The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-29
CHAPTER xLII

By the tune rum OpeHeu tHS room door Linda's damp suit lay ..l the bathroom floor. ready to be hung from the window, and Linda gee of turquoise mist.
 "Oh, Tommy, I've found out something!" she exclaimed.
 He slap slapped through the room, violently turning on the shower. She heard the spatter of cold water on hard flesh. a quick toweling. and her impatient "hur- ry!" came even as he emerged, griunink at her excitement.
 ..AlT right-yours first!" he said. Hurry yourself!"
 "Mr Statlander picked up the towel from the nursery floor and put it into the hamper himself. He
 "And MT statlander is little deaf. in one ear, or both, ana ne toesn't admit it.
 She blinked as she took this tn. "Oh! How? But that
 Answering your highly intelli- Rible questions, reply, "Yes. it's the truth. Shaughnessey told me He overlook Statlander as he and DeVos walked down the lawn and Statlander not only didn't hear t..em coming which perhaps is natural on the grass - but didn't hear his first hail. [ Shaughnessey says he whirled around at the sec ond one, sort of guiltily. He thinks tLe mans sensitive and didn't want it known. We tried once or twice on the raft when he had his back to us and 1t worked. That is he didn't hear unless we raised our voices a little."
 .'FIe made me repeat one sen- tence," said Linda thoughtfully, but that often happens - he's seemed to hear all right. didn't
 .sIJsuaiiy he was faclng you--es- pecialIy when you talked to him. And it's not very bad. If it hadn't been for Shaughnessey I wouldn't have tumbled to 1t at all"
 "Mr Shaughnessey pointed It out" she said slowly.
 .Yes. but proved it to my own satisfaction. Binks. And that - as you saw and started to say-makes a lot of difference about his hear ing the noise of the door,"
 Eff it's true he wouldn't be both- cred if either one of the doors were
 
 sExactly. But he still could prob ably have heard 1t if both doors were wide open. Did you find out about this?"
 "Open."
 "Hm! That makes 1t difficult"
 What's more, he opened the nursery door and the easement window in there for the current through. That was how he said he came to go out on the balcony. He might have heard 1t from even closer"
 "Still he couldn't have been there long. A noise like that only poth- CTS if you hear 1t over and over. And you must remember his hear iny is distinctly dulled. Certainly ths worst edge would be taken off. :"
 .'Then, Tom-it's between Mar win and MT DeVos?"
 'sNo, the devil of 1t is we can't definitely eliminate Statlander any Lore than we can Shaughnessey: We think they're out but it's all bas on such small things. How did he take the towel businessf'
 She repeated the conversation.
 "And for some reason he not only wasn't offended but seemed tp
  of 1t. Explain that if you can."
 II can," said Tom. And think 1t covers a lot we have against him. He's born old m,-id--or. if you prefer. an efficiency expert. K, Things out of order upset him. He straightens the railing and picks up the towel. Also he believes wo- mans home is her job and disap- proves of one who takes her sacred responsibilities lightly. He's thought us both altogether too young and fighty, and suddenly you betray old-fashioned house. wifely instincts and call him to ac- count on the number of towels he uses and the fact that one has gone astray. Probably he believed he had done you a terrible injus. tice and felt highly apoiogetic."
 (Which would show itself by his just being little less grumpy. added Linda. Entirely possible. my Aear Well isn't it about time