The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-02-18
CHAPTER X

ITO THE outside eye Anne haG
Il presented no more dolOrous and
detected an aspect than any of the
others. No one, not even Bassett,
noticed that her gdemeanor was In
any way other than what might
have been expected.
Had they been able % see into
her mind the group at Gull island
would have received its second
staggering shock.
She kept as much to herself as
she could without rOusing curios-
ity. She had to think and to be
alone. where she would focus her
thoughts, hold them trained on
what she knew and what might
4, develop. She wanted TO keep her
mind on the main issue, inhibit
any fruitless speculation, wait and
be ready. Joe was on the island,
and with the guarded causeway
would stay on the island till after
they had gone. Her hope, giving
her strength to go through the
automatic actions of behavior, was,
that suspicion not being directed
TO him, he could lie hidden till they
left and then make his getaway.
She knew that Gabriel had gone
to White Beach for a weeks deep
sea fishing, and Gabriel was the
one person besides herself who
knew that Joe had not crossed to
the mainland. They surely would
be moved away before a week and
III, during that time, the belief that
he had gone remained mistaken, he
was safe.
SO far she was confident that no
suspicion had touched him. She
did not see how 1t could. They
were all satisfied that he had left,
her answer to Rawson had been
accepted In good faith. There
would be no Investigation of his
movements for there would be no
reason for doing 1t. He had passed
outside the circle of the tragedy,
was eliminated as the actors were
who had gone on the earlier boat.
If they didn't find him!
Where was he? He had entered
the living room by the door that
led to the kitchen wing and rear
staircase. That would look as if
he was In the house. But she
knew that no doors were locked
on Gull island, and that he might
have come from outside, choosing
a passage through the darkened
building rather than expose him
self to the moonlight. If he was in
the house he must be In the va
cant top story, and she was GER
tain-every sound of heavy foot
steps had been noted by her listen
ing ears-that the men had not
been there yet. That would argue
that they felt no need of hurry.
What conclusions were they com
ing TO behind the closed doors of
the llbrary-had they fixed on some
one of the party, the obvious ones.
Flora or Stokes?
She checked these disintegrating
surmises, drew her mind back with
a fierce tug of will. That would
come later. If Joe got away she
would tell, confess It all. go to jail.
1t didn't matter what happened
then. Only what was here before
her counted now
When the search of the island
started she went up to the side Of
the gallery that skirted the line
Of windows. The group of men
came into her line Of vision, NOV
ing across the fiat land between
the house and the ocean. She sat
crOuched, watching with SET jaw.
Drasap4Ix5 tbax dpnunad nxror tHn
edges of the cliffs, then inarticu-
late surges of prayer rose in her.
blind pleadings; and, her hands
against her breast, she
rocked back and forth as if In un-
l%ssuagable pain. But they always
reappeared without him, went down
again, came up, scrambled through
he stony mouths of ravines-al-
ways without him. When they re-
.urned to the house, she fell back
n the chair, her eyes closed, wills
broken words of %thanksglv-
ng.
With her breath and her voice
lnder control she went downstairs.
She knew now that he must be in
he house.
After lunch she drlfted out on
he balcony with the others and
rom there saw Bassett and the
wO officers of the law go down the
,ath to the pine grove. Follow
ng SYPHILIS movements on the Point
that would take them some time.
irs. Cornell said she was going to
he Kitchen to help Miss Pinkney
if it wasn't for that work she
bought she'd go crazy, and she
.dvised Anna to go upstairs and i
lie down. |
You look like the wrath Of God. /
oney," she said, hooking her hand i
through Anne's arm and drawing Il
with her. "You can't sleep, no h
ne expects that Of you. But /
tretch out on the bed and relax i
get some sort Of rest that way" |,
Anne went with her, Mrs. Cor L
ellis step dropping to a crawling b
ace as they crossed the livin9
Dom. her arm drawing Anne closer. .