Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-09-29

- NoaSSo AlAlloCl1. WY RI
Paul has been telling me about you.
I know it's very late, but this is a
very urgent matter. May I step in
for just moment-hm?"
"Of course" Zorie said helplessly.
He looked quickly about the room,
unerringly selected the most COM
Portable chair and seated himself,
with his stick across his knees.
Paul says you're the cleverest
girl he has ever known; that you've
worked on books of all sorts with
professors, that you've a wonderful
talent for literary collaboration, and
that you're just the girl to work with
me on my neutrality-suspicious."
Zorie's mouth was dry. "But I
:. ;" she began.
Don't be modest, my dear" he
checked her. Paul says you do
the real finishing work"
1T will be a nice job, with easy
hours" Admiral Duncan was say
ing, land I'll pay you whatever you
think it's worth. We won't haggle
over price-hm?"
She realized that Paul had sold her
down the river, to spare himself.
"But, Admiral Duncan"
"a publisher is very much inter-
ested in the book" he went on heed
lessly. "He wants it as soon as I
can get it done. know we'll get
along beautifully. my dear. And
there's no time to waste. Well
catch the "Samoa"-sailing tomor-
row rather, this afternoon at
five-and I've already wired for a
stateroom for you hm?"
Zorie sat stiffiy in her chair, with
her eyes haggard and almost blind
ed by exhaustion, her back aching,
her brain spinning, while Admiral
Duncan's words beat against her
like surf.
Il think we can just make the
plane comfortably-hm?"
He was going to the phone. He
was talking into it. He was saying,
II want one more seat on Flight
Seven to San Francisco-hm? This
is Admiral Oliver Hazard Perry
Duncan. Government business
Inn? I demand priority. What's that?
I see. Fine! Splendid! Excellent"
He dropped the receiver into the
hook. He was rubbing his hands.
There's plenty of space on that
plane. It's the milk plane. 1t stops
everywhere and it isn't a sleeper,
but it gets us to San Francisco with
an hour to spare. You won't mind
sitting up. We can discuss the book
-hm?"
She understood now why his
twelve grandchildren were in such
dread of him. Much as she wanted
to get away from Elleryton, much
as she would love to go to Hawaii,
| she did'not want to go at the cost Of
having to work with this old tyrant
on his memoirs.
Zorie would never know how he
| accomplished it. But the next thing
she knew, she was in her room
| packing and he was lounging in the
doorway, wearing a whimsical, SELF
satisfied smile and telling her what
interesting work it would be, and
what gallant girl she was for COM
| ing W lllC c1lO VI oil ol4 Will q
great story to leave to posterity-a
story of which the world might be
robbed if it were not put down on
paper at once, my dear, because he
was old-he was eighty-six-and he
might not last much longer =. hm?
She wanted to laugh at that. With
his energy, which was that of a
steamroller on a downhill grade, he
would doubtless celebrate his one
hundred and fiftieth birthday.
She packed her two Sutcases and
small hand trunk. The doorbell
rang Over Admiral Duncan's voice,
she heard Paul's.
They went downstairs. Paul was
standing in the open doorway with
his feet planted apart His eyes were
dark with anger, and his mouth
looked thin and hard. He was OBJ
viously trying to control himself.
He was white and he was trembling.
He might have been posing for a
statue to be entitled 1.-The Avenger."
$50 here you are!" he painted.
"You pulled another fast one, didn't
you? What did you tell McGonigle?"
Admiral Duncan managed to look
annoyed and vague at the same
time. What are you talking about?"
he snapped.
"What you said to McGonigle!"
| "When?"
"Just before you sneaked over
here!"
"Oh, that" his grandfather said.
Il asked him to excuse you so you
could go to the Islands with me
hm?"
"But you know examinations be-
gin in few days!" Paul said hotly.
"You know have a million things
to do before the holidays!"
1t was pitiful, Zorie thought with
out a twinge of pity, to see him
struggling. He was furious-and try
ing so hard not to go too far. He
wanted to say so much more, but he
was as helpless as one of the white
rats he used in his control expert
| rpeptS