Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-09-22


to get away. I wanted to bring my
dissertation around"
as it done?" she cried.
II don't know" he answered in
the same cross way. II was up to
my ears in it when that old pest
found me. I'll be over as soon as
I can. Goodby."
He hung up.
Zorie looked at the receiver in her
hand, and her eyes were quite dry.
She was seeing things, once more,
in a clear perspective. Paul was
not cross because of her but be-
cause of his NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Oliver Hazard Perry Duncan, re-
tired, who had, Paul had often men,
toned, the most maddening way Of
dropping in without warning on his
twelve scattered grandchildren and
upsetting their lives with his i'm
possible demands. He was a patri-
arch of the old school, tyrant. He
was one of the richest sugar plant
ers in Hawaii and when one of his
grandchildren opposed him, he
"oaio illohC Nd6uC "
drawing up new will and leaving
his millions to charity.
Zorie understood all this, yet, she
reasoned, Paul should not have TAX
en- it out on her. Paul was often
inconsiderate.
Just then the doorbel rang.
A tall, lanky youth with worried
brown eyes was at the door. Zorie
concealed her disappointment, and
laughed anyway. For here was
man whose disposition needed
smoothing. He was Jimmy Hoff-
brewer, junior majoring in econ,
and she knew that he was making
pretty bad weather of several
courses.
Come in, Jimmy"
"You know a lot about econ"
Jimmy said anxiously. eff you see
anything wrong, just sort of fix it,
will you, as you go along?"
eyes, Jimmy"
"Could I have it in the morning
first thing?"
Eyes. Drop by and pick it up"
He was as grateful as a puppy
the nice, not the Toby, kind Of
puppy.
AS she typed Jimmy Hoffbrower's
term paper, swiftly and accurately,
making corrections of all sorts as
she went along, her mind was busy
with matters pertaining to herself.
1t never occurred to Zorie that she
had rather remarkable mind; that
it might be considered something of
a feat to correct and type fawlessly
a sentence that had contained one
misSpelled word, two mistakes in
punctuation and a grave error in
reasoning while she was wondering
what she would say to Mrs. Fol-
some tomorrow.
Now and then through her mind
like bright arrows went thoughts of
the strange mysterious man to
whom she had babbled in the rain,
his magical appearance beside her,
as if he were an ultra-modern Alad-
din, when she had rubbed-what?
The telephone pole? And she again
wondered why he had pulled her
behind the pole when the green Sc
dan had come along.
Aunt Hannah, signing with weari-
ness from the walk from her back
yard garage to the living-room,
came in at about ten-thirty, paused
in the alcove doorway and said in
differently, "Oh, so you're working.
Did you feed Toby?"
Eyes, darling, some of that pink
stuff he loves So" Zorie answered,
meanwhile catching that familiar Of
fender, "seperate," as it went by,
and wondering if the mysterious
man in the rain was really
psychologist and, if so, or if not, if
he had told Mrs. McGonigle, and if
Mrs. McGonigle had already told
Mrs. Folsome, and what Paul would
say about it when he heard.
Aunt Hannah, signing, went up
stairs and to bed.
One detail of Zories problem was
cleared up few minutes later when
the phone rang. Mrs. Folsome's
saccharine voice said, Il just called,
dear, to make sure you'd delivered
all the invitations"
Caught unprepared, Zorie's agile
young brain tried frantically to con-
coct a lie that would cover every
thing.
For one mad moment she. was
tempted to say, Yes, dear Mrs.
Folsome, they were all delivered to
the trash basket on your corner"
She said feebly, Yes, Mrs. Fol-
some" That was all. Period.
THAT'S just splendid, dear! hope
you didn't get your feet wet"
"Oh, no."
That's just splendid! Good night,
dear!"
Good night" Zorie said thicklv.
She hung up the receiver and fell
back in the chair.
She jumped up and began to walk
up and down the crowded little liy-
ing-room, trying to calm herself. She
needed, for the state she was in.