Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-06-14
CHAPTER XXI

imagine IN your present state. He'll
be here in few minutes. Your first
impulse will be to blurt out words
that tomorrow morning you'd give
half your life to take back. Will
you promise?"
She did not answer, and he added,
IF you don't promise, I'll leave
Beverly Hills tonight. l will not be
the means of wrecking your peace
or his"
YES" she said family, II prom
Use that. But you haven't convinced
me. Everything you've said II
know you"
The maid came in, bringing or
ange juice and the morning paper.
"Why didn't anybody wake me?"
Elizabeth asked.
"Mr. Herlong said not to. He said
you were tired"
Spratt had left her a note, scrib-
bled in pencil across sheet of stu
dio stationery. Elizabeth - Glad
you're getting a long sleep. I told
Cherry and Brian to go on to school
without bothering you. I have to
leave now, will ring you later if
anything turns up, otherwise will see
you tonight. All well. Chin up, the
war news looks pretty good this
morning, anyway nothing lasts for
ever. l love you, thought I'd re-
mind you in case hadn't mentioned
it lately. Spratt."
She got up and went to her tele-
phone. Apparently he had been wait
ing for her call, for he answered
the phone himself. When she told
him who she was he said, Eyes,
Mrs. Herlong?" and waited expect
antly.
First" said Elizabeth, IT want
to apologize for my startling behav-
ior last night"
Then you do know this morning."
he asked eagerly, "that you were
mistaken"
II don't know that, not yet. But
at least this morning can promise
you to behave like an intelligent
adult. You told me l could see you
today. May come over?"
Certainly"
Now"
whenever you like
"Thank you"
Kessler's housekeeper told her he
was waiting for her in his study.
Elizabeth went in and shut the door
behind her. Kessler had been sit
ting before his typewriter, with
sheets of manuscript around him.
For an instant she wondered if he
had been working, or if he had set
the stage to make it look as if he
found this SO unimportant that he
could 60 on with his work without
interruption. But she thought of that
only an instant. AS she came in Kess-
Ter put his hand on his cane and
stood up. Their eyes met, and Eliz-
abeth said,
Il came here this morning to see
If I was right or wrong in what
said to you last night. I was right"
Kessler drew in a quick breath,
without answering. Elizabeth came
nearer and sat down. Holding her
handbag in her lap, she leaned back
to look up at him.
She said, II have not been drink
ing and am not hysterical. 1 had
nine hours sleep, and when woke
up my impression of last night
seemed like mistake based on
chance resemblance. 1t was not a
mistake" She smiled at him, plead
ingly. arthur, let's face this and
talk about it,
"Pll talk about it as long as you
like" he answered her, and as he
spoke he smiled too, as though sorry
for her. But it's not true, Mrs.
Herlong."
But Elizabeth continued. "You
have a scar on your arm where YOU
were burnt by a splash of boiling
chocolate one night when 1 was maxi
ing fudge. You have another scar
on your right knee, made when YOU
and l were practicing fancy dives
and you hit the edge of the pool"
Kessler sat down, and moved a
pencil that was about to fall off the
edge of his table. 81 have SO many
scars" he said, that no doubt YOU
could find two that would fit those
you are talking about" Then, sup
porting himself on his cane, he
leaned toward her, and continued,
Mrs. Herlong, my body is such an
accumulation of patches and make
shifts that to prove or disprove my
likeness to any healthy man would
be very difficult. I didn't grow this
beard to disguise my face, but to
cover some ugly lines on my chin
that would make me even harder to
look at than I am now. Yet you
insist I resemble your first hus-
band"
"You are talking in distractions.
I tell you, know"
Kessler shook his head.
Elizabeth shrank back into her