Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-17
A Wise Wife Knows
When to Rule and
When to Be Ruled.
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONr

A"o ThhIS-PART ONE
charlie Parker wakened to the third
DAY OF his vacation with the disraI
ehvlction that today was the day he
Vouid De driven TO suicide. The reasons
were prime and simple: This vacation
was TAKEN at doctors orders. il was
oeHe spent at home at doctors orders
and ne was forbidden golf. which was
ele only reason any sane man ever tool,
a vacation. WIN
And to make it pluperfect hell on
thls fine June morning. he wakened
with the distinct memory of the rous-
ing row he'd had with Louise last nigbt
over whether or not they could afford
new o-phonograph
He came down to breakfast on the
terrace at 10. and regarded the garden
WIN an upsurge of bile. He'd gardened
until II yesterday and then had thrown
the rake over the hedge and come in
and slept. Could he hold out till -
To-Day He gloomily attacked his break
last and listened to Louise upstairs.
she was cleaning out closets, he knew:
she always did when she was still mad
ana had to work off steam.
When he heard her come downstairs
and head toward him. he braced him
sell and looked up from the paper as
she came out onto the terrace She
was wearing an absurd apron and SPOT
less gloves, and she looked altogether
lovely, except for a family hostile pair
OF large and hard brown eyes. She said
good morning without smiling and mt
something on the table by Charlie
and sat down.
Charlie stopped eating and picked
up the object, black with a lot of
chromium.
What are you going to do with it?"
Louise asked, her voice business like.
1T looks like time bomb" Charlie
said with caution, holding it gingerly.
What is it?"
THE camera Aunt Bessie gave YOU
Tor Christmas. 1t was on the shelf in
my closet, Just where you put it
Christmas afternoon"
Charlie remembered. Wicked look
ing thing, isn't it?" he asked pleas
antly
What are you going to do with it?"
Louise repeated, a shade grimly
''Why-nothing. Why?"
May I have it?"
Charlie glanced up sharply. She
could be sly when she wanted to, and
Charlie studied her pretty face for
that Borgia expression and found it.
You're going in for record of all
our good fun are you?" he asked
cautiously.
Don't be poisonous. This Is where
you went to sleep last night, dear"
Louise said sweetly. I'm going to take
it down to the Camera Shop and sell |
it, and the moneys going into my own
private fund for a new monograph. |
I'm going to sell everything in this
house that isn't nailed down. told you |
last night, sweet remember?'
oh"
DO l get it?"
Charlie looked at it carefully and
hefted it. 1T feels expensive he said
evaSively.
IT'S very. Aunt Bessie said so. Now
what about it?'
'T don't know" Charlie said. I'VE
might want to use it. say for the son
and heir when he comes"
Louise smiled. Christmas morn
ing you took one look at it and said
you wouldn't use it if you were the
only witness to the Second Coming"
Il did?" Charlie said, surprised.
That was the eggnogS, l suppose"
Louise rose and came over and kissed .
him perfunCtorily and a little brlskly.
Just a word of warning, my sweet.
Either you use that camera or its
going to disappear-and soon"
When she was gone, Charlie looked
at the camera with mild curiosity. He
went upstairs and shaved and dressed
and when he came down again, the
camera was still on the table where the
maid had left it. Again he looked at it,
fondling the gadgets and not having
the remotest idea what any of them
meant. With the whole morning, two
whole weeks of whole mornings, ahead
Of him, it might be fun to take some
pictures. Only how did you use it? He
thought Immediately of Louise's men
lion of the Camera Shop, placed 1t
after some effort, then went out to
The car and headed downtown. 1t was
4 way to kill a morning, anyway.
He found the shop tucked in between
4 bookstore and an antique shop, Its
windows filled with lot of junk that
vas as pulling as it was intriguing.