The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-06-25

Can make II any IuIIGr COtlISHt.
eyes, glad to hear it at any time"
and with calm smile, she dismissed
Garth and walked away with Flem-
ing Stone.
He led her to a little reception
room and closed the door.
"It is not exactly that I want to
make report" Stone began, "but
I want to ask you some questions.
Some serious questions, which will,
perhaps, offend you. Of that I must
take the chance, but if annoyed with
me I trust you will answer them"
II certainly shall, Mr.. Stone, to
the best of my ability. / am begin
ming to feel uneasy about that Far
man man and Madame Maiden. I've
tried to throw it off and ignore it,
but since Bob's death I'm filed with
vague fears
"Coles was in love with your"
eyes, he has said so for a long
time He made slightly unpleasant
scene on our wedding day, as you
know, but he was so nice about it
afterward forgave him. never en-
couraged him in any way but he
persisted in telling me how much he
cared for me. AS he was my broth
er's friend, I couldn't shake him en-
tirely, and, as I say, he has been
different of late. On this trip he was
charming, and really liked him."
did anybody notice this? mean,
did any one take it for granted, per-
haps, that you were beginning to
turn to Coles, in a serious way?"
ooh, no, how could any one think
such thing of me, when Corey so
lately died?"
"But thing again. Couldn't some
one notice your rising interest in Bob
and be disturbed at it,"
cts absurd to pretend to misun-
derstand you. Of course, you mean
Roger Garth-don't your"
II do
well, then, since you want plain
speaking, that man also processes to
care for me. But you must not take
these things too seriously"
ct may be they need to be taken
in a serious way. You know, of
course, that large proportion of the
murders that are done have love for
their motive"
"Not real love, you mean a sort of
jealousy or desire for possession"
eyes, that is just what I do mean.
Now, two of the men who loved you
have been killed in the strangest,
most inexplicable fashion"
"But you can't assume any connec-
ton between Corey's death and
Bob's!"
perhaps not a connection, but
may they not have been done by the
same person."
'Who?"
ANSWER that question yourself.
Who wants you so desperately that
he would commit murder to get
your"
''How utterly absurd No one
does"
'You know better than that, Mrs.
Maiden. Can you not think of one?"
II suppose you mean Mr.. Garth.
But it's too ridiculous! Do you mean
that he killed Corey, in order that
he might marry me? And that he
then killed Bob Coles, because he,
too, was fond of me?"
Something like that"
Stone spoke gravely, but Perilla
heard the ring of conviction in his
voice.
"But," she went on, greatly puzzl-
ed, chow could it be done? How
could Bob have been murdered? 1
don't believe that for moment"
what do you believer"
II believe it was natural
DEATH"
What! After your other expert
ence? Do you believe Mr.. Maiden
died natural death?'
mo, I can't believe that"
''Then the circumstances are the
same. Since, Of course, you didn't
kill your husband, it was the same
as if he had been in a room alone
when he died, as Coles was'
Il don't follow. Just what are you
getting at?"
THAT if a murderer commits a Sec
ond crime, he is very like to use the
same method he did in the first in
stance"
"And you're imagining somebody
killed both Corey and Bob, and by