Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-22
CHAPTER vi.
The Place of Silence.

The Place OF Silence
Notwithstanding my involved introspec-
ton. 1 must have fallen asleep quickly
which I was conscious was a baby's voice
cooling happily. and mans full bass es-
saying to still it with frequent low
Tut, tut"
looked at my watch. Ii was half past
s, and the sunlight lay in yellow shafts
on the grass between the trees outside
my window.
/ dressed hastily and went into the liv-
ing room. As I did 50 Mr.. Horsford came
from the kitchen with the child. still COO
ing and sputtering. in his arms.
"A bright bit O. day we are 'avin', sir. '
he said. after the usual exchange of
greetings. Il 'ope YOU rested well, sirg
He looked at me steadily. his eyes nar-
rowing as he uttered the last words. He
appeared relieved when l assured him
that / remembered nothing from the mo-
ment l fell asleep until six-thirty.
That ended our conversation for the
time. for Horsford seemed as uncom-
municative as on the previous evening.
His wife. too. appeared to have sobered
down considerably and was almost as
taciturn as her husband.
She served my breakfast on the round
table in the front room, where she had
given me supper, and i observed that
the high color / had noted in the evening
was somewhat dimmed. and that shadows
Of purple lay beneath her eyes. the lids
of which she persistently kept lowered
Horsford kept the child by him. and
when / had done with the meal he put
the boy i'm a tiny playground fenced In
with tennis WIRE which he had construct
ed within view Of the kitchen windows.
and came to the portico, string OF keys
dangling in his hand.
"'Appen you will want to ave look
at Hoverlook. SIR he said. IF you
would wish. sir. can go yonder WI you
before / go again t the field"
I should, have preferred to sit on the
portico while 1 smoked a cigar and, per-
chance. get a few words with Mrs. Hors-
ford. ! was keenly curious to know the
meaning of those sounds Of the night be-
fore. and IL any one In that household
were likely to help me to the facts 1t was
that good housewife herself with her To-
quacious tongue. l did not like the at
mosphere of mystery at the cottage. and,
taken i'm connection with the revelation
which the name of the housemaid had
brought me. 1 could but conjecture that
the Arms family knew more about Mr.
Somhers' death than had been developed
at the time OF Mr.. Milbrath's trials. that
the HOrsfords were in possession OF the
facts and that Horsford intimidated his
wife lest her voluble speech get them
INTO Trouble. lneSes HOWcNcTs Wcic ou'
conjectures, and as l had no plausible
excuse to decline Horsford's offer / pro-
ceeded at once with him up the gravel
road.
This road was. in fact, a beautiful drive
lined with elm trees. and 1t led directly
to the rear Of the villa, quarter OF q
mile distant.
On the right of the drive lay a hollow
Of green pasture lands. with grain fields
and garden rising beyond. On the left
miniature forest ran into the triangle
of woods of which have already spoken
Near the cottage we passed a grain
house and barn for farming imple-
ments; beyond were the stables and Ice
house. and back Of the villa i caught a
glimpse of q long. low dollhouse, then In
disuse, and q stretch OF sunken gardens.
which in Mr. Somhers' time had been gay
with flowers. but which then were plant
less and grass-grown. The fountain, too.
with its gilded Mercury. was silent and
dry. l was surprised that the grounds
were so green and well kept. but Hors-
ford explained that it was Mr.. Milbrath's
order that the place, which had been his
uncle's pride. should not become weed
clogged. Here and there among the trees
a bit Of statuary cleaned. and ahead the
waters Of the bay shimmered and danced
in the morning sunshine.
The villa stood upon blum. and from
its front door q serpentine driveway
wound and twisted among grassed ter
races to the iron entrance gates. thirty
feet or more below. The building itself
was of gray stone, blackened with age.
on which woodbine everywhere crawled
and twined. The main structure was
square with two wide porticos. one ABOVE
the other. on the front. From either side
a one-story addition stretched out like
wings.
HOrsford maintained a stolid silence.
broken only by laconic answers to my &C.
casional queries. as we traversed the dis
lance between the cottage and the house.
II he was curious as to how l purposed
in this big, lonely old house, he did not
betray it.
At the portico he paused.
IF you are wantin' 'elp to straighten
things bout a bit" he said. my wife
could get you someun to do 1t. 1t may
seem 'er place, sir. to hotter to clip. but
she as such an 'orror of the 'ouse I'm
afraid 1 should ave ard work to make
'er come up. sir"
To have Mrs. Horsford, or any one.
tunity to 60 over 1t carefully was the
last thing for which l wished.
do not try" / answered. MY man,
Gaspard. will be here on the evening
train. and he will do all that needs to be
done. 1 intend to live simply, and shall
am told Is q feature here"
Horsford looked at me steadily. the
same suspicious expression / had noted
the evening before coming into his eyes.
"Ho!" he said. quite invoiuntarily II
seemed. II Supposed. sir, you were an
other Of the men Mr.. Milbrath seems to
ave workin' on the mystery"
Are there men still at work on the
l asked. with an appearance
OF interest.
"'Appen there are, SIR hesitatingiy.
Indeed! l certainly hope that Mr.. Mil
brath will not send any more-at least
while 1 am here. l hardly think should
enjoy being spied upon. Did your"
Horsford's burned skin assumed red
der hue.
Il cannos say i did, sir" And he added.
hastily: But. Of course, II were not me
they cared about. sir"
"Of course not. On the contrary, /
should suppose that you might be of con-
assistance to them. You were
in Winton at the time Of the tragedy.
were you not?''
Not ere. sir. Beverly"
"Ah, Not SO far away but that you
heard what the townspeople had to say
of the case. Perhaps you will not mind
telling me something about It, Once
was newspaper man, and l still like
good story. Besides. / think l should
like to know how things are supposed to
have happened in this house in which
am to spend the remainder of the sum-
mer.'
Horsford's expression implied that he
believed only half Of what / was saying.
II do no. know much abou' hit sir.
save that the old gentleman were knocked
down or 1T on the cad an were dead
when e. were found. an that young Mr..
Milbrath, who was is nevvy. as appen.
YOU know sir was said to ave done 1t.