Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-02-01

Il certainly am. Why the query?"
1T may be pretty noisy. Dick
and Cherry are having couple of
youngsters in
What on earth are you feeding
them WITH"
II was very lucky. I got some
short-ribs of beef. And shrimps to
start, with"
Better than anything I could get
at the commissary. III be there.
II KeSSler turns up with an idea
worth talking about, may be bit
late"
"All right. But I'll have to feed
the children. Well start at seven
thirty whether you're there or not.
How's that?"
Elizabeth had high opinion of
marriage, because it was an institu-
ton in which she had found a great
deal of happiness. She had been
married twice, the first marriage
joyous but brief, for it had been
ended in 1918 by shell at Chateau
Thierry. Strange to remember now
that she had Thought her life was
over, for she was only twenty when
1t happened, and nobody could have
told her she was going to meet
Spratt. She had had no children by
her first husband and there was
nothing concrete in her present life
to remind her Of him. But it was
her memory of Chateau-Thierry that
made her more frightened than
Spratt when they spoke of their sons
approaching military age. Spratt
loved Dick as much as she did, but
he had not had personal expert
ence of the price of war. Though
Spratt was an eminently practical
man, his mind simply did not &C.
cept the possibility that Dick could
be killed. Her mind did accept it,
because she had been through it once
and knew it could happen. But she
tried sincerely not to think about it,
and for the most part she succeeded.
Dick would inevitably be eighteen;
what took place after that was up to
him and his country. Horrible as it
was, this war was nevertheless a
battle against evil that must be
stopped or it would make the world
a3Ahe AL LINN W i've Ill.
was no use letting herself get useless
and shaky with dread. II won't
have to face it for nearly a year."
Elizabeth said to herself for the
thousandth time. Anything can
happen before then" So she let it
60. Dick was still seventeen, and
she had everything she had ever
wanted-a congenial marriage, three
children, and days full of worthwhile
occupation. cts a good life," she
thought as she turned into the can
yon road and the fragrance of sage
blew up to her from the glens. "a
very good life. l like it."
In the driveway she paused to give
some directions to the gardener. Her
youngest, Brian, aged eleven, ap-
peared with his bicycle. She called
to him.
"Where are you going, Brian?"
"Scout meeting" He looked up
and down the street. Peters sup
posed to come by and 60 with me.
/ said I'd wait in front for him. He
ought to be here now"
"All right" She nearly added,
BE careful of the traffic." but
stopped herself. Brian was as ex-
pert with a bicycle as she with a
car. He had never got himself hurt
riding, and there was no sense in
being overly fussy with him. From
scanning the street he turned to look
up at her.
Mother, cab l stay for dinner
with Peter?"
HAS he asked your"
mot yet, but I'm going home with
him after Scout meeting to see his
lepidoptera-" Brian got out the
word importantly-"and he might. l
mean if he does, can I stay?"
mot unless his mother asks you,"
she answered gravely. "You mustn't
ever 60 to dinner with any of the
boys unless their mothers ask you,
Brian. If Mrs. Stern invites you to
stay, tell her you aren't sure, and ask
her to call me up"
If Mrs. Stern calls you up, can
I stay?"
"You won't say anything about
wanting to stay unless she suggests
1t first?"
mo, won't. Honest. I promise"
AL right then, if she calls me-"
"Okay," said Brian, with confident
satisfaction. "Oh, there he is. Hi,
Peter!" He swung to his bicycle
and was off.
"How busy they are" Elizabeth
thought as she looked after the two
little boys whisking down the street.
Everything they do is so important.
] wish life was always like that. Oh,
fiddlesticks and fury, I don't either.
Getting wistful about childhood is a
temptation, but how dreadful if
childhood lasted sixty years. Living