Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-06-19
CHAPTER v.
To Find Out tho Truth.

To Find Out tho Truth.
" AYTON broke off with a nod
as Mrs. Beauregard, the cook,
waddled into the room. She
was round faced old negress
with woolly gray hair, strong teeth,
still white, and a mouth OF amazing
breadth, depth and construction. In
build she followed the line OF squat
and badly constructed cylinder. In
motion she resembled venerable
black duck. She wore neat blue cal
leo dress and white apron, and about
her head was the inevitable kerchief
Of the negro serving woman. But
Mrs. Beauregard's was a snowy white.
She rolled her eyes ponderously
about the room and finally brought
them to rest on the great detective,
who was surveying her critically.
"Am yo' de genl'man wants to see
meT she inquired heavily, her arms
akimbo and one broad foot advanced
giving her a singularly truculent air.
Kitty hastily vanished. and KaytOn
smiled upon the old negress.
"Are you Mrs. Beauregard?" he in
quired.
eyes, sub, All am" she replied, voice
and expression being by no means en-
couraging AN Abs heah to say Al
don wanna see 80. Abs seen nuff
O. you p'leecemen All obsahve ebry-
ebry time anythin' bad occuhs in this
heah wuhld yo' allus tries to put il
on to cullud folks"
'How long have you lived here, Mrs.
BeauregardY" inquired Kayton cour
teously. ignoring the arraignment Of
the police.
"H'mw shifted the cook contemptu-
ously. How long has All lihed heaht
Lawd o. lobe, All allus lihed heah! All
libed heah eber since Miss Mary wuz Il
III child What business is it o yo's
how long All llbed heah?" And she
glared upon Kayton.
"Well." returned Kayton, "if you've
lived here so long you must have been
greatly attached to Mr.. Argyle"
The old darky sweled with wrath.
"Don' yo' try to wish no scandal on
me-" she warned him. "Ah wah'n no
mo- 'tached to Mr. Argyle dan Mr..
Argyle war 'tached to me- Dere
wah'n nobody else in dis heah town
could cook for him"
"And ! suppose you were just as
much attached to Miss MazuretW
"Doan yo' flgger yo' can make me
say muffin 'gainst Miss Nary storm
ed Mrs. Beauregard, shaking her fist at
him. "Come roun' heah tryin to work
up mo- lies 'gainst dat chile 70 de news
papers! All know huff to know she
didn't done muffin"
Kayton bit his lip. Young Mr.. Ar
gyle," he said gravely, "has brought
me here to find out the truth. IF you
know anything that will help to clear
Miss Mazuret you had better tell It"
The old termagant was impressed by
both words and manner and regarded
him doubtfully for moment. Then
she wheeled heavily upon the butler.
as dis heah man lynn to me?' she
demanded fiercely.
Finley shook his head. There's
tricks In all trades, Mrs. Beauregard,
but I'm thinkin' the truth can't hurt
Miss Mary. So whatever We know ye'd
best tell i'm"
Kayton nodded. well. what do you
known"
"Ah know" declared the cook defiant
ly, Miss Mary hadn't muffin to do WI
dat 'sassination, cause she was on de
uppuh fob all de time"
"How do you know thatf" asked
"'Cause All done see her dere."
where were your"
"Ah was crawlin up dem kitchen
staihs, an Deb was light up deb, an
All look up an All see her"
"What brought you upstairs?"
Mrs. Beauregard gathered up huge
handfuls of her apron and rolled her
eyes, swallowing visibly before she
replied:
swell, sub. All was walked up by
pow'ful row In de middle OBJ de night
'Peahed like somebody must ha fell
down de stains. All was scaled cohpse /
cold. An den All wait an lissen an
lissen, an All don't heah muffin mo-.
Den All reckOns All better 'vestigate |
dat commotion. AM" her eyes rolled.
"Ah done it,
did you speak to Miss MazuretT
Kayton.
mo, suh," returned the old woman,
with violent shake Of her woolly
head. "Ah wasn't speakin'; All was jes'