Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-10-26

/ Cd Dressing, was as drahIy conventional
looking as himself.
And as far a. Duncon himself ever
I knew she was still laughing perhaps
Wnen they brought him home In hls
sally striped and utterly incredible
! JOcSy clothes and laid HIM like q brOk-
en- rainbow, q shattered stick Of candy
on the great bed which he had never
occupied before without first turning
down the spread.
Mrs. Duncon was exceedingly sorry
Tor him and exceedingly kind to him.
She was q good nurse, and as I've said
before. q perfect h0usekeeper. But. Of
course, It all made q lot OF extra work
Tor her and she had never been a wom-
an to take work lightly.
Duncon himself, on the contrary.
Claimed that the tragedy had brought
him the first real holiday that ne had
ever known. Robbed Of al knowledge
OF good" as It were he had also most
fortunately been robbed OF all know
ledge Of evil" There was, that il TO saw.
no pain left In him. For which Ahllah
be praisedl
Merely like q much surprised but /
by no means disEnayed, child he lay In |
MS great, quiet bed and watched the
strange wheels Of his wife's domestic 1
machinery turn and turn and turn,
and never get anywhere except Just
round and round. For q little time,
perhaps. Just the drone and monotony
OF 1t may have struck him as amusing.
He was at least able 10 use his hands.
Now and then his wife brought him
peas to shell, but never considered that
he shelled them thrifty. Now and then,
at his own request, she brought him
CiIWnr 60 t.ssk
conceded that he did It as wen as she
could have done 1t. Friends brought
him books to read. Quite indifferently
he turned both to and from them.
Rather too much" he said, like
buying trout instead of catching them
yourself or bringing home q wild duck
from the market instead Of from the
marshes"
Now and then Of an evening my hus-
band and I went TO play cards with
him. Now and then of an evening his
lew friend. the doctor. dropped Ia on
lis homeward way to Join the group.
luncon was always In good spirits on
hese occasions and sometimes almost
hilarious
It wasn't, indeed, TIL late summer
hat he began TO show any signs Of rest
VenesS. The weather was enough to
pSet any one, muggy, YET with threat
I autumn In it.
Guess I'll write q book myself" he
ffirned one night right in the middle
card game.
After that he never played with us
gain, but Just lay there in his great
ed, half agrin and half afrown. scrib-
ing in a funny old blankbook that he
ad dug up somewhere. The book had
lock and key to it and looked myster-
nus
Where in the world did you ever
ct such q book?" questioned his wife.
Il got it from an old gypsy woman
long time ago" said Duncon. II
1n't know where she got it. It had
Lord Somebody's name written on the
y leaf, but I tore Il out"
'Dunconl" protested hts wife.
Fact" said Duncon.
But what on earth are you writing
the bOok?" she would glance back
ross her shoulder to ask from time
time.
Making up my personal accounts"
umcon would answer quite prosily.
This reply seemed to amuse her more
an almost anything else that he had
en- said.
TITS I, you know. who always keep
G family accounts" she would lean
ross the card table with q frank
ucikle to confide TO the doctor. And
heve me-" she would almost always
d with palpable pride, 1--WE never
d page yet that wouldn't balanced"
God himself couldn't balance minel7
mttted Duncon.