Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-10
CHAPTER VI.
voluntary Service.

4 voluntary oeTvSC0s
and why do you think he can't
have done 1T"
Cazalet had trundled the old canoe
over the rollers, and Blanche was
hardly padding in the CLASSY strip
alongside the weir. Below the lock
there had been something to do, and
Blanche had done 1t deity and Silent
ly. with almost equal capacity and
grace. It had given her q charming
flush and sparkle; and. what with the
suns bare hand on her yellow hair,
she now looked even BONNER than in
doors. yet not quite. quite such girl.
But then every bit Of the boy had gone
out Of Ca2alet. SO that hour stolen
from the past was up forever.
why do the police think the other
thing?" he retorted. What have they
got to 20 on? That's what I want to
know. I agree with Toye in one thing"
Blanche looked up quickly. Il wouldn t
trust old Savage an inch. I've been
thinking about him and his previous
evidence. Do you realize that it's
quite dark now soon after seven? 1t
was pretty thick saying his man was
bareheaded. with neither hat nor cap
left behind to prove It! Yet now it
seems he's put beard to him. and
next We shall have the color of his
syes!"
Blanche laughed Ut his vigor Of
phrase: this was more like the old,
hot.tempered, sometimes rather over
bearing Sweep. Something had made
him jump to the conclusion that scru.
ton could not possibly have killed Mr..
Craven. whatever else he might have
done in days gone by. So it simply
was impossible. and anybody who took
the other side would have to reckon
henceforth with Sweep Cazalet.
Mr.. Toye already had reckoned with
him, In . little debate begun outside
the old summer schoolroom at Little
ford, and adjourned rather than IN
ished ut the iron gate into the road. In
her heart Of hearts Blanche could not
say that Cazalet had the best of the
argument. Toye had advanced gen.
eral principle with calm ability, but
Cazalet could not be shifted from the
particular position he was so eager to
defend. and would only enter into alb
stract questions to beg them out Of
hand.
Blanche rather thought that neither
quite understood what the other
meant; but she could not blink the
fact that tho old friend had neither the
dialectical mind nor the unfailing
courtesy Of the new. That being SO,
with her perception she might have
changed the subject: but she could
see that Cazalet was thinking Of moth
ing else; and no wonder, since they
were approaching the scene Of the
tragedy and his own old home. with
each long dip Of her paddle.
It had been his own wish to start
upstream: but she could SEQ the visit
full pain In his eyes % they fell once
more upon the red turrsts and the
smooth green lawn Of Uplands: and
she neither spoke nor looked ct him
again until he spoke to her.
II see they've got the blinds down
still" he said detachedly. Whats
happened to Mrs. Crsveni"
II hear she went into q nursing
home before tho funeral"
Il expect We should find Savage
somewhere. Would you very much
mind, Blanchef should rather like
II It was just setting foot-with you
But even that effective hnal pronoun
failed to bring any buoyancy back into
his voice; for 1t was not in the least
effective as he said it, and he no long.
Or looked her in the face. But this all
seemed natural to Blanche, in the
manifold and overlapping circum'
stances Of the case. She made for the
inlet at the upper end of the lawn
And her prompt unquestioning &C
quiescence shamed Cazalet into further
and franker explanation. before he
could let her land to please him.
You don't know how I feel this!'
he exclaimed quite miserably. Il mean
about poor old Scruton; he's gone
through 20 much q it is. whatever he
may have done to deserve It long ago
ID It conceivable that he should e
and do . thing like this the very mo
ment he gets out7 ask you. IL II
oven conceivable7
Blanche understood him. And now
she showed herself golden to the core
almost - an earnest Of her fitness fol
thu flraa hafonA har
Poor fellow" she cried. he has {
friend IN you. ct any rate! And III
help you TO help him, II there's any
way I can.
He clutchsd her hand. but only q
he might have clutched . mans"
you can't do anything; but won,
forget that" he almost choked. q
meant to stand BY him In . very differ
emit way. He'd been down to tht
depths. and I'd come UP bit: ther
no was good to me ~ . lad. and It va,
my fathers partner who was the ruiz
Of him. I seemed to owe him some
thing, and now--now I'll stand BY hin
whatever happens and-whatevsr ha.
happened"
Then they landed in the old old In
let. Casalet know every knot In TIN
post to which no tied Blanche's canoe
It was . very different place, thil
Uplands. from poor old Littleford OF
the lower reach. The grounds were
five or six acres instead Of about one
and house n quite another class
stood farther back from tho river and
very much farther from the road.
The inlet began the western bound