The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-02
CHAPTER XXI

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In the six months I had been
1t Sherwood Forest I had never
seen 50 many visitors as there were
the weekend after Seifert Vail was
murdered. Persons in New York
suddenly remembered long neglect
ed friends in the sanatorium and
came BY train and motor to see
them. They were rewarded with
the current gossip about the case,
but BY Sunday everyone was grow
ing tired Of the subject. It was
50 hot that day that the weather
displaced crime as the most popu-
lar topic Of conversation. Patients
and visitors sat on cottage porches
in artificial breezes, reading with
morbid interest Of the record
ing temperature in the city.
Nothing at all happened on Sun
day. It was too hot for anything
to happen. Joe was not arrested.
He was permitted to 60 about his
duties on the grounds, and the
deputy assigned to watch him did
30 from . rocking chair on the
porch Of the main building. The
gardener had become q local celeb
rity because Of his long interroga-
ton by the sheriff, and patients
previously unaware Of his existence
stopped and spoke to him.
When ] went to see Mark In the
morning, he seemed oppressed BY
the heat.
even Sues cracking up, aren't
you, sweetheart?" he said in extern
uation. "Can you believe It, Bob,
she actually snapped ct me this
morning."
Sue looked charminRly confused.
She protested, "You shouldn't tell
on me, M : Hillyer. I've already
cts al right to tell old Bob. .
he answered. II wouldn't betray
you to John or Loren"
! didn't like very much the way
Sue laughed ct that, and told
her il was insulting.
"Heavens, are you getting touchy,
too!" she asked. She became sud-
denly grave. 1.-THE murders de.
moralizing everyone here. Moth
ing's been normal since It hap
pened."
"How could Il bel" asked Mark,
and then answered his rhetorical
question. Murder isn't normal.
It's dislocation-a violent depar-
cure from the normal-a reminder
that We aren't 50 far from savaRery
% We like to believe"
He warmed to his theme. sThs
act Of murder Il like . stone
dropped in . pool. The Arst shock.
the splash. Is only the beginning.
The disturbance spreads until the
whole pool il agitated. In this
Ease, tho hgurative pool Il Sher-
wood Forest. Those waves. those
widening circles will touch al Of
10 before It's over"
:. Sue looked ct him with appre-
hension In her eyes.
"A1l Of us?" she repeated.
In one way or another. You
can sec the first effects yourself.
None Of 10 quite trusts anyone
else. One person has run away,
Another, afraid Of being involved.
has lied. Everyone's scheming "a
keep clear. Some Of us, probably,
innocent Of any connection with the
crime, fear that tho investigation
will bring other things 70 light
And oil this may b only the b.
ginning"
"HsS : philosopher - well q
! detective" remarked, but Sue
still looked troubled.
left Mark feeling depressed and
irritable. The day was long and
unutterably wearisome. There Wal
no one 70 talk to. Loren had van.
ished, and Sue went driving with
John Calvert In the afternoon.
read the newspapers, worked Z
crossword puzzle, ate my meals
without appetite and finally. early
IN the evening. fell into . troubled
slsep.
From, a uneasy dream ! Wal
/ abruptly jerked into full, terrified
consciousness. found myself cit.
ting upright IN bed with the mem
cry Of . scream. heard o. dreamed
VI. still ringing ID my brain. NJ
scalp was taGlins and NJ sysl