Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-12-27

2Not tilat l III 81 yooliS dlly AlOIS
myself" Virgie humored her rheu-
matte twinges, "but haven't begun
to collect moss on the north side
of me-
Hello" she said, as she entered
the sick-room. How does life look
this morning? Any brighter"
Mr.. Wills turned on his engaging
and gallant grin.
Swell" he croaked in his husky
whisper.
"He ct all his breakfast" beamed
Ada Clark, land he's only got one
degree. 1 took it twice to see."
go on down and eat, Ada" Vir-
gle ordered. ''I'Il sit here a few
minutes"
Ada departed and young Wills fol-
lowed her starched back with an
inpish grimace. 1.-THE stars" he
said, "are propitious today. Virgo
just looked it up in the book"
TOO bad something propitious
doesn't happen to poor Ada. A wild
over with six children would be just
grand. Look here, I sent her out
because want to talk to you" Vir-
gle edged her rocker nearer the bed.
do you still think the pulp people
are the despoilers of the earth?"
do you have to keep rubbing it
in, all the time? I'm so low now
could walk out of this room without
opening the door. You've been so
fine to me, Mrs. Morgan, that I'm
keeping on living just to pay you
back. I might be lying over there
in the laurel now, like that poor pho
tographer."
"You got yourself out of the laur-
ell. I didn't. And didn't take you
in for pay. I'm a mountain woman.
What want to talk to you about is,
what comes next. What do you fig
ure you'll do when you get loose
from Ada and the zodiac?"
He wrinkled his forehead and his
dry lips Strengthened. "I'n go back
to Washington, probably. If I have
any job left there. I hope I won't
be a nuisance to you much longer
and have to pay, you know-this
nurse and the DOCTOR"
Il wish you'd hush up about pay
ing and let me say what I want to
say before Ada bounces back. You
say you may not have any job in
Washington. If you had job here
do you suppose you could stand it
or would it be too painful to you to
work for pulp people?"
He clutched the mattress, turning
on his shoulder, dull color burning in
his face.
"You mean-you'd give me a job
AFTER"
81 haven't said so, directly. I'm
just specializing. couldn't pay very
much and I'd work you hard.
work myself hard. There's no mer-
cy in me. I'm hard old woman,
but I'm fair. But-I'm going places
with my Midland I'd take the peo-
Pile along who work for me and
play fair with me. Don't make up
your mind suddenly-mine isn't
made up yet"
81 think that I'd rather work for
you than for anybody I've ever
met" he said, "but l might not be
much USE"
people who work for me have to
be of use." Virgie rose, briskly, and
gave her corset the usual disciple
nary jerk. well, good-by-I'd bet
ter get to work. You'll have a quiet
day. Lossie's got washing to do and
Marian is organizing the Little The
atre."
"Your child" said Mr.. Wills,
'fdoes not like me-"
"There are times" Virgie grinned
dryly, when she doesn't admire me
a whole lot, but maybe we'll grow
in grace"
She went downstairs and out to her
muddy old car. She was wonder
ing, as she drove toward the town if
she had been sentimental old fool.
Tom would say so-and so would
Marian. But Marian had had the
idea in the first place.
She said nothing to Tom about
young Branford Wills. Tom wanted
to carry on the pulp business with
double-bitted AK and a wheelbar-
row. He was rooted, hating change,
fearing it. She was exasperated
with him anyway.
Her transportation increased when
she found Bill Gallup waiting for
her. Lucy was tipping at furious
pace, as she always did whenever a
man sat in the chair beside Virgie's
desk.
Hello, Bill" she said, as she
spiked her limp hat and bumped
her brief-case down. "Are you back
again to try to talk me into throw.
ing away good old boiler that has
been footing our whistle for going
on thirty years."
mo" Bill punched out a ciga.
rette. 'I'd like to see that ancient
kettle 60 into scrap, of course, and
you've got to come to it sooner OF
later RI1f TIL uaif Wait fill a co,,