Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-06-21
CHAPTER XXI

In looking for that dream of secur-
ity, you have been looking for Ar
thur" He added, firmly and incis-
lively, IF were your first husband,
Mrs. Herlong, would tell you ex-
actly what I am telling you now. You
don't want him back"
Elizabeth passed her hand over
her forehead, pushing back her hair.
The gesture seemed to clear her
eyes and her mind with them. She
said, "You are not Arthur, then?"
mo. Your first husband is dead.
You can't have him back. and l re-
peat, you don't want him back"
He paused to be sure she was
listening. She nodded to assure him
that she was.
Elizabeth thought of the time
when Cherry, as a baby, had been
SO ill they had feared they might
lose her. She remembered when
Spratt had lost his job, hit from be-
hind by friend he had trusted.
She thought of the night when she
had sobbed secretly on his shoulder
at Dicks joining the Marines, and
he had said, "What do you suppose
I'm here for?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed. ooh yes"
II can be friend Of you both,"
said Kessler, "a dear friend per-
haps, but I'm outside your essential
life because I did not help you build
it. Don't let me threaten it now,
Mrs. Herlong! You can keep it
that depends on your self-command,
not on mine. No human being can
destroy the structure of marriage
except the two who made it. 1t is
the one human edifice that is i'm
pregnable except from within. Keep
it. You need it."
Elizabeth smiled, without realiz-
ing that she was doing so. YES"
she said to him, 81 need it."
Elizabeth had sense of freedom
like nothing she had ever felt be-
fore. She drew long breath. Her
mind flashed back to that bright
year with Arthur, and then fingered
on her twenty years with Spratt.
The two periods were as different
in meaning as they were in length.
She had known all along that the
second had a value greater than the
first. But she had never placed
them side by side, as Kessler had
made her do today, to see with
vehement clarity how her love for
Spratt overpowered anything she
had ever shared with Arthur.
THANK you, Mr.. Kessler," she
said in a low voice. "You don't
know what you've done for me-"
But she remembered that there
was something else she could do for
him. He had told her SO last night.
She reused herself to speak.
She said, "Mr. Kessler, last night
you suggested you had favor to
ask of me. I hope that's still true"
Kessler looked up, with slight
start as though her voice had re-
For a moment he seemed to be
getting his thoughts in order. Then
he answered, eyes, it's still true"
II told you last night" said Eliz-
abeth, "I'd be happy to do anything
in my power for you. After what
you have done for me today, I'd
like to repeat that in capitals"
Kessler smiled at her. She had
been right; he did believe that she
was fully persuaded, and that was
what he wanted. THANK you, Mrs.
Herlong. 1 want to put, shall we
say, a part of tomorrow in your
hands. Margaret"
She was astonished. "You mean
you want me to take herr"
He nodded.
''But don't you want her? I
thought you loved her so much"
II do love her. But I shan't be
here always"
Elizabeth sat up straight, holding
the arms of her chair. "What do
you mean?"
Look at me, Mrs. Herlong," he
said quietly. Haven't you ever
wondered how have lived as long
as this?"
mo, I haven't. Your life has
hardly seemed to depend on phys
ical strength-Mr. Kessler, forgive
us! What strain we have put on
you! Dick, myself. all of us-we
never stopped to realize you were
ILL.,"
THAT doesn't matter" he an
swered, so quickly that it was like
an Interruption. please don't think
it matters. If you let this trouble
you I'll be sorry spoke. Pleased"
he exclaimed insistently, for she had
risen to her feet, ready to 60 before
he wore himself out with any more
talking.
Elizabeth sat down again. "Mr.
Kessler, of course I'll take Mar
garet. I'll take her now if you'll let
me. But don't you want to come
with her? Why don't you let me
take care of you, instead of stay
Ing here with nobody but a hired