The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-06

for minute and the next time he came to look for 1t 1t was gone. Cou- sin Amos of cour.. But Marvin didn't know that and he lived in some suspense-I may say some
 "Don't gloat; 1t isn't becoming" said his wife loftily. '"rhen of course Cousin Amos held Marvin up on his way out-Ihen he pre- tended to us that he was going to read those stuffy old essays or whatever"
 "The late Emperor of Rome would appreciate your estimate or his deathless prose-" Tom returned the snub with interest. "Yes--Mar- GUS Aurelius was q blind, all right, but Cousin Amos must have al- ready assimilated considerable As- iatic folklore for I gather his com ments whom he stopped Marvin werewolf, Biblical in an Old Testament prophet cal ling down. fire and-brimstone sort Of way, if you know what I mean"
 "Contamination of his presence, murmured Linda reminiscently.
 "Oh, yes. Said he wasn't fit to associate with us-or rather With you, darilng--the sweet young wife, hardly more than a child"
 "How simply outrageous! What did he think was -- couldn't l stand 0 little Tommy dearest, what Was in the old book anyhow?'
 Coming now to MT Statlander," acclaimed her husband oratorically.
 "I'll find out some day." mur- mured Linda. :.
 "There's another dunderhead What do you suppose he's been up
 "rd like very much to know, dear,' replied his wife with sus- picious meekness.
 "First place, he's leaving Vale- ska. Going with Rosemary Lynn, our biterost rival In the beauty business, you know. Didn't think he should tell me before he told Valeska herself, but he's been sim ply twittery about winding up his fairs and at the same time try ing to hold the tidings back. Wish he'd choked on lem
 "That explains the valedictory air!" - on this Binks. He has q wife and i've daughters!"
 "But what has this to do with me?" Inquired Linda dramatically. "He hasn't shown signs of n guilty passion for me, if that's what you're limiting. Considers me as uso less and exasperating Q person us he ever knew
 "You wrong him. His passion Isn't gullty--but he confesses shy iy to n warm affection--that tho exact term - for your charming self"
 "What? He can't. bear mel"
 '"Every word true."
 "I'd like to see him look at some one he really did detest," remark: cd Linda emphatically. "When. l think of the gloomy, disapproving looks I have been gottins-can you "Xbsoiutely. The way he be.
 "That capped tho climax. Posi- lively beamed and rubbed his hands together with gloating and glee. That, Mir Averill. makes tho place more interesting. l like working out problems of all sorts - never had . murder one before. If you,d told me about 1t, I could have help cd YOU, I know. Anyhow, the house where all this happened will al- ways have special interest for mel" Well, couldn't. contradict
 "He could have helped you? But didn't he see he was Q suspect ?"
 'Heard me say 1t, over and over, but never did take it in. Passed it over indulgently each time as Q de- fusion of the weak-minded. Ho hum! Binks. I'm actually sleepy''
 she yawned luxuriously. "so'm I. Think I'll take Q shower and go
 Hurry up, Blnks - I want . shower, too. Oh, say--!" She stopped in anticipation. "Shaugh. nessey cane clean. At tho very end he mentioned casually how he hap- pened to be stirring round early that morning"
 "How?"
 The poor nut! You know he wasn't quite himself when he went up to bed. Seems ho'd forgotten to wind his watch and 1t stopped at about 10. He rolled Into bed. slept c.n. hour or two, woke and found t light and looked at the watch. For ail he says about how easily the shau shn esseys carry their liquor l think he was still Q trine nluzzy. wltted. He thought you'd said 10 for breakfast, so he lept up and dressed and beat 1t fo. the house.
 T had locked the. door--force of habit, for hadn't the faintest rec. tilection afterwards Of doing it. He tried it--stiil thinking the time was the middle of the morning. Thought we'd forgotten to unlock lt, He figured we'd be in the dining room or on the terrace and came around that end of the house, ex- pecting 10 find us waiting for him. First thing he sees Is the empty lawn, then mo sprintlng up and