Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-05-24
CHAPTER XVIII

anonymity. Hearing it reported as
a matter of course by a little girl
In his own home town was some
thing else again. He looked at Kess-
Ter, and back at Margaret. Cherry,
who had sat down on top of the lad
der, was looking at Kessler too, as
though they both wanted him to say
it hadn't really happened like this.
Come here, Margaret" said
Kessler gently.
She went to him, and he put his
arms around her.
1T was dreadful in Germany"
said KesSler. but we aren't afraid
any more"
She looked up at him artlessly.
"Oh no, of course not. Not here"
Nobody does things like that
here" said Kessler. ''There aren't
any Nazis in America"
"Oh no." Margaret said again.
She laughed at recollection.
when we first came here" she
said to the others, II was scared of
the men in uniform. But they were
just policemen and soldiers. They
didn't bother anybody"
mo, everybody is safe here"
Kessler went on. Nobody comes
into house without being asked. If
they want to come in they ring the
bell, and if you tell them not to come
in they stay outside. Nobody is
scared in the United States. Mar
Glraf ,ySn1 ~ hn coornI hut cha
isn't any more
'It's different here" said Mar
garet.
"And your supper is getting cold,"
Kessler suggested. "You'd better 60
eat it."
"All right"
"And aren't you going to thank
Mrs. Herlong and Dick and Cherry
for helping you with the tree?"
"Oh yes! /. ; just wonderful.
Thank you SO mach"
We're glad we could help" said
Elizabeth. She took Margaret's hand
and went with her into the dining
room where her supper was ready.
Margaret started to eat with
healthy appetite, evidently not ap-
palled by the story she had told.
When Elizabeth returned to the front
room Dick was still standing by the
tree and Cherry still sat on the lad
der, apparently too Mortified to
move. kessler was speaking to
them.
If it seems cruel to let her 60 on
talking, it's less cruel than making
her shut it up inside herself. l
thought it was easier on you to lis
ten than it would have been on her
if had told her to STOP"
But what sort of cattle are
they?" Dick exclaimed. 1--WE hear
lot of things about them, cruel and
vicious and all that, but not just 60
ing around kicking little girls!"
II told your mother once" said
Kessler, "that your only fault was
that you didn't realize how superior
you were to your neighbors."
ITO my neighbors? But l don't
know anybody like that!"
mo, you don't know anybody like
that"
Gee whiz," said Dick. He went
over to another side of the room and
sat down.
why did they kill her parents?"
Cherry asked breathlessly.
'"They didn't. Her parents killed
themselves.
"Ah!" Cherry let 60 her breath
audibly.
Margaret thinks the Nazis killed
them. They killed so many others.
I haven't tried to tell her any diff
ferently. She doesn't understand
suicide"
but why?" exclaimed Cherry.
Then she added apologetically, I'm
sorry. l guess it's none of my bust
ness"
There's no reason why you
shouldn't know" Kessler answered.
He glanced at Elizabeth. "Shall
60 on, Mrs. Herlong?"
eyes, if you can bear it. After all,
Mr.. Kessler, we've heard it before.
It's been in the papers and on the
radio"
Cherry said what they had all
been thinking. but it's different
when it happens to somebody you
know! You mean it happened to
Margaret's family like what we read
about?"
"Why yes, the same old story"
KessIer answered. "She and her
mother were showed off the side
walk, she didn't have enough to eat
without there wasn't enough for her,
they saw other children beaten and
starved and knew there was nothing
else in store for Margaret. Their
old friends crossed the street when