Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-07

tant mill while he was still strolling
back and fotth under the treIlised
| arbor. More out of habit than any
thing else. he procured his dinner
from where it reposed, wrapped in n
newspaper. on his coat in the tool
box, and seated himself on the steps.
But if he had hoped to devour it I'M
disturbed. he was disappointed.
Scarcely had he consumed his first
| sandwich of cold fried pork and
bread than u thin voice twanged be-
hind him. and, turning. to his
establishment he beheld Lefty ad-
| vancing with a glass and bottle in
her hands.
Il was thinkin' maybe a little
ginger ale would 20 good with your
lunch, Gcoff," she remarked jerkily.
Il don't know what / would done
| with Old Henry this mofnin' if it
hadn't been for YOU when--whcn we
found Mr.. Bernhard"
ITS Il pity no one thought o. old
Henry afterward," he replied. Thank
you kindly for this, though
He drank deeply but eyed her
for the acidulous housemaid had
shown him no favors before, and
lie was wary.
Il did think of him when I could
get a minute from Mrs. Cayley and
the others, but lie told me you'd
I brought him up some coffee and he
didn't want anything else" With
out invitation, she pumped herself
down on the steps beside him with
her sharp elbows on her knees and
her sharper chin in her hands. II
went UP again just now. but he's
sleopin' like Il child and I'm glad of
II 40 al, IL.
shock of comm on MI. Bernhard like
that. When YOU saw him could you
get anything out of him, Geoff?
, What did he say?"
So that was it, She had come to
puiGp him. But why should she care
particularly what the butler or any
| one else had said about Joseph
Benkard's death Was it just
womans love of gossip: Geor
finished the other sandwich before
he replied:
q didn't try to cit anythin' out o
him. faint none o my affairs, but
crazy; seems real bright and level
headed to me for an old feller"
well. he isn't: he's in his second
childhood. if you ask me, but the
shock was enough to drive anybody
out of their head" Lefty peered
INTO the newspaper spread between
his knees. What are You eatin?
Doughnuts and apples and stale
cheese. Goodness gracious. what
lnesscs you bachelors do fix up for
!ourselvCs,.'
IT'S what I like" Geoff protested
in some alarm. Il been eatin' it
steady FOR fifteen Years, ever since
my ma died."
Just YOU watt Lefty rose.
Zeppa's Il good -lor-nothing. lazy
thing, but she makes lovely chocolate
cake and / think there's some left"
She was gone before he could re-
monstrate further, and philoso-
phcally Geoff poured himself am
other glass of ginger ale. After all, :
he had committed himself by accept
ing that, and he might as well take
whatever else was offered, but this
new attitude on her part was dis
quieting.
Lefty returned presently with
huge wedge of the detachable cake on
u plate, and seated herself again
beside him.
Il guess you'll like that better"
she remarked in answer to his
cautiously worded thanks. MY,
what a mornin' it's been. First
, that-that awful business, and then
havin' to break tho news to Mrs
cayiey and the young ladies', and
trying to keep 'Zcppa from havin'
ut, and then the police comm, The
DOCTOR is a friend of yours. isn't he.
GeoT? | saw YOU talkin' to him two
or three times. What does he think
about-about the murder?"
Her tones Were confidentially low
cred as she bent nearer to him. and
Geoff edged away.
doc Hoods friend to nigh every
body IN the county. goin' miles day
or night to take care o the sick
whether they kin pay or not" he
observed, noncommittally. Hes
knowed me since | was knee high TO
4 Erasshopper. but he wouldn't like
" talk to me about his criminiIe
cases, as medical examiner lie ask
ed me questions just the same as he
done to everybody else"
What kind of questions. Geoff?"
Her voice was a mere whisper now.
and she hitched along closer to him
on the step. He saw with dismay
that she would soon have him hem
! med in against the baIustrade, and
escape would be impossible. "Dr.
Hood asked me a lot cf<questions
too, and he was awful kind about It,
but | couldn't make head nor tail
of what he was gittin' at. What
| did he ask you?"
Geoff remembered all at once that
ii was the doctor himself who had
called him "slow- thinking" and he
smiled in<Sardly.
Well. after he'd got through about
this moTnin he asked me il I'd seen
any S'picious characters hangjn'