Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-09-27
CHAPTER IL

Megan ana ION sat quietly on
the big fiat rocks, saying little, their
eyes following the antics of the dogs
and cats galloping around in circles
on the Ridge. She thought she had
never seen the pines look SO beau
tiful.
He asked for permission to fill his
pipe and light it, and tentatively Of
fered her cigarette.
Thanks, no." Megan answered
lightly. cts habit I've avoided
I don't think I'd care much for it,
and it is expensive"
Obviously Tom understood the
logic of that, and for moment they
were both silent, until he got his
pipe going we'll.
Megan said after moment when
the silence threatened to become
awkward, "How is Mrs. Fallon?
Does the climate seem to agree
with her, as you'd hoped?"
Toms brown hand frightened
about the bowl of his pipe until the
knuckles stood up in little white
mounds. He tore his eyes from the
landscape and gave her a look that
was hard and cold and bitter, so
much SO that she was startled by
the sudden, inexplicable hostility.
Mrs. Fallon is-doing as well as
could be expected, under the circum-
Stances" he told her. His voice
was harsh, and the very sound of
the words told her that he had re-
peated these words until they had
ceased to have any meaning; yet
he had never ceased to resent the
necessity for them.
'I'm sorry if I seemed-inquisi-
tive or rude" Megan told him
frankly, her face hot with color, her
head up. II had no such intention.
You have made no secret of the
fact that your wife is an invalid.
Naturally, in a small town like this,
people are interested and anxious
to be of service, if they may"
1.-THE only service anyone can do
my wife-or myself-is to leave my
wife alone" stated Tom, and Me-
gan's eyes blazed at his tone.
She was on her feet now, and she
said swiftly, her voice shaking with
anger. "You may be quite sure
that in the future, I, at least, shall
be happy to do sol"
She turned blindly to'walk back
through the pines, but before she
had gone half a dozen steps, Tom
was on his feet, laying a hand on
her arm, in swift, abject apology.
"Please wait - please, forgive
me-" he apologized humbly. "That
was unforgivable of me! It's just
that-well, the subject is-an ex-
tremely painful one"
''I'm sincerely sorry that men
toned it," she told him stiffly, her
face still hot.
He looked down at her gravely,
his hand still on her arm, restrain
ing her as she would have walked
away.
"You see, Miss MacTavish," he
said at last, his voice raw with pain,
''my wife's illness is-chiefy men
tall"
He set his teeth hard when he had
spoken the last two words, and Me-
gan looked up at him, puzzled.
Mental? You mean she merely
imagines she is ill? That she is a
hypochondriac?" she asked, in all
innocence.
Toms face was white and rigid
now, but his eyes were alive with
pain.
"No," he said huskily. II mean
that my wife is-mentally ill-that
she has the mind of young child
that she is not-not normal"
It was obvious that he had tried
to say 'insane" and had not been
able to get the word past his stiff
lips.
Megan was conscious of a mo-
ment of stunned, shocked horror.
This man-chained to an insane
wife! This man, whom everybody
liked, with his fine mind and his
keen sense of responsibility, and a
woman who had the mind of a
young child!
"Oh!" was all she could say, her
soAiC oiioShGo aliu It'll Will SyIIlpd-
thy and touched with keen embar-
rassment that she must witness his
moment of naked, burning revela-
ton. "Tm-terribly sorry"
Tom brushed aside the choked,
inadequate words and said with a
sort of forced quiet, $50 you see
why it has been necessary for us
to-deny the well intentioned call
ers-"
"Of course" Megan told him I'M
steadily, sick with pity for him.
''She is-entirely harmless" he
told her, and his face was wrenched
with the pain and the shame of hav-
ing to put that thought into words.
"She is never left for a, moment
alone and she never leaves her bed.
But II people here knew about her
mental condition-well. undoubtedly