Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-01-24

plant, some Of them sons Of men
who had laid the first bricks.
Repeatedly she had called them
into conferences, during the black
years Of the depression, laying the
facts before them, speaking their
language. She had made sacrifices
to keep the mill in operation when
there was no profit for her, no pos
sible way to show a profit. II the
mill closed there was no other en-
ployment for them-and yet here
was suspicion, sabotage and ugly
doubt that rested, till she had proof
and certain knowledge, upon every
man in the mill
Virgie hated the thought with the
frightened hate Of the innately kind
and candid woman. She hated look
ing at Jerry and Hobe and the Spain
boys, with speculation in her eyes.
She loathed the feeling that hostile
looks might be following her. Every
man in the mill owed something to
her-and yet people were funny!
She went home at night. lost in a
heavy, ruminative gloom.
She changed her clothes and went
down to her big chair that faced
David Morgan's picture and still had
the print of David Morgan's head
in the leather of the back. David
looked tired, too, she thought. Da-
vid was out of it all. He was lucky.
Marian sat, modify, in front Of
the fire staring into the blaze.
You" sighed Virgie, sinking into
the cushions with groan, "are a
cheerful sight for tired eyes! II
a merry laugh or song ever sound
ed in this room l suppose I'd drop
dead from shock. What were you
doing over at the jail?"
Il went over to bring Tom back.
He wouldn't come"
Being locked up on a criminal
charge, that is kind Of odd"
"You were going to arrange bail
for him. Lon Hicks said SO. But
Tom wouldn't come"
Il suppose you had to take young
Wills along in case you needed
somebody to carry Toms baggage
his other bandana! Did Wills men
ton that he's working for me? Not
that it matters, but now and then
we do run off batch Of pulp when
we can get little cooperation from
the gentlemen I employ"
Mother, don't be SO prickly! I
took Mr.. Wills over there because
Lossie said the people in town were
saying you had fired Tom and given
Wills Toms job. I thought perhaps
Tom might have heard it. I hope
you don't think I took him because
enjoyed his company"
Virgie looked at her daughter lev
ely. Her heart gave a little jerk.
Like every other mother she had
postponed stubbornly admitting to
herself her child's maturity; she had
put off the inevitable hour of change
when some man should desire her
child for his own. For days she
had been seeing through Branford
Wills clearly and she had not been
displeased. She liked his straight
forwardness, the trace of iron in
him, the strong and gentle way he
had with women. But there was no
seeing through Marian. Virgie ad-
mitted to herself that her child was
dark-eyed enigma to her mother.
And in her present state of mind,
nerve-taut and weary, puzzles were
irritating.
do you mean to tell me that
you don't know that that chap il in
love with your" she demanded.
Have I raised up a daughter with
no more feminine intuition than a.
ground turtle? Why-Lossie knows
more than that! Or am I supposed
to be just nice stupid old mother.
blind as a bat?"
Marian's eyes darkened and her
face changed queerly. There was 4
little convulsion Of her lips that was
a tremor Of pain, but Virgie was
too spent and too exasperated to see.
$50 that" Marian's voice crack
led like ice, els the cute little plot.
He's in love with me SO you give
him q job in the mill. It's q Rollo
book-the nice young man works his
way up from sweeping the store and
the mill owners daughter Is sup
posed to be all Of twitter because
she gets kind look. Unfortunately,
Mother dear, you've been reading
Dorothy Dix or seeing too many
movies. Mr.. Branford Wills happens
not to be in love with meas any
observer can see with half IN eye.
Either half. And I happen not to
be in love with him."
THAT" Virgie mumbled aloud,
when Marian had gone, els what
you could call a dramatic exit. Very
satisfying-to the actor"
CHAPTER K