Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-02-28

At De laboratory door, Lucy
turned On Daniels . Hvid face.
How can you DO . thing Ike this
TO herf"
He flushed angrily. ''What chance
did I have? I could have explained
but she wouldn't have listened.
You heard her give me- the third d.
gree-telephoning Mrs.. Gill"
"You could have explained whatf
What was there 10 explainf"
II could have explained Why With
ers was there. He-framed me. He
would have ruined me. He led me
on to talk-he got information out
Of me-formulas-"
"You told him what to put In Q
digester to fuin q batch Of pulpl"
Lucy was all white scorn. you
were just talking-to be interesting
because he made you think you
were important. And then when b
tok the information he got from
you-and hired those low-down Spain
boys to do the work, probably"
How do you know?"
Il don't know. Butt adds up,
doesn't it? And then he threatened
you'll think you're cheapi" she
blazed at him. II think you're
yellow! And-I was in love with
you! I-suffered because you didn't
care! It-makes me sick now when
I think about it,"
He flung the door back. The nat,
acrid chemical smell rushed at
them. This had been his world
the place where he had ruled men
and processes. by the power Of his
moving thumbs over . test-tube. BY
the might of figures written on ruled
sheets. by his word. For years he
had been supreme, . person Of i'm
portance, knowing things other men
did not know. But now he was only
a lost young man stumbling into .
reeking cubicle-a young man out Of
work.
Hadn't you better get At that In
ventory?" he said, fatty, racking up
test-tubes. I'm leaving town. I
don't intend sticking around here
forever"
But Lucy did not stir. She stood,
with the nat book under her arm,
her eyes purple-black and thunder
Gus.
you're not goingi" she slashed.
You're not going through with this.
You're going to stick here-and be-
something's mani"
"Sorry-I'm going"
She held the latch Of the door. She
was vibrant all over, like q small
gray hornet.
you're not going! There's the
mill! I-despise you! When ! think
what fool I've been-crying-over
you'll never want to see you again.
But-there's the mill. It has to 60
on. It has to 20 on. And we
can't run without sulphides and
magnesium and the right formulas.
You're not going-because I'm 60
ing to lock you in!"
Daniels jumped too late.
She had swung with the heavy
door, crashed it shut, and he heard
the heavy paddock he had himself
put on, clack fast on the outside.
You're not going, Stanley DAN
iels," she shrilled ut him through
the panels. "You can sit in there
and make up your mind to thati
You can make up your mind to-be
4 man! You're going to stay in there
till get good and ready to let
you out!"
He dragged at the door, beat UNI
availingly on the heavy panels. He
swore at her.
"You crazy little fool!" he shout
ed. "You crazy devil!"
But she was gone. He kicked the
panels in wrath, but the effort was
wasted and he knew it.
Heavily he sank on the greasy
stool, watched an upset bottle Of
acid trickle slowly to the floor.
Who would have thought that quiz
ct, mousy little thing had 20 much
fire in her? His anger relaxed q lit
tie. He had been sick, shaken and
miserable with q mixture Of shame
and dread all night. Toward dawn
he had decided that the only thing
to do was to leave town.
But now his neck stiffened little.
his jaw set. So-she thought he was
yellow, did she-the spunlIy little
devil? He'd show her-he went to
the door and gave it 4 resounding
kick.