on the 1 board, and now, at 80, she goes o her office, and. ehjoys_herself Mrs. Edith Nourse Rogers ‘says she personally, hasn't had:that tine. in all the past nine_years. ' She has been i with. much too occupled - Red|$¥] Cross and’ MIM vegeran wark, both ] : of the picturesque figw of Ohio, when he riments in growinig things. ive_far up. mountains, where ‘the res is is on In- il ~ 1 g2 eL wis :