Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-09-20

believe it was something Miz Ste
venson said, t'other day when we
was all sewing for the Red Cross
over at her house," she admitted.
"She made a right smart story out
o it. Said she went over to call,
takin' some chrysanthemums from
her garden, and some new maya
zines and book, thinkin' likely a
woman that was an invalid might
like to read-well, she says this big,
husky-looking woman, Miss Mar
tha,' come to the door and fairly
glared at her and wouldn't let her
in. Said fer a minute she didn'
think she was goin' to let her leave
the flowers, and she wouldn't let her
leave the books and magazines.
Said Miz' Fallon didn't want to be
read to, and she was in bed so she
couldn't read to herself. Miz' Ste
venson said the house, what she
could see of it, eastways-was neat
and clean but depressin' like"
Professor Fallon said that his
wife's sister lived with them and
took care of her." said Megan dry
ly. "Of course it would be like
Alicia Stevenson to make up a story
about mystery over there. I mag
inc Mrs. Fallon may be crippled
there could be any one of a lot Of
reasons-anyway, she is an invalid
and not permitted to have company,
SO why can't we just leave it at
that?"
well, rekin there amt much
else we can do" admitted Mrs.
Stuart, but it was plain that her
lively curiosity was far from salts
fed with any such unenterprising
decision.
There was something about Tom
Fallon that made Megan feel sorry
for him; something, too, that put
her on the defensive when he and
his family affairs were being dis
cussed. Pleasant Grove was a
small town where everybody knew
everybody else's business; you
might think you had secrets from
your NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. they let
you think so-but occasionally there
would be little spatters of rumor,
whispers, revelations that your Sc
cret was no secret at all, but that
your friends and neighbors were
perfectly willing that you should
think they were.
Megan's favorite relaxation, when
she could find time for it, was a
walk to the top of the low-lying hill
beyond the meadow, that rejoiced
in the ambitious title Of the Ridge.
Here she crawled under a barbed
wire fence, walked a hundred yards
more and was on top of the Ridge.
Here there were lordly pines whose
green feathery tops seemed almost
to brush the sky; here the aisles
between the pines were kept clean
and free of underbrush, and thickly
carpeted with resinous, slippery,
brown pine needles. Here there
were several big fiat rocks that Of
fered a pleasant place to sit and
rest after the walk. And from here
one had a beautiful view over roll
ing meadowland and pasture and
green woods.
On an afternoon late in October,
Megan emerged from the barbed
wire fence and Strengthened, to look
back down the low meadow valley.
The dogs were scampering wildly;
Dixie, the small black water SPAN
iel who was superb hunter, self
taught, had freed game and was
barking his head off; Bessie, the
pointer, was racing through the un-
derbrush at the edge of the pines,
her tail quivering with delight at
the scent she had disturbed; while
the cats were climbing trees with
joyous abandon
But as she stepped out of the
pines to the small clearing where
the rock lay, she paused and said,
startled, "Oh-Tm sorry-I didn't
know there was anyone here"
Tom stood up, smiling, eager.
well, Miss MacTavishl How are
you? Am I trespassing on your
property?" he said quickly.
"Oh, no, as a matter of fact this
property belongs to your place."
Megan assured him. 1.-THE circus
and l just use it as finish to our
walk"
Shall I go?" suggested Tom
lightly.
"Of course not-how sillyl" pro-
tested Megan swiftly. "After all,
there are two rocks and plenty of
room for both of usl"
Thanks" said Tom, and smiled
as he watched her settle herself on
the rock while he selected another
one.
The four cats, shy of strangers,
stepped daintily into the clearing,
saw him and drew back startled,
velvety ears erect, fluffy plumy
tails quivering a little, tiny growls
starting deep in their soft threats.
Behave yourselves, boys!" Me-
gan ordered sternly, and Tom
laughed as the arched tails relaxed
little and the cats went on about
their business of investigating fas-
cinating scents, yet keeping wary
golden ewes on him as thew did 81