Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-05-17
CHAPTER XVI

PdA PIC hoWGIS VII Vic lellSC.
"Why of course. But the stems
are strong-wait minute and I'll
get pair of scissors" When she
brought the scissors Margaret was
waiting. eve can cut lot of them
II you like" Elizabeth offered.
'There must be thousands of BIOS
SONS here on the fence"
1.-THE yellow ones are the same
sort of flower as the purple ones,
aren't they?"
Eyes, and the deep orange ones
too"
1.-THE dark ones have yellow CEN
tiers. That's pretty. What do you
call them?"
"Lantana."
"Lantana," Margaret repeated.
1--WE seen lot of them here, but
never knew the name. They bloom
all the year round, don't they?" She
gathered the bouquet into her hands.
"You must like flowers" she sug-
gested, looking around, "you have
80 many of them"
II do like them. We used to have
some beautiful beds there; on the
other side of the pool, before we put
In the Victory garden. You enjoy
flowers too, don't your"
ooh yes" Margaret nodded Wig
orously. "Do you like to put them
under a microscope and see how
they're nader"
II don't think I've ever done that.
Where do you have microscope?
At SCHOOL,"
mo, at home. My father shows
them to me. He knows all about
flowers. We put lots of things under
the microscope at home and we look
at them. It's fun
"Your father certainly knows
lot. But he was some sort of doc
tor in Germany, wasn't he?"
mot exactly a doctor. He worked
in the laboratory. But my real IA
Their was a DOCTOR"
Your real father? Isn't Mr.. Kess-
Ter your father?"
"Oh no." said Margaret, her blue
eyes serious across the lantana. my
real father died. And my mother
too, and l was very sick. That was
a long time ago when I was little.
But remember being very sick, and
before I was well we left the hos
pltal, late one night, and we rode
long way in an automobile in the
dark, and I started to cry. I don't
cry now, I'm too big, but was little
then and I cried, and he-you know,
my father, Mr.. Kessler-he said he
would give me something to put me
to sleep SO wouldn't be so tired,
and he did and went to sleep, and
when l woke up he told me I was
his little girl now. That's how he
got to be my father"
Margaret had run ahead of her.
AS Elizabeth met them she was talk
ing to Kessler.
1--WE had the best time! I can
swim all the way across the pool,
the short way, not the long way.
And look, these are named lantana
and they grow on the fence"
II should have warned you," Kess-
Ter said to Elizabeth, "that Mar
garet would demand a sample of
anything she saw that was unfamil-
lar to her. Either she was born in
quisitive or I've infected her with
my own curiosity"
II like children who ask cues
tlons,' Spratt commented. "How are
they going to learn anything if they
don't?"
"Margaret's been telling me-"
said Elizabeth, chow you encourage
her with a microscope.
He laughed, and then said soberly.
"Tm glad she enjoys that. In these
days-or for that matter any days
we can't .foretell what children are
going to live through, but we can
be pretty sure it won't all be pleas
ant. But nobody is utterly desolate
if he's learned to appreciate the
world around him.
The garden had grown chilly.
Spratt gathered up Margaret and
several others whom he had offered
to take home, and Kessler said he
would occupy himself with a book
while Elizabeth changed for dinner.
She went through the den, where
Dick sat by table agonizing over
his lessons. Dick was evidently in
the throes of struggle. His papers
strewn on the floor and table, he
sat holding his head between his
fists, his hair wildly rumpled and
his forehead wrinkled with anguish.
Elizabeth paused at the door.
whats the trouble, Dick?"
He groaned without looking I'D,
Mother, did you ever get through
physicist"
mot very gloriously, and I'm
afraid I've forgotten most of it."
II liked physics in high school,"
With an effort Dick untangled his
hands from his hair. II still like
1t, but every now and then you get
a nrohlem that sirnnlx will not m aka