Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-05-30

L. l. Westlake has also gone to con-
siderable length in a similar project.
Minnie he explained, ''is that it is
the truth and you love the truth, Two
and two always make four. That ap-
peals to a logical mind like yours
Minnie came and leaned on his desk
with her elbows. She was tall and very
thin with a mop of thick black hair,
very bright brown eyes and numerous
freckles. If there were promise Of
beauty it was still in the promise stage.
Not always, Mr.. Hertzmeyer," Min
ME said, breathing gustily and gazing
at him with big dreamy eyes
Not always what, Minnie?" he asked
kindly.
TWO and two don't always make
four!"
Now, Minnie, that's a foolish thing
to say"
We'll. now, look, Mr. Hertzmeyer,
here's four little old worn out pieces OF
chalk-two pieces and two other pieces
and YOU might say they make four
pieces of chalk. But here's two new
pieces and two other new pieces and
they make four pieces. But these four
little pieces don't really amount to
more than one piece. So when you
say two pieces of chalk and two pieces
of chalk make four pieces it's not al
ways so. Anyhow, its not the same so,
so it's not true"
Mr.. HertZmeyer felt a little dizzy.
There was a man named Elnstein-!
II am sure, Minnie" he said gently,
that two and two make four for all
our purposes and you needn't go into
the field of RELATIVELY"
Anyhow" Minnie told him soberly,
there's a reason why I'm SO good in
arithmetic. It's on account OF my
father"
But, Minnie, I thought your father
died four years ago.
YES, but he helped me in the first
place. inherit my mind from him. He
was wonderful with figures. He was
mathematics prodigal.'
DO you mean prodigy?,",
well, whatever you call it. He was
one Of those guys that can stand and
watch freight train go by and add all
the numbers in his head and tell you
as the last car passed what the sum
was. And you could check him and he
was right. He was lightning calcu-
lator."
"A lightning calculator is machine,
Minnie" Mr. Hertzmeyer informed her.
But he was impressed and later in con-
versation with Miss WEIGH he spoke OF
MinnieS father Miss WEIGH just snort
ed. 'Minnie's father was printer and
not a very good one" she told him. Il
never heard Of anything like that. His
wife always said he couldn't count
change"
Mr.. HertZmeyer admitted to himself
that he had come off second best in his
first encounter with Minnie. He would
have to be more wary.
A few days later Minnie appeared
in school wearing a heavy gold watch
chain with an old-fashioned bangle
watch hanging attached to it. MI.
Hertzmeyer called Minnie to his desk
and she flounced up looking very
pleased with herself.
That's a beautiful watch, Minnie
he said. May I ask where you got lt?'
Il found it on the sidewalk" Minnie
told him. Mr.. Hertzmeyer held out his
hand.
You'd better give it to me- he said,
land I will turn it over to Miss WEIGH
and we'll try to find out who lost it."
Minnie turned the watch over ami
ably. At recess time Mr.. Hertzmeyer
took the watch to Miss WEIGH, who
looked at it curiously and put it in her
strong box.
1T has an L. on it, she said. "Wher-
ever did the child get it? Perhaps her
mother will know"
But Minnie's mother didn't know
when she came to school in response TO
Miss Welch'S note. She was thin and
worried little woman who clerked in
the dry goods store to make living
for herself and Minnie. She came from
one of the best old families in the
county but she and Minnie led pre-
cariouS life now that she was a widow
and her own family had dwindled
away. So Miss WEIGH asked Mr. Hertz
meyer to step around to her office and
bring Minnie. They came and all sat
down and Miss WEIGH said, Minnie,
just where did you find this watch?"
Il lied to you'll" Minnie cried. I'm
so ashamed! But I will tell you the
truth now. stole the watch!"
Minnie's mother gave little scream
and all but tainted. Mr.. Hertzmeyer's
heart began to beat very hard. And
Minnie wept.
Miss WEIGH spoke gently but firmly,
Tell us about it, Minnie"
II went to Stone City with the
Johnsons last Saturday and while Mr..
and Mrs. johnson were shopping US
kids walked around the square and we
went into the Acme jewelry store and
there was a work bench there and this
watch was hanging on hook. And it
was SO beautiful. And I thought
might have inherited watch like that.
I might have! And Just put my hand
out and took the watch and put it in
my pocket"
There was a painful silence Mr..
Hertmeyer felt dreadful
Please, please don't have her ar