Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-29
CHAPTER XVII.
"It's an internal lie," | said duly.


"Sure it Is" Maclean was thorough
lily embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"The way work 1t out is, there's
probably just enough in it somewhere
for Carucci to build on. Maybe Reid
did get into some mess or other way
back before he was married, an Caru-
cci works that in with what he thinks
he knows about the family now, an
dopes out this scandal in high life
business. Or maybe he don't believe
it himself, an just has 1t in for the old
man. You can't tell whether it's muck
rakin' or mudslingin', but it's bound to
be partly both, you see? l only told
you so you'd know what was around.
Well, are you comin'?"
< got my hat mechanically. and went
out with him into the dust and the
heat. The sense Of unreality that had
been upon me that early morning in
the automibile was returned now in
the breathless afternoon The hazy
slit of sky overhead, the stark light
and shadow Of the street, had the
tones Of a cheap colored photograph.
The very smell OF the air was like
memory Of itself. The roar and jan
a distance through stiffness that
listened; and the wall of hand organ
on the corner somehow completed and
enhanced it, all. I had only had one
serious illness in my life, and that had
been long ago; but remembered that
upon my first venturing out of doors
after 1t, things had looked SO; and l
wondered for a moment whether
were going to be i'll again. But that
was nonsense, I was not person to
collapse upon the hearing of bad
news; and besides, this news, did not
believe. Maclean had not believed it
himself, in telling 1t to me. Only. he
had SO much less knowledge than l Of
its consistency. Grant for once that
Lady was Miriam, that she was an
only daughter-and they all would
have done even as had seen them
doing. So Lady would have worn her
ring, so feared our growing intimacy,
so felt the burden OF an abnormality
not her own, SO confessed to me the
barrier ard in extremity lied about her
name, so the family would have shrunk
from any, notice, and striven to rid
themselves of Carucci and of me.
Straight this way pointed every line
of mystery since the beginning; here
was one logical motive for all. The
fitted every fact; only, |
could not believe it. Of the people. A
small cloud covered the sun, and the
hot street turned suddenly gray. A
horse clocked heavily around the cor
ner the rumble of the wheels behind
him suddenly muffled as they struck
the asphalt CT the avenue. We were
going up the steps of a house, house.
closed for the summer with lead-color-
ed board shutters over the lower win
dows, and an outer door of the same,
on which the bright brass disk Of a
spring lock took the place Of knob.
Maclean glanced again up at the num-
Der as he pressed the bell.
: admit one gent and phantoms.' he
said, shifting. Nov you put your
soul in safe pocket an button 1t
in. This gang, they'd snitch 1t in q
second" I'll,
A low-voiced man in cutaway Goa:
opened the door, and we stood for
moment in dark hallway smelling OF
cloth and furniture, while he and Mac
lean talked together in half-whisper,
l suppose explaining my presence.
Then he opened another door at the
side of the hall, and ushered us into
the front room where we half CROPPED
our way to seat on the farther side,
amid low rustic of whispers. A gray
ish twilight filtered through the bright
cracks of the shutters and between
the closed folding doors at the rear.
At first, the contrast with the glare
of the street made it seem almost abb
solutely dark; and as my eyes grad
ually became adapted to the dimness,
I remembered being shut in the closet
when / was child, and how the pale
from decreasing and keyhole
had gradually diluted the gloom in
lust the same way. The recollection
was so vivid that half imagined here
the same rustic and stiffness of hang
ing clothes, and the sense of outrage
at the shutting out of daylight. Then
slowly the room formed itself out OF
darkness into grayness: the white cell
ing, with its moving shadows and bur