Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

l
II thought, doctor, that you NIGH
put 1t to NJ. Poirot-explain it, you
| know--because it's so difficult for a
| foreigner to see our point of view
! And you don't know-nobody could
know-what I've had to contend with
| A martyrdom--a long martyrdom
| That's what my life has been. !
| don't like to speak i'll of the dead
but there it is. Not the smallest bill
but it had all to be gone over-just
as though Roger had had few
miserly hundreds a year instead OF
being (as Mr. Hammond told me yes
terday) one of the wealthiest men In
these parts
Mrs. Ackroyd paused to dab her
eyes with the frilled handkerchief.
YES" I said encouragingly. "You
were talking about bills?"
| "Those dreadful bills. And some
didn't like to show Roger at all. They
were things a man wouldn't under
stand He would have said the things
| weren't necessary. And of course
| they mounted up, you know, and they
kept coming i'll"
She looked at me appealingly, as
though asking me to condole with her
on this striking popularity.
Its a habit they have" I agreed.
And the tone altered-became
quite abusive. I assure you, doctor
I was becoming a nervous wreck.
couldn't sleep at nights. And dread
full fluttering round the heart. And
then 1 got a letter from a Scotch
gentleman-as a matter Of fact there
were two letters-both Scotch gentle
men. Mr. Bruce Macpherson was
one, and the other was Colin Mac
Donald. Quite a coincidence.
Hardly that" 1 said dryly. They
are usually Scotch gentlemen. but
suspect Semitic strain in their ances-
try"
'"Ten pounds to ten thousand on
note of hand alone" murmured Mrs.
Ackroyd reminiscently. II wrote to
one of them, but it seemed there were
difficulties"
She paused.
/ gathered that we were just COM
ing to delicate ground. I have never
known any one more difficult to bring
to the point.
you see," murmured Mrs. Ackroyd,
"it's all a question of expectations,
isn't it? Testamentary expectations.
And though, of course, / expected that
Roger would provide for me, ] didn't
know 1 thought that if only l could
glance over a copy of his will--not in
any sense of Vulgar prying-but just
so that I could make my own ar
rangements"
She glanced sideways at me. The
position was now very dilicate indeed.
Fortunately words, ingeniously used,
will serve to mask the ugliness of
naked facts.
Il could only tell this to you, dear
DR.. Sheppard" said Mrs. Ackroyd
rapidly. II can trust you not to mis-
judge me, and to represent the matter
in the right light to NJ. Poirot. 1t
was on Friday afternoon---
She came TO a stop and swallowed
uncertainty.
YES" I repeated encouragingly.
ION Friday afternoon. Well?"
Every one was out, or so thought.
And / went into Rogers study had
some real reason for going there
mean, there was nothing underhand
about it, And as | saw all the papers
heaped on the desk, it just came to
me, like a flash: L wonder If Roger
keeps his will in one of the drawers of
the desk I'm SO impuisive, always
was, from a child. I do things on the
spur of the moment. He'd left his
keys-very careless of HMM the
lock of the top drawer
II See" / said helpfully. 80 you
searched the desk. Did you find the
will?'
Mrs. Ackroyd gave a little scream,
and / realized that / had not been
sufficiently diplomatic.
How dreadful it sounds. But it
wasn't at all like that, really"
"Of course it wasn't" l said hastily.
You must forgive my unfortunate
way of putting things"
you see, men are SO peculiar. In
dear Rogers place, I should not have
objected to revealing the provisions OF
my WILL But men are so secretive.
One Is forced to adopt little subter.
fuges in self-defense"
And the result of the little sub.
terfuge?" l asked.
That's just what I'm telling you
AS l got to the bottom drawer
Bourne came in. Most awkward. O!
course I shut the drawer and stood
up, and I called her attention to few
specks of dust on the surface. But
didn't like the way she looked--quite
respectful in manner, but a very
nasty light in her eyes. Almost con
temptuous. If you know what l mean
never have liked that girl very much
She's a good servant, and she says
Nam, and doesn't object to wearing
caps and aprons (which / declare to
you lot of them do nowadays), and
she can say Not at home without
scruples If she has to answer the door
instead of Parker, and she doesn't
have those peculiar gurgling noises