Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-06-07
CHAPTER Xxx


home until he was eighteen. He was
going to join the Marines right now,
If they'd have him.
Spratt told him to 60 ahead. "This
Is one place where you've got to
make up your own mind" he said.
"1'm not going to boss you
To her own surprise, Elizabeth
was able to answer him steadily. If
it had to happen, it had to happen.
She said, go ahead. Dick. It's all
right with me-"
Thanks" Dick said shortly. But
he stood there, evidently wanting to
say more. After a moment he pulled
up chair with his foot and sat
straddling it. 81 was talking to
Kessler the other day." he began.
''He told me a lot about the war,
and all that. He said he thought I
ought to tell you" He hesitated.
"Tell US what, Dick?" Spratt
prompted him.
"Well-about making you under
stand that didn't want to join the
Marines just because was excited
or anything like that. About why
this war is something we've got to
do. You know it's got to be done,
don't your"
Eyes, we know it's got to be
done" Spratt answered decisively.
II don't mind saying I'm sorry
you've got to do it, Dick. But since
you've got to, I'm glad you want
to-"
And this wars got to be different
from the last one," Dick persisted.
"This time we've got to finish it, not
leave everything up in the air the
way it was before You understand
that too, don't your" He looked at
Elizabeth
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed fervent-
ly. "I'm not very good at praying,
but feel like going down on my
knees a dozen times day to ask,
oh God, make this one different"
"That's towards prayer" Dick
blurted rudely.
"Why-what do you mean?"
II mean it is. Honestly, I've got a
lot of things straight I never had be-
fore. Kessler didn't say just this,
but I mean-well," he said defiant
ly, 'just asking God to make this
one different is being like some
squash-bottomed middle-aged dame
eating chocolates and praying,
Please God, don't let me get fat
God answered her prayer when he
gave her brains enough to know can
dy would make her fat. The rest
is up to her. If this war is going
to be different we've got to make it
be different-don't you see? It's up
to US. Unconditional surrender, and
then 60 on from there. Don't you
see what mean?"
He spoke with a pleading earnest
ness. His parents were hearing him
in establishment. They had never
heard Dick talk like this before.
But instead of trying to evade it
he had tried to understand it, and
now, in hating sentences full of eli
ches and schoolboy colloquialisms,
he was trying to make them under
stand it too.
"Well, I didn't figure it out all by
myself. I'm not that smart. But in
times like this, you do like to know
what you're doing" Dick stood up
and kicked his chair aside. II guess
you do understand" he said, and
gave them grin that was half en-
barrassed and half relieved.
Elizabeth came over to him. eyes,
we do. Go ahead, Dick. I mean
it," She took his face between her
hands and kissed him. It was the
first kiss she had given him in a
long time, and he kissed her back
without minding it.
Early in March Dick and his friend
Fudge went down to enlist in the
Marines.
Elizabeth was in her room writing
checks for the months bills, when
he telephoned her.
''Mother!"
eyes, Dick? What happened? Tell
mel"
Mother, they took mel"
('This is your chance, Elizabeth"
she was telling herself. do it
rightly
'Oh Dick, they did really? I knew
they would"
"They took us both, me and Fudge
both! He's phoning his folks now.
They took us both, mother!"
"After all, how could they help
it? As if they wouldn't be proud to
get you"
well, sort of thought they'd take
me, but you know how it is. They
said there was nothing wrong with
me, and gosh, by this time they'd
sure know if there was. You never
heard of such an overhauling as they
gave US. There's nothing wrong with
your son, Mrs. Herlong."
Dick banged up the phone. Eliza
beth heard the click and replaced
her phone for moment, then picked
It up and dialed the studio. eek