The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-21

stable. A blue September haze hung over everything. Yellow leaves here and there drifted down on the muddy paths. There were wild asters and golden rod blazing in the meadows. sumach made a scarlet tapestry on the hills.
 "Good morning."
 Michael whoried, his eyes cloud ed, his muscles taut.
 "Good morning." he said with out smiling. These days were difficult ones to be got through. Strange people were always com Ing up to him and being brisk and hearty. He had to fend them off as best he could.
 Something in the warminess of his attitude put Violet off. All at once she was conscious that her errand lacked dignity. It was not for her to meddle in Katharines affairs. She said rather lamely, About the horses - for the little girl. She hasn't been riding late- ly."
 Michael bowed. His tone was formal. aloof.
 "Do you mind seeing Jerry, my assistant, about that? I haven't been we'll lately ." He passed his hand over his eyes and, with another stiff little bow, went into the house.
 Jerry was at her elbow. Some- how Violet managed to say some- thing coherent to him, to walk away. But her brain was whlrl. ing.
 Good heavensl" she cried to herself. What if that should be tho explanation of 1t all? What if he doesn't really know what happened?"
 You heard of such things. To the healthy person such a possi- blllty seemed extremely far fetched. But Violet knew it was not out of the bounds of reason.
 He had been struck on the head, perhaps. The newspaper account had said multiple bruises" Who could tell what damage had been done?
 She walked swiftly toward her own house, eager to put through e telephone call to her husband.
 stan. have you got in touch with Adrianson yet?"
 His slow, rcassuring voice an- swcred her. "LIavo in appoint ment with him at two. Why?' Anything happon?"
 She dared not talk over the telephone. Everyone said the ex- change operators listened. "Can you postpone it?" she asked. "I think I've hit on something. It may be hunch. I don't know"
 q don't understand why you want me to do 1t so quietly" pouted Sally Moon. "old Ruthie down at the Innicock News has been calling up every day to see if Two any date to give her. she's anxious to run tho story of the wedding, but she doesn't dare say n word about 1t us long as toll her to hold off. And probably evcryones talking about mo Probably they say the things off,"
 1T have my roasons," MT. Moon said solemnly. If Sally weren't so wrapped up in her own affairs, ho thought, she would be able to figure out the problem for hor self. lie wanted all the votes he could get for the village trustee and the election was next week. With big wedding going on and Sally insisting on getting all her flow. CTS and catering things from the city instead of patronizing the local tradosmen (who were sure to be antagonized), the election would bo certain to so against him. He knew Innicock. Ho hadn't been president of tho bank for 20 years without learning q god deal about the way the minds of tho villagers worked.
 He had several reasons for not telling Sally this. The first was that she would not consider tho argument welghty enough. She had her own way of over-ridlng all his objections. The second was that an air of mystery i'm. pressed her moro than straight forwardness. She was inclined to be q bit mysterious herself. "Sneaky," Mir. Moon called it. Like her mothers people. None of the Moons had been snoaky--