Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-25

I spoke with that kind OF spurious
equality which seems to be expected
of general practitioners.
I'm Frustrated" said Mrs. Ackroyd
in a faint voice. Absolutely pros
trated. It's the shock Of poor Rogers
death. They say these things often
aren't felt at the time. you know.
It's the reaction afterward."
1t is a pity that a doctor Is pre-
cluded by his profession from being
able sometimes to say what he really
thinks.
I would have given anything to be
able to answer "Bunkum"i
Instead. 1 suggested tonic. Mrs.
Ackroyd accepted the tonic. One move
in the game seemed now to- be cor
cluded. Not for a moment did 7
imagine that / had been sent for be
cause of the shock occasioned by Ack-
royds death. But Mrs. Ackroyd is
totally incapable of pursuing
straightforward course on any subject.
She always approaches her object by
tortuous means. / wondered very
much why it was she had sent for
me.
land then that scene-yesterday.
continued my patient.
She paused as though expecting me
to take up a cue.
What scene?'
Doctor. how can you? Have you
forgotten? That dreadful little French
manor Belgian-or whatever he IS.
Bullying us all like he did. 1t has quite
upset me. Coming on top OF Rogers
DEATH
I'm very sorry, Mrs. Ackroyd."
said.
II don't know what he meant
shouting at us like he did. ! should
Les Ir,txT
dream of concealing anything. ] have
given the police every assistance in
my power"
Mrs. Ackroyd paused. and said
quite So" ] was beginning to have
glimmering of what all the trouble
was about.
mo one can say that I have failed
In my duty" continued Mrs. Ackroyd.
II am sure Inspector Raglan 10 per
fectly satisfied. Why should this little
upstart Of q foreigner make a fuss?
A most misunderstanding creature he
is, too-just like a comic Frenchman
In a revue. 1 can't think why Flora
insisted ON bringing him into the case.
She never said a word to me about II.
Just went off and did 1t on her own.
Flora is too independent. I am a
woman of the world and her mother.
She should have come to me for ad-
vice first"
/ listened to all this in silence.
What does he think? That's what
I want TO know. Does he actually
imagine I'm hiding something? He
he-positively accused me yesterday"
i shrugged my shoulders.
us is surely of no consequence. Mrs.
Ackroyd." I said. "Since you are not
concealing anything, any remarks he
may have made do not apply to you"
Mrs. Ackroyd went off at a tangent,
after her usual fashion.
Servants are so tiresome," she
said. They gossip. and talk amongst
themselves. And then IL gets round
and all the time there's probably moth
ing in it at ALL"
Have the servants been talking?"&
asked. What about?"
Mrs. Ackroyd cast a very shrewd
glance at me. 1t quite threw me off
my balance.
'I was sure you'd know, doctor. IL
any one did. You were with NJ. Poirot
all the time. weren't you?"
at was
"Then. OF course. you know. II was
that girl. Ursula Bourne, wasn't it?
leaving. She would
want to make all the trouble she could.
Spiteful, that's what they are. They're
all alike. Now. you being there. doctor,
you must know exactly what she did
say? I'm most anxious that no
wrong impression should get about.
After all, you don't repeat every
little detail to the police. do you?
There are family matters sometimes
nothing to do with the question of the
murder. But IL the girl was spiteful.
she may have made out all sorts of
things 81,
1 was shrewd enough to see that a
very real anxiety lay behind these
outpourings. Poirot had been justified
In his premises. OF the six people
round the table yesterday, Mrs. Ack.
royd at least had had something to
hide. 1t was for me to discover what
that something might be.
IF 1 were you. Mrs. Ackroyd." /
said brusquely, IT should make a
clean breast of things
She gave q little scream.
"Oh! doctor, how can you be No
abrupt. 1t sounds as though--as
though And can explain every
thing so simply
Then why not do So" suggested.
Mrs. Ackroyd took out a frilied
and became fearful.
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Start
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