Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-06-20
copyrixht: 1871 By News Syndicate Co. Inc,
IN THREE PARTS-PART TWO


again come back to that of Flora Hark-
ness who, alone Of all the county Of
flcials, seemed incorruptible and the
one person Husk could not reach. II
was town legend that she had once,
at a chance meeting, made a personal
appeal; but that Husk had made her
angry by turning on the charm and
boldly Haunting his mask OF legitimacy.
1 was there when 1t happened, back
from an Ivy college and two years Of
New York journalism. I was bursting
with the drama Of the situation,
primed to go to town in the manner OF
the metropolitan press. But my father
cooled me off, gave me my first lesson
In town newspaper practice. You
would only glorify Husk and make 1t
tougher on Flora. Besides, we don't
have to go into the background for
our people-they know it. Just write
the simple facts. I've an idea they'll
be dramatic enough"
Husks ego had betrayed him He
had talked too much to man he
thought was big-time sports writer
but what was a state investigator. He
was nailed. His local protectors fled
in horror of involvement and he was
left to stand, pretty much alone.
Flora was now handsome woman
Of IS. She heard the case in impassive
quiet, realizing that the eyes of the
town were upon her, the keen. all
knowing eyes, ready to detect the
slightest sign OF mercy, of compassion,
of affection. for this man who might
have been her husband; for the town
suspected, in its peculiar way, that 1t
was because Of Husk Horton that Flora
had never married.
1t was not until he stood for SEN
tence that they looked into each others
eyes. This was the time, If ever, when
the Judge might give way to the
woman.
She said to Husk, in low voice that
could not quite control its intensity:
This community has given you its
best. It found you in its lowest level,
lifted you. gave you an opportunity TO
exercise your talents for good. 1t
cheered you. worshipped you-even
loved you. And what have you given
it in return? You have betrayed its
trust, corrupted its law, and worst of
all, you have violated its youth. You
have failed as citizen. You have
failed as a man. You have failed as
a human being. 1t is my duty" she
hesitated. and 1t seemed that she
wanted to say it was also her pleasure
Ito sentence you to five years az
hard labor in the state penitentiary."
She had given him the maximum.
The crowd in the courtroom broke
its hush with cheer. Her eyes re-
NAMED with Husk Horton.
Husk must have been expecting II.
He smiled an odd smile at Flora,
shrugged little. seemed to NOD a
little.
The sentence stood appeal. Husk
went to jail.
1t was almost two years later when
Chuck Jigginhom, who had Just grad
mated from high school, stood at the
bar OF Flora Hardness, the woman VINO
Ia, rnQfQe
Itself was trivial. Chuck, working on
a WPA Job, had been unloading car
Of waste material He had come across
big bundle which, when opened:
proved to contain several new suns OF
clothes. He generously distrlDuteo the
clothes among his friends. his Gianh
vas that he had not stolen this clotn,
ing had merely found it, had assumed
it had been discarded and that there
was no harm in distributing 1t among
needy friends.
Chuck was wrong, OF course. he
should have turned the clothns N.
Actually it had been faulty ioadlng oy
the railroad company, which was re-
sponsible 1t had been easily traceu W
ne backs of Chuck and other young
men about town who had not only
bra shly worn the suits but boasteo
about how they had been acquired.
The thing itself might have peeh
laughed off as youthful prdlh-eA
cent that there had been TOO many
such pranks by Chuck and ms Irie .ho;,
too much of disposition on tneit
narts to make their own Interpretation
If the law. Again the railroad company
Wanted its pound of flesh; and since
;ts laWyer pointed out that TINS was
not the first time Charles Jlgglnhonl
had robbed a railroad car, tneIe
seemed no verdict other IMAM eu4V!'
Another factor damaged Chuck *
chances-the obvious parallel OF niS
life with that of Husk Horton. ine!
came from the same section: hao W.
same general background. the same
vital charm. the same careless attltuoe
toward other peoples rights and prop,
erty. Chuck had also been hlgh school
hero. and as SUCH natural pIotese
of Husk's, a habirue OF the eaaiutn; ny3
establishment and, the prosecution
charged, had even been employed tnere
in illicit occupation, although they
had not been able to prove TINS.
And the parallel had continued IN
another line. Flora Hardness herSeH,
AS a Girl, had tried to do some1hlng
to straighten Husk Horton out, nay
seen the futility of 1t. ana apanaoIisso o
the effort. Now, Evelyn Charlerol VINO
had tried to do the same thing. for
Chuck Jigginhom was either not as
smart as Flora-or more stubborn.
Theirs had been high school 70 o.
nance; and. in fairness to ChucS;, ne
had been loyal to Evelyn. 81 itselI. IL
might have been pretty little story
early and remained that waydexs Tbs
girls parents. staunch and sober
people, had long tried to break IT up;
hot because they particularly dislik ksa
Chuck, but because they feared tne
Wayward streak in his nature; They
agreed with the many who Though ss4{er
that Chuck was marked for disaster
that he had been saved from 1t once;
that the warning had not benefited
him. that he was bound to WING up
eventually in jail with his model Husk
Horton.
When Chuck came up for TIA,
there was a solid section OF opmi1na
that the Husk Horton mistake should
not be repeated; that Judge HARNESS
might as well send Chuck up nov, ana
thereby save the town, and certainly
fov lot NJ trouble.