Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-10-01

they finally finished she looked ae Kit
coldly and said:
you do sing, don't you, MRS. HaIlo-
well? ! thought heard you awhile
back. when you we're stacking the
dishes"
-Oh, just humming." said Kit. Y
! can't sing things like the Kermit That s
the worst Of ever having taken ones
/ voice seriously, it's spoiled afterwards
/. for popular songs"
4 "Oh," said sylvia, stin coldly. wont
|. you sing us something that your voice
wouldn't be spoiled for2'
This was intended to be more than
3 remark in q deadly tone OF voice. but
4 Kits heart gave jerk. Sudden open
ing. Take enemy by surprise IN
nocently she smiled at Sylvia'S purging
mask. Sylvia, who cared so much Tor
music that she had once carried her
cello into another room Il can
try" she said
i In q muted voice, but steadily and
with q relentless musical line that
made Sylvia sit up at once, Kit began
TO sing Tschaikowsky's None But the
Lonely Heart Can Know My Sorrow"
The Russian melody was solitary and
/ poignant, needing no accompaniment
! to its lament as her voice climbed sure
1 ly to its climax, in the midst Of which
Tom turned and pulled g chart, with
a great cracking OF paper, on the table
/ and began to study 1t.
Sylvia jumped as if she had been
hit, and looked at him incredulOusly
before going back to her attitude of
rigid, startled attention. There was
pause when Kits song died away into
its last lovely echo.
Sylvia looked at Tom who had gotten
up from his chart and was noisily COLI
lecting the coffee cups why didn't
you ever tell me" she said, ."that your
wife could sing like that?"
"Oh," said Tom, Il knew she would,
as soon as she got the chance"
should be pleased, shouldn't I, Kit
thought numbly over that stunned look
in Sylvia's face, which remained there
while they washed the dishes together
and Tom tramped in and out Of the
galley in breezy obliViousness. She
should be pleased, but she wasn't. 1t
was somehow even worse than being let
down ones self, to see Sylvia let down
by the same thing.
Sylvia was asking questions, In a
strained voice, about Kits musical
career. Shed had no idea How
had Kit been able to give 1t all up2
Too far out to go back now. oh
you saw" Kit said. ANY real music
to Tom is just a noise"
Don't you think he might-weIl,
grow to appreciate it?" said Sylvia.
II thought So" said Kit, "for the
first three years. That's what meant,
Sylvia, by saying how sad it is people
don't change but we go on hopingl"
Tom entered the galley in a vast
silence. "It's IL o'clock" he said. 'Ill
sleep till midnight. Wake me then, Kit,
and I'Il wake I ON and ADa -
Cheerfully he went fore and swung
himself into one Of the two hammocks
that hung on opposite sides of the
galley. His habit was to fall asleep the
minute his head hit the pillow, which
he was not now prevented from doing
by the glaresome presence Of the two
women In his life.
Nor would he have been in the slight
est degree embarrassed if he could have s
been treated to the fore-shortened view
Of himself that was theirs, consisting
Of tive enormous black s0les looming up
over the hammock; his bare feet, size
II, on which he had been walking
around the ship for several hours. !
AS miserable as she was, Kit couldn't ,
help laughing at the aghast expression !
on SylYlaS face. This was more the
simple, obvious sort Of thing she had
anticipated. Here she could follow her :
cues without heartburn. Men are but
children of larger growth I always t
say" she cOoed. ITS all I can do TO /.
make Tom wash occasionally"
Sylvia's nostrils we're red again, her =
Eyes cast down over the coffee pot
The was putting away. AS Kit paused q
! long snore came from the hammock.
sylvia jumped and turned incredulously.
Another snore shook the soles that
oomed like two black clouds upon the 9
lortzon. He couldn't, Kit thought, have y
lined it better.
Why, Sylvia" she cried, don't look a,
o shattered Toms really very good
bout snoring, he only does it on his z
lackl"
Capably she approached the ham s
mock and spoke in Toms ear. Turn =
yer, darling" she said. Y,
With sigh, without waking, Tom :,
urned and the SHORES ceased. "See?" -
aid Kit proudly. But Sylvia had fled. &C
ut followed her into the main cabin, =,
Ihich had been left to the two girls -
y Lem and Ape, who had bunked in
he engine room. Sylvia was undressing vr
! silence that Kit tn1il ated. When az
1ey were in their opposite hunks and "
ne cabin was finally dark with no
Sund but the gentle tapping of waters M
the harbor outside, Sylvia spoke.
Look here" her voice Travelled over ay
Kit, what are you trying to do? -
nsel me on Tom? Because you can't,
1u know. It's gone beyond all that"
oh" said KIT after q pause. do
"a mind telling mellow far?"
Not far the way you mean" said
ylvia. There's been no lope-making.
oms not the sort to cheat, or break
, home nor am L So do you mind
st leaving us our dreams-aS long
were taking nothing eIse?"
1t was impossible for Kit to believe
Us could be an actual conservation.
s 1t my fault" She began in a trem-