Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-01-17

he'd starve in some attic and not
killed him."
But after all it was John Henry
who solved Lucy's problem. He did
1t by dying, with a suddenneSs that
was heart-shaking to his wife. He ad-
mitted one morning that it was i'm
possible for him to get up. But he
did get up. throw on an old wrapper.
and sat moodily on an easy chair be-
side his bed, staring into space:
coffee Lucy urged him to drink.
Lucy" he said abruptly. you've
been a good wife"
AS she stared, speeches.. he went
on. Christmas is only a week away.
Have I ever. given you PRESENT."
mo, dear"
well, I'm going to this year. Mr.
Rankin, the custodian of the New
Modern gallery, knows about it. He'll
tell you-He-"
The empty cup fell from John
Henrys hand. His head dropped for
ward. Lucy caught his body as It
sagged in the chair, There was Moth
ing more she or anyone else could do
for John Henry, after that, except to
try to remember him without rancor.
Lucy told Mrs. Driscoll what had
happened. over the wire and in a
tone whose flat monotone testified to
shrieking nerves. There were three
in which Mrs. Driscoll assisted in
carrying out the inevitable routine.
while Lucy moved beside her like an
antomaton. doing her share but OBJ
viously in daze.
To Mrs. Driscon the surprising fea-
ture of the experience was the num-
Der of men who came to the Howard
apartment when the death OF John
Henry Howard was announced. They
did not seem to be mournerS. Lucy
apparently gave them little thought,
but she allowed them to follow the
impulse that had brought them there
"a desire to see John HenryS studio
and his work. Small groups OF them
entered the studio, arranged the pic
lures on easels, walls, and chairs, and
stood around commenting on them
to one another in very low voices a.,,o
had been the first to arrive, took
these visitors off Lucy's hands.
The only thing Mrs. Driscoll wildly
remembered Of those three days was
the unexpected charm of the flat.
that odd impression Of light and bril-
lance when John Henrys paintings
lined the studio, and a conversation
she had with Joseph Wallace. 1t was
had set up and arranged the pictures.
The New York newspapers gave
Katherine Driscoll her second big sur.
prise They chronicled the death OF
John Henry Howard as the passing OF
a great artist most of whose work
had been deliberately buried by the
artist himself. His plan, it seems, had
k,,1l Nf fn
! New Modern museum whose muras
he had painted; but it was impossible
to say as yet whether this purpose
had been carried out. The artist had
been erratic and strangely secretiVe,
and for a number of years had re-
fused to sell any Of his really i'm
portant work. The art world was
by Rankin. that there would be an
exhibition Of Towards pictures in the
New Modern gallery as soon as it
could be arranged after the holidays.
Lucy took this news, when Mrs.
Driscoll read 1t aloud to her, without
realizing what 1t meant. Mrs. Dris-
coils emotions were many. but sur
the night after Towards funeral
Joseph Wallace had prepared her for
"You know, Of course. that this man
was q genius. He was one Of the great.
est painters, and one Of the worst
cranks Of these modern times. H.
didn't know how to live. but by Jove
pictures Of his will live as long as
there are art lovers in the world"
Some OF this Mrs. Driscoll repeated
that night to John Henry's widow.
Lucy did not take 1t in.
Its an awful thing to have him
die Just at Christmas time" Lucy
interested In Christmas this year. He
even told me he was going to give me
. Christmas present. It was Just talk.
Of course. but It wasn't like him. He
had never noticed Christmas before
didn't know what he meant by
promising me Q present this year.
Come to think Of II. though he gave