Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-05-03

working all day never is a good
idea"
For several weeks Mr.. Kessler did
nothing about getting bat for Bri-
an, reticence that both Spratt and
Elizabeth admired. They had had
experience Of persons who wanted
to move in on their lives and had
started by trying to load the children
with attentions. AS they all liked
Kessler she invited him to dinner
again, and Spratt brought him in
two or three times to have a drink
on their way from the studio, so
when Kessler had had time to be
quite sure the Herlongs were accept
ing him as one of their friends, he
brought up the subject of the bat
again, to Brian's great delight. Two
days later he telephoned that he had
obtained the bat, and made a date
for Brian to come to see him.
It was very kind of him, Elizabeth
thought, and she was glad to see
her children's increasing friendship
with him. Kessler never patronized
them, and he had a great talent for
minding his own business. He rare
ly mentioned the war unless some
body else brought it up, and when
he did refer to national affairs he
refrained admirably from making
adverse criticisms Of the President
and from telling them what he
thought Americans ought to do about
anything. In fact, he listened to
them a good deal more than he
talked, though none of the children
realized it. Hes SWELL" they said
of him.
Kessler said to Elizabeth, with a
touch Of usefulness, There is a
great deal Of you in all your chill
dren." Occasionally she wondered
why he seemed more interested in
finding her characteristics than
Spratt's. He and Spratt were good
friends and Spratt frequently said
his work on the picture was proving
invaluable. But when he came to
their home it was primarily to see
her, fact that Spratt observed with
a sort Of proud amusement He liked
other men to admire his wife.
Brian and Peter Stern visited
Kessler SO often that Elizabeth was
sometimes afraid they were going to
be nuisances, though Kessler insist
ed they were not. Brian saw little
Margaret and announced grudgingly
that she was not bad, so Elizabeth
suggested the party. The next time
Brian went to see KeSsler she went
by to get acquainted with Margaret.
Kessler's modest street-foor apart
ment was kept for him by moth
erly woman who came ir leading
Margaret by the hand and telling
her to speak nicely to the lady,
which Margaret did. She was an
intelligent-looking child, with big
blue eyes and two fat pigtails, shyly
polite; as Elizabeth rarely had any
trouble getting along with children.
their acquaintance began without
difficulty. Margaret had learned the
English language very well. Oh yes,
she said, she went to school and she
was learning to swim, and when
asked if she would like to have a
party with her school friends she
nodded eagerly. When they had got
that far in their conversation Kess-
Ter came in, having left Brian and
Peter blissfully occupied with the
bones Of the bat. "I'm going to have
party!" Margaret announced to
him.
Kessler looked down at her and
smiled fondly. Again Elizabeth felt
a flash of recognition. I've seen
him somewhere, know have" she
thought. Maybe he doesn't remem-
Der, but I'm sure of it." However,
she did not mention the subject, for
Margaret was talking, and by the
time they had arranged the date of
the party and other details she felt
it was time to 60.
On the way home she made up
her mind that though he might think
her foolish for persisting, the next
time she happened to be alone with
Mr.. Kessler she was going to ask
him to rack his brain and figure out
where it was she had met him.
There was no good reason why it
should seem so important to her to
remember, since it must have been
a very casual meeting to have es-
capped her so thoroughly, but these
occasional twinges of recollection
leased her. Just for the instant
when he had looked down at Mar
garet with tender little smile, not
only the expression of his face but
his whole attitude had been so famil-
lar that she had felt as though she
was watching someone she had
known for years. Then it was gone,
and now she could not remember
at all.
Since Margaret's party was going
to strain their already overtaxed
problem of household help, Spratt
suggested that he bring Kessler over
that evening, leaving him there
while he drove Margaret and some of
the other guests home, and then that
he, Kessler, Elizabeth and the two
older children 60 out for dinner.
; Elizabeth agreed gladly. She had
managed to keep servants so far,