Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-12-11
BY WOMAN'S WIT
By LOUISE HELEN COODHUE.

tAan the telephone in the hall tinkled
insistently.
Take the message. Barry" | or
dered and went on with my meal
IT was Miss Carson. sir" he said
when he returned. "She wished me
10 tell you that she is bringing Mr.
Ashton here tomorrow at three
O'Clock. She said Mr.. Ashton also ex-
pressed desire to see you. sir"
Three o'clock"
Yes. sir. that's the time she said
/ Very WELL" and I dismissed the
subject abruptly. But / could not $,
easily dismiss ii from my mind. II
/ haunted me. Why was she bringing
him to see me? Why shouldn't Ii be
! inst as easy for me 10 go to see him?
Somehow or other ! was not exactly
pleased. hut ! resolved TO be on time
to receive them tomorrow
Therefore. a quarter to three the
! following afternoon found me i'm
patiently awaiting the Interview in
| the library where so many events
pleasant and tragic. had taken place
! was unaccountatly nervous. I re-
arranged the chairs. saw that matches
and cigarettes were placed convent
emily, and threw open the windows 10
admit the cool April air.
] glanced at the big arm chair. still
in its accustomed place by the now
empty fireside; at the mantle where
the picture of Agnes Marion still Look
ed smilingly down. all that was LEFT
! OF her. The clock licked off the sec
onds.one by one. Five minutes to
three. | grew restless. felt weigh
ed down by a presage of strange
| things 10 come. The book took
from a shelf was tossed aside in dis
gust. and | paced the room in an en-
deavor to shake off the depression
that seemed to have descended upon
me- Three o'clock sounded and
simultaneously the door bell pealed
ominously. | started nervously. then
recovered myself as the door opened
to admit Detective P'ohmond. who en-
tered followed ~ ; $50 7 .nme3iete-
ly recognized 70 A~Atea
"Mr. Ashton. th'r IS Mr.. whitmore's
i. former partner" introduced Rich
mond in the formal. pompous air he
loved to assume on occasions We
shook hands. and from the express
sion on our faces no one would have
time we had met
Miss Carson and Mr. Marion are
on their wav here :" continued the de-
tective, seating himself in what had
become his favcrite chair. and lean
ing back comfortably I'VE left them
talking with Dr. Woods" Richmond
was still speaking when Miss Carson
and Jack made their appearance to-
gether with DR. Woods whose Meas
ant, professional face looked worn
and haggard.
Sorry TO have kent you waiting"
arologized Miss Carson sweetlv.
"But we met the doctor on the street.
and it took us all this time to con
vince him he ought to ioin rs here. |
never saw a man with so many eX-
cuses,"
You see. | had a very important
cGse at Rockville" the doctor began
lamelv. hut Miss Carson and Jack cut
him short
no more excuses. Doctor" inter
rupted Jack. Ii was the first time |
had seen him since his sisters death,
and even in that short time the
change i'm him was noticeable. There
was little trace left of the happy.
carefree boy: he was now man,
ready to assume the cares and bur-
dens of a man.
To-day is Saturday. is it not? DO
You know that 1t is exactly two
months ago today since Mr.. Whitmore
was found murdered?" said Miss Car
son, looking at me with those brown
eyes that always gave the impression
of probing my soul.
Two monthsl Only two months
Why. it seemed as if two years had
passed since that terrible Saturday
morning,
"Yes. two months ago today" par
roted Richmond. putting contentedly
on large cigar he had produced
from the depths of his pocket 1T
has been a very difficult case"
VERY difficult" | assented, remem-
bering an article in the days paper
criticizing the laws delay Again
/ with her surprising accuracy Miss
Carson seemed 10 read what was
passing within my mind.
But don't you think that after all
slow methods are the best?-'slow bu;
sure as the saying goes" she re-
marked, smiling significantly across.
| a: me.
"Perhaps," | smiled in return. hut
1 she had already forgotten my pres
/ ence.