Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

Continued from Yesterdays STAR
I suggested strolling on the terrace.
and he acquiesced. Poirot stayed
behind.
I stopped to examine a late rose.
glow things change in the course
OF a. day or so.' | observed. Il vas
I'D here last Wednesday. I refine mber,
walking up and down this same ter
race. Ackroyd was with me-fuIl OF
spirits. Ana now-three days later
Ackroyd's dead. peor fellow Mrs.
Terrars is dead-you knew her. dldn
you? But Of course YOU did.
Blunt nodded his head.
Had you seen her a'nce you I'd been
down this t}hie
went with Ackroyd to call. Last
Tuesday. think il was. Fascinating
woman--but something queer about
her. Deep--one would never know
what she was up TO.
I looked into his steady gray eyes.
Nothing there surely. | went on:
IT suppose you 4 met her before.
Last tifA. was here-she and her
husband hsa Just come here TO live.
He paused u minute and then added:
Rum thing. she had changed lot
between then and now.
"How--changed? | asked.
Looked 10 years older.
Were YIN down here when her
husband d.a'?'' asked. trying to
make the e4Wsition sound as casual as
possible.
NO From ali heard it would he
q good riddance. Uncharitable. per-
haps, but the truth"
l agreed.
Ashley Fafrars was by no means a
pattern husband" l said cautiously.
"Blackgu&rd I thought" said
Blunt.
NO" I said. "only man with
more mone< than was good for HIM.
.Oh! money! All the troubles in the
world can be put down to money
or the lac. Of it,
(which has been your particular
trouble?" l asked.
i've enough for what 1 want. I'm
one of the lucky ones.
Indeed
I'm not too flush just now, as
matter of fact. Come into legacy
q year ago, and like fool let myself
be persuaded into putting it into some
wildcat scheme.
l sympatE.zed and narrated my own
similar trouble.
Then the gong pealed out. and we
all went in to lunch. Poirot drew me
back little.
Eth! bien?"
He's all right" said. I'm sure
of it
HE had a legacy just year ago.
said, But why not? Why
shouldn't he? LII swear the man is
perfectly square and aboveboard."
without doubt. without doubt"
said Poirot. soothingly. DO not up
set yourself"
He spoke as though to a fractions
child.
We all trooped into the dining
room. II seemed Incredible that less
than "a hours had passed since l last
sat at that table.
Afterward Mrs. Ackroyd took me
aside and sat down with me on SOFA.
II can't help feeling little hurt"
she murmured producing a handker-
chief of the kind obviously not meant
to be cried into. Hurt, l mean, by
That twenty thousand pounds ought
to have been left to me-not to Flora.
a mother could be trusted to safe
guard the interests OF her child. A
lack Of trust. call It,"
You forget, Mrs. Ackroyd," I
said. Flora was Ackrcyd's own niece.
blood relation. 1t would have been
different had you been his sister in
stead of his sister-in-law."
"As poor Cecil's widow, I think my
feelings ought to have been con-
sidered," said the lady, touching her
eyelashes gingerly with the handker.
chief. But Roger was always most
peculiar-not to say mean-about
money matters. 1t has been most diff
licult position for both Flora and my
self He did not even give the poor
child an allowance. He would pay her
bills, you know, and even that with a
cnnd doaI of rol,ret nee and asking
what she wanted all those fal.lals for
so like q nlaYi-put--now I've for
gotten what it was ! was going to
say. Oh, yes, not q penny we could
call our own, you know. Flora re-
scented it-yes, / must say she resented
:t--very strongly. Though devoted to
her uncle, of course. But any girl
would have resented it. Yes. l must
say Roger had very strange ideas
about money. He wouldn't even buy
new face towels, though l told him
The old one we're in holes. And then, :"
proceeded Mrs. Ackroyd, with sud
den leap highly characteristic Of her
conversation, Ito leave all that money
"a thousand pounds-fancy. a thou
sand pounds!--to that woman"
What woman"
THAT Russell woman. Something
very queer about her, and so I've
always said. But Roger wouldn't
hear a word against her. Said she
was a woman of great force of charac-
ter, and that he admired and re-
spected her He was always going
on about her rectitude and independ-
ence and moral worth. / think
there's something fishy about her
She was certainly doing her best to
marry Roger. But I soon put a stop
20 that. She's always hated me.
Naturally. / saw through her"
began to wonder If there was any
chance of stemming Mrs. Ackroyd's
eloquence. and getting away.
Mr.. Hammond provided the neces-
sary division by coming up to say
goodby. / seizeo my chance and rose
also.
About the inquest" said. Where
would you prefer 1t to be held? Here.
or at the Three Boars?"
Mrs. Ackroyd stared at me with a
dropped jaw.
THE inquest" she asked. the pic.
Eure Of CONSERVATION.
But surely there won't have to be
an inquest?''
Mr. Hammond gave dry little
cough and murmured. Inevitable.
Under the circumstances two short
little banks.
But surely DR.. Sheppard can ar
range"
There are limits TO my powers Of
arrangement" l said. dryly.
IF his death was an accident"
He was murdered, Mrs. Ackroyd,"
/ said, brutally.
She gave a little cry.
NO theory Of accident will hold
water for a minute"
Mrs. Ackroyd looked at me In dis,