Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-01-03
BY HELM TOPPING MILLER

others. But he kept his hand on nef
elbow and her spirits rose. The
three blocks home were too pitifully
short.
At the door she grew nervous
again, hated her stammering uncer-
tainty.
Won't you come in?" she fall
tered. Pm hungry, aren't you?
This air is so chilly"
Stanley Daniels hesitated briefly.
His ego had been given satisfy
ing lift at the meeting by Sally Gal
lup's fulsomeness. Even Marian
Morgan's lack of enthusiasm had
failed to dampen him. But eager lit
tie Lucy fed some gnawing bit of
uncertainty in his nature. He still
felt the need of approval and Lucy
was naively adoring. So he was
gracious about letting her urge him
into the house, and kind in ignoring
her confusion when they entered.
Mrs. Fields shoes and wooden
stockings were sitting in front of the
stove and Daniels busted himself
tactfully folding his overcoat, while
Lucy whisked them away. He did
not see Lucy snatch a glass con-
tanning an upper set of teeth from
the mantel, or turn cushion swift
ly because of the inevitable cat-hairs
clinging to it.
I'll make some chocolate" Lucy
was little GREATNESS. "This chair
is more comfortable, I'm sure"
"Can I help?" Daniels offered.
ooh, no, I couldn't think of it."
Lucy laughed quickly. "I'm old
fashioned, you see. belong to that
vanishing race of women who think
that men should be waited upon"
Never could she let him see the
inside of that dreadful old kitchen.
The old wood stove, the smoked ket-
tie and rusty pipe, the smoky little
two-burner kerosene contraption
they used in summer.
She Lit this affair now, to heat the
cocoa, carefully closing the door so
its smudgy smell would not pene-
trate the other room. The little
cups were pretty. She had bought
them hopefully, and kept them now
in her trunk, after having found one
on the back porch with medicine in
it, mixed for a sick hen. She had
crocheted the lacy edge Of the nap
kins and ironed them to a gloss.
Everything was delicate and
pleasing-even Marian Morgan her
self could not have arranged DAM
tier tray.
Then she lifted the lid of the cake
box and exclaimed in sudden dis
may, "Oh-mean! Oh, what shall
I do?"
Mrs. Fields had eaten all the lit
tie cakes.
Even before he was able to stand
alone without wavering, Branford
Wills knew that he was falling in
| love with Marian Morgan.
The realization troubled him. He
was under deep obligation to Virgie.
She had, he knew, saved his life by
taking him in, by the care he had
had when illness laid him low. To
repay that debt by falling in love
with Virgie's child, especially now
that Virgie was also to be his en-
ployer, seemed a left-handed and
Slightly dubious procedure - but
there was no help for it..
Marian's very aloofness, her odd,
prickly, half-sweet, haf-bitter with
drawing, the secret and judging
quality that lived in her dark eyes
and hid in her long lashes, made
her an enigma, challenging mys-
terry to dare any man with blood in
his veins. And Branford Wills was
young and fiercely proud and adj
venturous.
His pride was what bothered him.
AS he stood, erect finally and shaw
ing himself with a rather uncertain
hand before the mirror in his room,
he told himself grimly that no one,
least of all the girl herself, should
ever guess the state of his feelings
until he could look Virgie Morgan
calmly in the face, a man on his
own, worth what he was paid and
able to love woman without apol-
ogy or without humility.
So whenever Marian came near,
ne kept tne conversation on the brit
tie, hah-bantering, haf-contemptu-
GUS strain that modern youth as
sumes, choosing it for sophistica-
ton. hiding any current of feeling,
masking every emotion. And SO soon
as he could mount the stairs without
staggering, he rented a room in the
house Of Ada Clark's mother, and
prepared to move.
Il have to do this. You under
stand" he said to Virgie.
Yes" she said, 81 understand"
Il haven't anything to pack" he
said, 80 might a. well 60. have
to send some wires and locate my
belongings. I'll report for work On
Monday. And I'll earn whatever you
nay me-"