Glacier County chief., 1938-05-06

busy to bother with making broth or
junket. She was busy with the planning
of the farm busy with planting an
imaginary garden. and laying out the
"A white house" she'd say ecstatic-
ally, with green blinds. And a fanlight
over the front door, and lane of elm
trees leading up to it. And, by the liv-
ing room window, lilac bush. must
have a lilac bush"
Robert told her laughing gently, but
with the dawn of something beautiful
in his eyes: Wait a minute-Wait a
minute! Country places don't come
made to order that way. Well probably
get miserable shack without lights or
plumbing-and we'll have to work like
dogs to revamp it,"
Madge pouted. You're not we'll
enough to work like a dog" she'd say.
'is he, Miss Simpkin?'
still, by the doctors orders, in attend
ance, would say:
Not now, Mrs. Hallam. But he will
bel"
Madge would reach over to pat Miss
Simpkin's crisp linen sleeve, at this
point. You must spend your next va
cation with us. on our farm" she d
say. I'm going TO have, perfectly
lovely guest ROOM done in gray and
canary yellow"
Perhaps Miss Simpkin, who was sal
low, knew how she'd look in a gray
and canary yellow room. Maybe that
was why she snapped: You're awfully
kind, Mrs. Hallam."
At the end of the third week Miss
Simpkin left, and had SUPPER
celebration supper-with Madge and
Robert. We had festive table set up
by Roberts bed and Madge, who was
clever with water colors. had made
place cards with cows and chickens on
them. We had ice cream in forms, too
ice cream shaped like miniature ears
We're going rural" Madge told me;
we're pretending that we grew all the
vegetables we ate tonight. We will grow
them soon!"
I don't know why 1 asked. How
soon?" 1t just popped out. ,
Madge played with her gay little
dinner card Unfortunately she said.
I'VE took a five-year lease on this
apartment when we moved in. 1t was
a depression leaSe-We got awfully good
terms. There's two-and-a-half years to
run, but" she glanced at Robert.
leaning back against his pillows as ii
he were suddenly very tired, but I'm
sure we can sub-lease it. The place is
a gen., with every modern conven-
ience-"
Robert said haltingly: You'll miss
your modern conveniences, I'm afraid:
honey, when you're off in the country.
Madge laughed on high note. Her
voice was lifting, again-and 1t hadn't
lifted since the evening OF Roberts
collapse.
"Oh, dear me, no." she said-and
her very words had brief, incan-
descent radiance, I'm as primitive as
can be, really. You'll see"
She looked rs primitive as a Vien-
nese waltz in her turquoise house
gown, with its angel sleeves, and her
silver high-heeled sandals.
It was five weeks, to the day, since
the beginning of Roberts illness. He
was up in chair, now, for meals-and
he could walk around the block If he
did 1t slowly.
He was still pale and wobbly but
there was tranquility about him. and
I thought that he looked younger than
his 40 years-despite the obvious marks
of his illness. I told him SO. jokingly.
You're positively boyish, Robert" I
said. its not decent!"
Madge was out OF the room. Robert
lowered his voice before he answered
me.
"Its because" he said. I'm beginning
to feel free, for the first time in my
life I'm beginning to feel like a bird
that's been In fowlers net A bird
this Is q silly comparison-thats been
beating with its wings and feels the
mesh giving way. Not that I'm a bird,
you nearly had wings" said GRIM
". And don't you forget 1t. my ladi"