Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-03-08

oSAiSA ~ AAldllL dllu dIIlDltlOuS men,
Spratt was essentially lonely. Yet
she had not realized it, and she was
glad to do so now. She needed his
friendship; it was good to know that
IN spite of his self-assurance Spratt
also had need of her.
When he asked her to marry him
She was not surprised. She did not
answer him at once. Spratt had CIV
en- her so much, more than she knew
until now, when she had to consider
the possibility of letting him go. But
she wanted to be fair, and in fair
ness there were matters that had to
be explained.
She explained them on an evening
when they were in her apartment,
Spratt listening with quiet attention
While she spoke. She told him how
she had loved Arthur, and how she
had suffered at being told he was
dead. 1T can't be easy for you to
hear this" she said.
ITS easier now than it'll ever be
again." he answered. go on"
Elizabeth stood up. Moving around
behind her chair she put her hands
on the back Of it and held it while
she talked.
"Spratt, you told me to take this
out and face it. I've tried to. I've
tried to be practical, to tell myself
everything I might tell somebody
else. I've said to myself that maybe
Arthur wasn't worth what I gave
him, maybe nobody ever born could
deserve so much.
Yes. But you haven't said wheth-
er or not you want to marry me-"
=! do want to. But I'm not sure
you're going to want to marry me. II
you don't want to, say so. You're
too fine and honest to have anything
less than the truth from me, or to
let me have anything less than that
from you. Spratt, when Arthur died
something died in me. What I feel
for you-it's strange to call it love,
because it's SO different. It's not
alteration that sees no faults. It's
thoughtful and realistic. 1 like you,
l admire you, have tremendous re-
spect for you. trust you complete
ly. I'd tell you anything. I know
you'll never fail me. But I can't
give you what I gave Arthur, be-
cause haven't got it to give. It's
just not there any more"
She looked across the room at him,
listening steadily in the half-glow of
a reading lamp some distance away.
She concluded,
at would hurt me terribly to lose
you. But it would be worse to know
had been less than completely hon.
est with you. There may be another
woman who can give you what I
can't, and if that's what you want,
please, please tell me So"
She heard soft, smothered little
sound from his direction, and saw
to her amazement that Spratt was
laughing. He stood up and came
over to her.
my darling girl, You told me
was honest. / am. and I'm going
to prove it. If any woman offered
me the sort of total worship you're
talking about, she'd throw me into
a panic"
He put his hands on her shoulders
and squeezed them as he continued,
in comradely fashion, Forgive me
for laughing. l wasn't laughing at
you, but at the idea that anybody
could possibly think l might want to
be adored like that, which you'll
have to admit is ridiculous. Eliza
beth, if l may be brutally frank-if
that's what you were like when you
were a young girl I'm glad you got
rid of it before l met you. I want
you the way you are"
Quite suddenly, she began to laugh
too. This way of talking about mar
riage was so different from the Shin
ing rapture with which she and Ar
thur had talked about it.
'Then you do want me, Spratt?"
"You bet l do"
you're not going to be sorry for
what's past?"
II should say not. You see, Eliza
beth, it's really quite simple. l love
you as you are. What you are must
be the result of what's happened to
you before. If it had happened differ
emily, you'd have been a different
sort of woman now, and l shouldn't
have loved you. It makes sense"
You're the only man I know"
said Elizabeth, "who always makes
sense"
They were married soon after
that. She had never had reason to
be sorry. Spratt had been brilliant
ly successful in his work, they had
their three children, their long I'M
broken affection, and the peace of
mind that came from knowing them.
selves of supreme Importance to
each other. It was good life.
fTO M CONTINIrED,