Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-02-28
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poss-and argue with tham." VII.
&c said patiently. "Payns and
Hooper and Withers. Ct IL, are eet-
ting IN some fancy underground
How can you go-with Toms
trial starting Aooday?"
young Daniels win have to Co."
Virgie sat erect again. Al least
here was something that could be
done. Something definite and On the
offensive. go get him. Lucy"
While Lucy was gone across the
yard, Virgie thumbed the mail over
swiftly. scarcely seeing the type
that her eye ran over. On Monday
Tom would 90 on trial before . jury.
And any sentence viii kin him
% II would be kinder to hang him
and be done with IT," she had an
swered that.
What troubled her most was her
own inenectiveness. She had been
hercely boastful, she had defed the
world, n the Irish are 10 prone to
do; she had talked widely and mag
nidcently about saving Tom-of saw
ing the mill and being undismayed
by Wallace Withers, and now every
recurring blow left her more help
less, more inarticulate, futile. pa
thetic.
1t was a sickening spectacle for q
proud woman to contemplate. II
was worse for an honest woman who
could not bring herself to stoop to
alibis. Up to now, she had been
able to do nothing to stem this tide
Of disaster. Somehow. Of course,
Payne and Hooper and Wallace
Withers were behind this newest Ca
tastrophe. She gave Wallace credit
he was overlooking nothing.
Lucy came back, followed by
Stanley Daniels.
Virgie regarded her chemist, her
mouth drawn severely straight.
For . working man." she said,
you're very elegant, this morn
ing!"
Daniels wore his good clothes. 4
clean shirt, a jaunty tie. He was q
tribe pale, but he faced her coolly.
"1'm sorry. Mrs. Morgan" he
said. "But-I'm not working today.
I was checking over the laboratory.
I am resigning my position with
you-today!"
Virgie let the old octaRonal clock
tick Oh a measured minute, while
she looked him up and down. Lucy
stood like q statue, white as death,
motionless, hardly breathing.
"So-they got you, too, did they?"
Virgie said, presently.
Daniels flushed, then the blood
drained out Of his face.
'My-decision has not been infiu.
enced by anyone" he said, stiffly.
II have felt-for some time-that I
did not have your confidence, Mrs.
Morgan. Chemistry is a response
bility-a serious responsibility. l.
feel that I don't wish to assume that
responsibility any longer in a plant
where I'm not-trusted."
"Who distrusts you?" virgie coun-
tered. her eyes as frigid rs his.
He was manifestly uncomfortable.
Lucy drew little strangling breath,
her hands at her throat.
"You - were very plainly slts-
picious Of me, Mrs. Morgan-when
we lost that pulp. And your atti-
tude yesterday-and before that"
How much" virgie cut in, did
Wallace Withers pay you to make
that speech?"
Daniels glared, affrontedly.
Il have not been paid-certainly
not by Mr.. Withers!"
Virgie reached for the telephone.
"Call Julia Gill for me, Mildred"
she said into it evenly. Julia?
This is Virgie Morgan. Was Wallace
Withers in town last night? Oh, he
came there to see Mr.. Daniels, did
he? Much obliged. No-that's all"
She hung up.
Stanley Daniels eyes were blaz-
ing.
"I-think have a right tony
own affairs" he said, "on my own
time-without being spied on-or
catechized!"
"All the right in the world" Viz
gie's tone was wooden. 1.-THE right
to cheat and do sabotage-and de-
stroy the people who have depended
on you! The right to disappoint peo-
pie who look for something decent
and square in this younger genera
ton"
II haven't cheated! didn't touch
that pulp-oh, what's the use? You
wouldn't believe me anyway"