Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-06-25
TAFlCTIONc0RMEP
NS\WfA\ MESSAGE FOR THELMA
WI<h BY ROBERT ARTHUR
By ROBERT ARTHUR

TOMS note said that he would
L come at II for his things. By
1880 Anne had packed all of his
personal belongings into the three
pigskin bags and the wardrobe
trunk, which she dragged empty
into the foyer of the apartment and
filled there. Tom was never pune
tual. He might come half an hour
early or half an hour late, and she
wanted to have everything ready
in time so that she could be out
when he came.
She did not linger over the pack
ing or allow herself to feel anything,
even when she put the set of cuff
links and studs which had been her
wedding gift to him and the silver
mounted military brushes she had
given him on their first - and only
anniversary into the last bag.
I wonder if anyone else in New
York uses military brushes, she
caught herself thinking. never
knew any other man who did. A
brief mental picture came to her of
Tom before the mirror, making
determined effort with the brushes
to force his sandy hair to stay in
place. Then as quickly as it had
come she baniShed it.
Surgical operations should be
neat and clean. Even if it was
som ething you were cutting out of
your heart you mustn't linger over
it.
Only when the three bags were
standing beside the trunk, in their
scuffed sturdiness, strangely re-
Winding her of Tom, did she have
time to feel the emptiness within
her. AS if, in emptying the closet
and bureau of his things, she had
taken something from inside herself
and packed it too.
To escape the curious numbness
which gripped her, she turned swift
ly and went for her hat and coat.
In getting them from the closet be-
side the front door she saw the
large pad which hung there where
Thelma, the maid, could not help
seeing it both on arriving and leav-
ing. Thelma was a good worker,
but forgetful. 'Thelma-Please de-
frost refrigerator" said last Thurs
days note, reminding her that this
was Saturday and Thelma would do
no marketing for the weekend I'M
less told. But Thelma might be
gone before Anne returned, and -
Anne hesitated. Then, do every
thing just as always, she told her
self. If you let go now, it'll just
hurt worse and longer.
She slipped into her coat, forced
herself to put on her hat with care.
Then she took up the pencil that
was tied to the pad by red string
and tried to think what she would
need. Tomatoes, lettuce, oranges,
bread, milk, coffee, she thought.
Soup maybe. I don't know. don't
care what eat.
Her fingers were curiously stiff
as she wrote carefully, in neat CAPT.
tails: NEEDED. She UNDERSIGNED
the word, drew line after it, then
had just begun to write down the
items she wanted Thelma to buy
when she heard the elevator begin
its humming rise.
Swift panic assailed her. 1t was
early, but it might be Tom. He
mustn't find her here. To see him
again, not knowing even now what
it was that had gone wrong, would
be more than she could face. Her
carefully maintained self-possession
probably would go in a flood of
tears and with it the last remnant
of her pride, all that she had left.
would be stripped from her. She
dropped the pencil, leaving the note
for Thelma barely begun, ran out
the door and down the fire stairs