The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-29
BRAND THINKS CHAPTER K
. EDMUND EANCOTT

BRAND THINKS
 CHAPTER K
 Myra returned to the Kitchen where she had been diStracting Reano with freshly baked n,ince pies for which she had discovered he had a weakness and & grea, capacity,
 Funny" she said, People phon- ing from Montreal all this way for nothing,"
 yeah" replied Heano with a pie in each hand,
 There's & cup of coffee on the stove to wash 1t down." said Myra,
 "A guy gets hungry up in this snow" said Reano,
 Lots of ice here later on, said Myra,
 "I'l bet" said Beano,
 Cold stuff, ice" said Myra,
 "Yeah,"
 Funny how you read about bot ice"
 "Yeah, in books"
 "S0re, in books" echoed Myra, You read boo&Sss
 Not with hot ice in 'ems Then Reano laughed at what he thought was his own private joke, He did not realize Myra was sharing t.
 Funny how wrong calls come through, That was from a man called Ridley, Ever hear of himp"
 BsAno shook his head, It oh- viously didn't register,
 said he was from the National Insurance Company"
 Beano dropped the mince pie straight in his coffee. then picked it out as 1t disintegrated in his fingers.
 What was that" he asked hoarsely.
 National Insurance Company. That's the limit, trying to sell in- surance on Christmas Eve"
 selling insurance, You sure of thats"
 Maybe he wanted to buy some ice" She said it casually. pre- tending not to look at Beano. but she ~ from the corners of her ayes that his face took on an expression of defiated balloon
 You said ice. Did he say that?"
 Sure, he didn't. was kidding. Let's join the others" She left him, but Beano stayed. She was sure now. and she was also sure sh held more strings of the de- seloping climax than even Benny 1r Beano.
 Beano stayed behind in the <itchen, suddenly smitten with a sense of great tragedy. Here he xas at the peak of his life, with wealth and, what is more, the , love of good woman and he could feel the pursuit at his heels. He was torn with anguish. Just es he was about to go straight for the rest of his life with the most beautiful girl in the world as his own, he was about to be trapped.
 Beano McCluskey had to get rid of that ice quickly. After all, If he didn't have it they couldn't pin anything on him. So Beano -reasoned. and he figured that if Leona had half of it she might hs well have the other half.
 He could leave it in her room when nobody was looking in some of the fancy paper they were wrapping the kids presents Sn. a little something from you kaow who and don't let anyone k1cw you've got it. it's hot.
 On second thought it would be better not to let her know it was hot.
 At that moment Benny slipped into the kitchen with a swift look behind him to see no one else was following.
 "Eiya Beano. studying house. keeping?"
 Just looking around"
 Around what?"
 Around the kitchen" said Beano. Mice kitchen" f Yeah, clean. Nice mince pies, have one?" No thanks. Benny"
 Don't thank me. What are kx-tSEg E4u~nuli. cNuSaBC AOaAS' shat do you think of that? Nice Goo. have one?"
 "No thanks. Benny"
 Don't thank me, pass me that plate of cookies, have one. io?" No thanks. Benny"
 NO thanks. Someone been teaching you manners? Wouldn't be Leona, would it?"
 '~Themis natural"
 T see you been teaching her a lev things"
 Gee. she learns quick" There was a touch of reverence in Beano's voice. Them kind do. What you teaching herf"
 same as I'm learning, anat- pmyn
 -ashe's got enough already. You wouldn't be teaching her anything rise. would youS Nothing to do with ice?" .Ice9" said Beano trying to IhInk quickly but without much 'sxeah, icefs ~psdn't you say you didn't want 1 nothing 10 do wid dat ice7" se \ snia & zlAS xd kina e Ist24 l4l44 1a.71s.