Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-06-13
Case Dismissed ~ Es"s;.v1s'ss*

youthful adenoids. stood with his
mouth open. The mayor frequently wet
his lips. The judge listened with in
creasing fascination.
When Flora finished, she stared de-
fiantly at the group. then sat down,
overcome by the ebb of emotion. There
was spontaneous cheer from the
crowd. The judge and the railroad at
to-pey whispered together. Then the
lawyer came to Flora, smiled patted
her shoulder and walked back. She
waited, bright-eyed and nervous. until
the judge said that the case was dis
missed.
The boys ran to her. She dropped her
head and sobbed. Husk Horton. "a
years Of age, 1876 pounds Of herman
started to blubber Ike the other boys
then threatened to punch the rail-
road detective who had laughed. He
went to Flora, tried to thank her. Be-
fore all Of those people, she gave him
such dressing down as few men have
ever had TO take from q woman in
public.
Husk took it.
The details of all this, Of course, are
wel-remembered 1t would be a red
letter day in the saga OF any town.
was II, and helping father cover the
story, and / believe I fell in love with
Flora Hardness then. as every other
male in the town must have done The
Flora Of that night shines in my men,
DRY now. An athletic girl, with black
eyes and deep black hair, with white
face and white teeth and red lipS-a
Joan of Arc in light gray dress that
gllstened then, and still does, like sill
yer armor.
The judge told father that this girl
had missed her calling-that she
should have been a lawyer. That sort
of remark always spreads. A town is
impartial. 1t can glorify-as well as
cruelty.
The effect on Husk Horton was
amazing. He disappeared from the
streets, forsook the heros role and went
to work. He bought a secondhand car
and even began to show up at church
serviceS-at Flora's church. She was
kind to him.
Flora Hardness was now approaching
the full glory of woman with a
healthy body and a fine mind. She
danced and swan and played golf. She
could possess herself, and often did,
of the most eligible men.
Yet the town suspected, In its Gu
riouS way, that she still leaned toward
the prodigal. She walked home with
him from church services, whenever he
came, but always in broad daylight.
Sometimes. on Sunday afternoon, she
rode with him in his car-but not even
the Bingham Sisters ever dared to infer
that there was anything not just right
about that.
1t was agreed that Flora was the
only person who had been able to dc
anything with Husk Horton. She could
make him jump through hoops by
twisting her little finger. There were
some who thought it her Christian
duty to take Husk in hand and save
him for decent society. Others pointed
to the danger in marrying a man to
reform him.
/ The Bingham Sisters. were of the
| to church to pull the wool over Flora S
eyes, that once he got her he would
show his true colors again, that people
didn't really change underneath, that
she would be letting herself in for life
of hells fire on earth if she paid any
attention to that one, that even an
angel could not reform a devil-and a
devil he was. They said she should take
the judges advice and study law, and
give her life to humanity, instead of
TO one rough sample of it.
That summer Hrsk got in trouble
with girl. In fairness to him, even
the Bingham Sisters admitted it must
have happened before he had turned
over the new leaf.
Flora was away at summer school.
When she returned there was full
house at church 10 see what her attl-
tude would be. Husk was there, SOM
Der, penitent hulk. He waited after
service with a hanging lip and fright
ened eyes. Flora greeted him casually
and his face lit up like a soul re-
deemed. They walked home together.
They rode that afternoon in his car.
But it was the end OF the evanescent
romance. Flora gave up her school and
returned to college to study law. HuSk
married the girl.
If the two natures of man were sew
cred from each other, suddenly freed
in the winds, their courses would radio
ally diverge from each other in an
Overwhelming, sweeping rush from re-
Straint. So, now, after the Snlplng Of
their subtle tether. did the life curves
OF Flora and Husk.
She returned from college to prac-
tice law; to become city solicitor,
county prosecutor, then our first
woman judge. My father constantly
enhanced her statewide fame and po-
litical future by emphasizing the "Po-
lice Portia" characterization.
After Husk'S marriage there had
been many girls and 4 quick divorce.
He left his job in the mines and went
into bootlegging, with the best Glen