Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-01-23

She made him take a hot bath, she
dosed him with remedies he obediently
took, and she tucked him in. bed like
mother and saw to it that his
windows were open just enough and
no more.
That was the beginning of week
of nursing after which the doctor she
had called in from her hospital adj
mitted that she had saved her husband
from an attack of pneumonia.
Never talk to me of obligations
again." Radford said when he was able
to sit up. You wiped them all out, If
they ever existed. was rundown and
In for an awful SIEGE"
She denied this, but she knew she
had probably saved him long illness.
Left to himself, he would have gone
out into the March winds, added to
his germ cold, and have had at least
long and expensive illness. The
knowledge balanced their account and
gave her assurance. She ran their
apartment as if it we're partly hers.
She kept it immaculate, and she saved
Radford's money. Life became a
pleasant and businesslike routine.
They breakfasted together in their
sitting room, dined In the public din
ing room several times a week, dined
out together occasionally and separate
| ly the rest of the time, and saw little
, of each other except on these routine
| occasions.
In those early days Zita, who had
a sense of humor, often smiled to
herself. That week of illness had
brought them together in a very init
mate fashion, while her professional
manner saved them from self-con-
seriousness. He regarded her as an ex-
cellent trained nurse. and unques-
tionably accepted her services. But as
soon as he was up and busy again
he seemed to forget her existence
when she was not in his line Of vision.
There were even days when he was
plainly surprised, for an instant. when
he reached home, to find her there.
Later he began to adapt himself to
the comfort of her presence and to
the new pleasure of being waited on
by quiet and attractive woman.
| Both left together for the night
school Immediately after dinner, and
for their medical work soon after
breakfast. Their talk, at mealtimes,
was about his experiments and-to
much less degree-her work. She still
spent many weekends in the country
with her mother and Radford, though
he never admitted it. missed her
abominably when she was not there.
Occasionally during the long hot
summer and the following autumn, he
persuaded her and her mother to run
out of town with him for a weekend
| together. He increasingly liked Ma
dame Won Gumpert. She had Infinite
| tact, and she and Zita were the kind
of women a fellow was proud to take
around
He himself had no living relatives
! but his father and a married sister
living In the far west. He had never
especially yearned for family ties, but
he found himself enjoying those he
now had.
They insisted on paying their own
expenses when they went off with him
for weekends but he wished they
wouldn't.
"Why the devil don't you let me
pay these bills and forget about them."
he growled irritably. I've inherited
$4,000 a year from my mother, III
addition to my lab salary, and I've
never spent half my income. I don't
know how to-" he added honestly. And
they could see that.
Zita began to buy his shirts his
ties, his socks and handkerchiefs.
When she discovered that he liked to
have her do this she helped him to
select his business suits and new
outfit Of evening clothes. The old out
fit was shabby. but he had not real
lied it.
"You are going around to these sci
entific meetings and dinners" she told
him firmly. You must look like the
gentleman and celebrity you are. I
myself am only just beginning to real
lie how important you are"
His face turned violently red at the
compliment but he needed that sort
Of talk. He was too shy and self
conscious.