The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-08

wanted TO-"
"I'm sorry" I said. turned
away. Her voice halted me.
Zone minute. please. Why IL be
doing this?"
looked 1t her for Z moment and
decided that honesty would b the
best policy in this case.
Life here is very monotonous,
Miss Vail, particularly for . man
who was - active, physically and
mentally, g Mark. 70 Be quite
frank with you, Mark 10 more In
terested in matching wits with the
man who killed your brother than In
bringing him to justice. It's . sort
Of challenge to him, and I hardly
think anything can make him stop
his investigation"
Miss Vail considered. "ln that
case, I'll speak to him myself. Where
led her, in silence, into the hos
pital and into Marks room. Miss
Vail did not wait for m introduce
ton. She said:
"Mr. Hillyer? I am Anne Vail. y
Mark was his most magnetic sslf.
He had. . faculty for fnding in
stantly and unerringly the proper
approach to every stranger, He
treated Seifert Wallis sister % he
would have treated . man. With .
comradely cordially.
tits kind Of you to come to zee
me-" he said. "Unfortunately, I
can't 60 visiting myself"
said, IF you'll excuse me"
and started to leave. Miss Vail
'bon't Co." she said. II haven't
anything to say that I wouldn't
want you to hear"
She sat down and took another
chair. In the subsequent converse
ton I was ignored, and ! was con-
tent to sit and listen.
"Mr. Fowler" she began, tells
me that you are trying to find out
who killed my brother. He tells me
it isn't because you have any pas
sion for justice, but because you
want to prove you're cleverer than
the murderer"
Mark nodded and said cheerfully,
Perfectly right, Miss Vail"
you're not satisfied, then, that
the gardener who committed sui.
eide murdered my brother?"
mo, I'm not, Miss Vail. On the
contrary. it seems highly improb-
able"
Amaze Wallis heavy black eyebrows
drew together in , frown.
II suppose you have good reasons
for that belief" she said.
Excellent Ones" Mark said. an
the first place"
"1'm not interested In hearing
them," she interrupted. "You have
no particular interest in seeing the
guilty person punished. have you1"
mo, none"
The dead singers sister leaned
toward him. She put all the force Of
her strong personality into ner next
words.
"Then please discontinue your in
vestigation," she said.
Marks arched eyebrows betrayed
his astonishment. He cooked his
head on one side and looked at Miss
Vail steadily for . minute.
You must admit that's . rather
strange request" he said.
The woman nodded hex iron-Gfay
head in assent TT d. NsveFths-
less, ] repeat it. am not interested
in punishing Sei3ert,s murderer. Il
you will consider my wishes, Jon
will drop your investigation"
Mark hssitatsd again. "Would 4
be asking too much," he said, ITO
inquire why you have no interest il
finding the person who killed your
ibid you know him?" Anne vail
asked abruptly.
II met him only once"
"But undoubtedly you have heard
enough about him 70 know what
sort Of person he was"
II don't like to judge b gossip.
Miss Vail, but consuming your
brother, Ill reports indicated that
he was m egotistic, smbittsred. IN.
ploosent person"
"That 10 true his sister said.
sYaars ago Seifert and I ceased "a
have any contact with each other.
considered him . thoroughly mis-.
chievous person. He Wanted e
dominate everyone around him.
She smiled slightly. "You may nm.
derstand that ] refused 70 y 0omi.
mated BY him. Whsnsvsr that hap.
psned 70 Ssifsrt b becanns O
tmplacablo Gnsmy, and : mean one
simply severed our rslationshiJ
i "That seems q place him 81 1
somewhat Different liaht," Mari
| said meditativ0ly. I'VE e Sherwood
Forest knew him only otter I'll
death o. his wife, and No bolievot
that he became tho kind q man N
was because sho died and boeausl
he lost his voice Afterwards"
j. "His wifs's death only empha
si.ed bis unpleasant traits, = shs -
Iplied. II do not belisye they brouGh
, each other much happiness, 81
; Seifert was inOydinatoIy jealous. II