Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-01-12
wonder who killed herT'
"No one knows" repljcd Train short


ooh. the police.' said Mrs. Ward In
a proper tone of contempt They
never do anything except make love to
cooks. DO you suspect any one"
Leonard flushed. II, Mrs. Ward?
Why should | suspect any oneT"
ooh, don't know. You have a
clever face. Just the kind of face
that one would think brilliant de-
tective would have. You must have
some suspicionsi" Again her eyes
searched his face.
"No." he protested. 81 was asleep
I know nothing about the matter"
How stupid Of you said Mrs.
Ward. beginning to think that her con
descension IN asking Leonard to din
ncr was wasted. But you men are
always so blind, poor dears! Did Mrs.
Jersey and Mr.. Brendon get on well
together? suppose Mrs. Jersey liked
him.
Il think she did" replied Leonard.
on whose weak head the claret was
beginning to take effect. "but she was
rather startled when she saw him
first. 1t wasn't at him exactly, but
at piece of yellow holly he wore in
his coat"
yellow holly" repeated Mrs. Ward.
with fcigncd surprise. why, of course
Mr.. Brcndon wore a sprig. My daugh-
ter gave it to him"
so he told me, Mrs. Ward"
"And ! gave it to Dorothy" contin-
uod Mrs. Ward, who for some reason
wished 10 make an explicit statement.
at is very rare. you know, and Il man
who lives in Devonshire sent me a
bunch. Dorothy mentioned that Mr.,
Brendon had begged for piece. Yes,
he would naturally wear it on that
night, as he had Just left my house.
! But why was this unfortunate woman
! surprised:'
Il cant say, but she was" answered
Train "Shc turned white. and we all
thought she was about to faint"
did she give any explanation!'
"No. In few moments she recOv-
cred. and nothing more was said
oh" Mrs. Ward seemed disap.
pointed. "Was that all?'
"Why"-1eonard turned his dull
eyes on her flushed face-"what else
did you expect to hear. Mrs Ward:'
Nothing. Nothing she said hur-
ricdly, for she did not wish to make
him suspicious: but it seems SO odd.
Dorothy giving the holly, YOU know,
and that Mrs. Jersey should be upset.
We must continue this conversation,
MIR. Train. 1t is really most interest
ing. But you literary men are quite
fascinating. After dinner in the draw
| ing room, Mr.. Train. Dorothy" She
signalcd with her fan. and her daugh-
! ter arose Don't be too long over
your wine," said Mrs Ward as she left
| the room. I'VE cant spare you, Mr..
| Train
Leonard believed that all this atten-
| tion was due to his own destinations
His head WAS still heated with the
wine he had drunk. yet he began to re-
| greet that lie had said anything about
| the yellow holly. Certainly he had not
| promised George to be silent on this
especial point, but he nevertheless
thought it wiser to hold his tongue
about all that had taken place in
Amelia square on the night of the muir
der. Warned in this way by his moth
or sense, Train took no more wine, but
after Il rather dull conversation witt
Nanc he went into the drawing room
| Dorothy was at the piano, and thithel
repaired Nanc. But Mrs. Ward, seatel
near the ire, called Leonard to hel
side Il must introduce you. Lore
Derrington-M Mr.. Train
The grandfather of George was ;
huge man, burly, red faced. white
haired and with a rather truculent eX
preston. He was over seventy. yc
carried his years like Il boy. Unde
his bushy white eyebrows he shot
quick glance ut Leonard from PAL
of keen gray eyes and summed hin
up Mt once rs fool. But Lord Der
rington had been diplomatist many
years before and knew that even fool
are sometimes useful. Moreover. III
had learned from Mrs. Wards aimlcs
chatter that Train was n great frient
of Brendon's, and he knew more abou
George than George thought. How
ever bennington. after that one glanc
Of contempt, was very civil 10 Leon
ard.
Il am glad to meet you" he said
with nod. you go in for books
understand from Mrs. Ward"
He had deep, raucous voice Xix
that OF an early startling and spoke i
an abrupt staccato kind of way. Trail
who stood before him like a rabbit be
fore a snake, compared him in his ow
mind with Becky Sharp's friend, tn
MARQUIS Of Steyne. bennington wa
quite as wicked and savage and III
scrupulous as that celebrated noble
man.
Darlington seemed to Leonard I
have the instincts Of Il despot, an
Leonard could imagine him slayin
) and burning and doing all manner G
evil things. lie wondered how Brel
don ever came to have such Il villain
Gus grandfather. 1t was on the ii
of his tongue to say something aboJ
Brendon, Just to observe the effect 0
Darlington. At that moment fate il
tervened. The drawing room doc
. opened, and servant announced, M
Brendon.'
The next moment George came fac
to face witO his grandfather.