The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-23
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But. Tom" suddenly her mind
flashed back to the morning before
Il heard it too-and-wait a mo-
ment-"
She closed her eyes. yes, yes,
now it comes back This is what
happened. You went ahead. was
looking for my cap. It was so hot,
1 just sort Of stopped to get energy
enough to go on.
Our room door was ajar. I heard
someone walking-down the hall
very quietly. I heard a click-like
turning doorknob-and then that
noise, Tom. Louder. You know
like this" She seemed to initiate,
softly, the raucous croak of crow
on branch. 'Rork-rork- rorkl
Sort Of jerky-you couldn't count on
it happening even distances apart.
Its had me wild in the daytime.
1t would drive any one crazy at
night"
"A hot night" Tom mopped his
face. Hot as it was today, that
morning had been worse. The very
memory steamed him up.
T linda thought again. Then
- stopped paying attention. I'd
been standing still, you see, and all
these little noises came perfectly
clearly at that time in the morn
ing.
I'm sure there wasn't any other
sort Of noise or I'd have noticed it.
1 did hear the easement go off again
-rork-rorking-while I stood at
Cousin Amos door wondering
whether to call him-when 1
thought you were with him. Oh,
Tom, wish I had called-or gone
in"
There, honey. Don't think about
that!' Be sure, now-is that abso-
lutely all you remember?"
Yes. I thought then that the
step in the hall was Cousin Amos.
Of course, it was whoever went in
to murder him."
went in probably to raise hell
about that easement. You say his
room door was shut when we got
back from the dance?"
eyes, but he probably heard us
come in. I've felt all along that
he may have gotten up later and
! opened the door, thinking no one
would be passing. Remember, the
air was hotter and closer all the
time"
Pratt says he left his door open.
Claims he went right off to sleep,
but that he wakes easily, too. Says
he has trained himself to fall asleep
instantly and wake at any noise.
Talks about wild animals in camp
and such heroics.'
Then the creaky door didn't
bother him?"
He told me about it, so at least
he noticed it. Claims, however, he
can rise above such minor annoy
ances. But, Binks, he says he heard
a step in the hall, too"
THEIR eyes met.
Then he says he heard the
click of door latch and then the
easement creaking once or twice"
How can he say he heard all
that and not the voices-or the
scuffe when Cousin Amos was
thrown overland then admit he
heard me fall inside the room only
a few minutes later?"
Says he went off to sleep. On
again, off again, just like that. He
acts as if he controlled it like turn
ing water faucet. He heard the
creaking door-then he slept.
He woke to hear a step, a door
latch and the door again. Then,
he says, silence and off to sleep
again. A little later, a thump. Up
springs Marvin, grabs his pants, and
dashes off to your rescue"
Don't forget the underwear"
said Linda.
"Oh, yes. Off pajamas-or per-
haps he wears a night shirt-on
underwear, on pants-enough for
modesty, yet done in a trice. I be-
lieve that is the correct expression.
1T does sound phoney.' Linda
seemed thinking aloud. But you
said yourself Marvin was a quick
mover"
Il did and he is. But. Binks-
you said he was very reluctant to
talk about it yesterday. Today,
while he didn't bubble over, he was
ready enough with his information.
Strikes me he's had time to think
about it Che may be quick mover,
but as you pointed out, he's slow
thinker, and sees he's got to talk
about it perfectly openly and
naturally-and to have a good clear
story, too"
Ito Be Continued)