The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-02-25
I GERALDINE
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"Oh. he didn't miss the boat
! said Rawson.
well, then, what was he dOingi
What made him stay?" In the tur-
mOil Of his Amusement, this sud
den precipitation of a new mys-
terry, Bassett had not yet grasped
the sinister trend Of the others
thoughts.
why said RawsOn slowly, che
might have been staying for q pur-
pose"
what ~purpose?"
Cant you imagine a purpose,
Mr.. Bassett?"
GOOD God, you don't mean to
say you think he did it?"
I'm not saying anything yet.
But I'd like you TO tell me how you
explain 1t. He says he's going,
leads every one TO think he's going,
makes all the preparations for his
departure, then secretly, without
divulging any change of plans,
doesn't go. Aren't those actions
well, to put 1t mildly-QuestiOn-
able? And note this. He had cause
for anger against Miss Saunders
she'd given him away TO you-and
you Yourself have told us that he
had an ungovernable temper"
HE had a devilish temper and a
id mean disposition and / make
no doubt he was blazing mad with
her. But that he'd go TO work and
kill her IN cold blood, lay In wait
for her-no-yOu can't make me
think that"
Same here" said Williams. you
amt got enough p%rovocation. With
Mrs. Stokes you haye-a woman
Jealous of her husband"
And you've got a man" retorted
Rawson. moved by II Of the pas
slons that lead oftenest to murder
revenge"
"Revengef' echoed Williams.
Miss Saunders accusation, if
true-and l think it was-would
ruin him in his profession. He
learned what she'd done to him
Just before he was due TO leave"
A chill passed through Bassett-
revenge was a word that fitted Joe.
But he cast the thought out, NOV
ing away from the desk and ex-
claiming with angry reputation:
ooh, it's unthinkable, preposter-
ous.'
what but an evil intention could
have made him act as he did,"
ANY number of things. 1t may
be a prank-a practical Joke we'll
get an explanation of later. He may
have invented the story of his fish
ing trip and gone off with a girl"
lilac he a girl?"
II don't know-also he may have
done something dishonest, got in
wrong some wayne was capable
of it. I'm not defending him-and
been frightened and lit out"
How did he get OFF,"
Bassett's voice was raised in his
evaporation:
Good Lord, Rawson, we weren't
jailed here then. He could have
had a boat hidden in n Of the
coves. This place wasn't escape
proof till you turned up. He could
have rowed ashore and landed any
where. and that's what he's done"
UNLESS he's here"
Here on the islandY' Williams
spoke with an air of patient re-
minder: "Ain't we gone over 1t
with a fine-tooth comb?"
Rawson pointed to the ceiling:
How about that top story? A
person-we won't say who-could
have killed the woman, entered the
house while the rest of you were
on the beach, put back the pistol,
and gone upstairs"
Williams made a motion TO heave
himself up from his chair.
"Well, if that's how you feel
about it let's go up and have q look
for the person"
"We needn't do that just now.
They're as safe as if they We're be-
hind bars. There is something |
want to do down here first-have
a talk with Miss Tracy. She may
be able to give us a little light
"She can't help you" said Bias
sett. "They weren't on confiden-
tfal terms. She'd be the last per-
son he'd tell anything to.&
He believed what he said, but his
heart sank. Anne to be dragged
through another Interrogation, an
Interrogation with a hideOus suspi-
cion behind i'll
Rawson rose:
perhaps so, but it's worth try
ing. She may know more than you
think; sisters sometimes do. And
she certainly must have more
knowledge Of him than any Of US.
Wen soon see"
He moved toward the door.
'rll go up and get her now"