Glacier County chief., 1940-12-13
@ o. ApPLtTON-CtNTURY co.
W.N.U. Service

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home was at the end of little street
farther on. A scrap of street that
ran headlong into the mountain and
stopped. They stood for a moment
and Lucy's wrists tingled. Would
he walk home with her? He never
had yet
Obviously he was not going on.
He tipped his hat, set it more firmly
on his head, said with smile, BET
ter hurry in out of this wind"
Lucy struggled with her disap-
pointment, walked home rapidly,
certain what she would find there.
A stuffy, too-warm room, Uttered
with threads and ships of cotton,
dull lamplight, smell of frying or
the blatant offense of cabbage.
But in her own bleak, frigid bed
room with the few dance programs
and wistful souvenirs pinned to the
window curtains, she let rebellion
tear at her. Life was so unfair. Up
there, high on the mountain where
lights winked briefly, was Marian
Morgan, who had everything, held it
all casually as though it were her
due!
Stanley Daniels scrubbed the yell
lowish stains from his fingers,
brushed his hair flat, buttoned his
coat, and went down to Mrs. ellis
dining-room. There was a caramel
fragrance, sharp and tangy. Her
pies had run over in the oven again.
"Mock cherry" she Dragged,
complacently, land if you can tell
the difference, you're the first!
Looks like winter was here, don't
it? And amt it awful about that
young Teller up at Morgans'?"
SIS he worse?" Daniels inquired,
indifferently.
Il amt heard if he is. But it's
terrible to think what might a hap
| pened to him out there in them
mountains. put you a place here,
Mr.. Daniels, because one of my
neighbors has decided to come in
and eat with us. This is Mr.. Wal
lace Withers, Mr.. Daniels. Mr.. Dan
iels works at the MILL
How do you do, Mr. Withers?"
Stanley Daniels regarded the strang-
er on his left, saw only a well-knit,
aging man with a weather-tinted
| face, narrow nostrils, and eyes that
revealed nothing.
Lived here long, Mr.. Withers?"
Daniels asked, again, after little
interval of gustatory silence.
Born here" Withers was terse.
Born in the house where I live
now. My father was born there"
"They built it of good heart tim
Der then. No wood like that avail
able any more, at any price," Dan
iels said.
1.-THE men that built it were heart
timber, too" Withers spooned sug-
ar. No scamp work on that build
ing, like you see nowadays. Say
you work for Virgie Morgan?"
''I'm a chemist over there-yes,
sir"
"Ain't rushed to death these days,
I reckon"
mot rushed particularly, but bust
ness holds up very well. Mrs. Nor
gan has managed to hold her mar
kets."
Making any money, you Think"
Stanley Daniels was young. Flat
tered little by the attention of this
old man, he let himself expand a
trife. The mill, in his opinion, was
holding its own, but not making the
profits that it should. Mrs. Morgan
was proud, but too conservative,
keeping to old traditions, making a
product too good and too expensive
for the bulk of her trade.
You're a pretty shrewd young
teller, see. Own any stock over
there?" asked Withers.
mo, sir-I don't think they are
selling any"
eff a forward-looking young chap
like you owned a piece of it-a
good voting block-it might be a
good thing, you think? Get new
blood in-catch up with these mod
ern notions"
81 think''-Daniels considered the
question soberly-"that it would be
good thing. Good for the mill
and for Mrs. Morgan herself"
well, young man, I enjoyed talk
ing to you. Not many young fellers
talk common sense any more. Know
where I live? Brick house out the
river road, toward the reservation.
Come out and talk to me some rainy
evening. I'm always figuring on one
thing or another-I like to talk to a
business man, especially young
one. We might get together on
something, maybe"
"Thank you. I'd be glad to come"
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