The Coolidge examiner., 1936-12-17

| Florence and Molly accounted for.
The Fairweather house next"
Flora dying!" threw in. And
Margaret beside herself with
grief"
I'VE don't have to think of them
at ALL" Patrick admitted. Next
comes your Little House with Wal
ter-coming back, after the whole
things over, to sleep. If he had
just happened to discover Ace
Oh, but perhaps it's lucky he didn't.
With Ace and Molly and him all
mixed up in that love tangle, no.
body'd given him a break"
Then you come to my house."
I took up the count, with Bessie
and Sarah"
l heard a little voice talking to
its doll, as Sylvia, trotting briskly.
I came into the room.
Patrick'S eyes lighted up. "Come
over here, young lady," he ordered.
He lifted her up and Sylvia snug
| gled down into his lap.
Sylvia" said Patrick. did you
have nice time at the party at
the StoWs'?'
"Oh, I had the most beautiful
time. I danced with Doctor Ace!"
Sylvia" Patrick asked playful
ly, did you see anyone leave the
Stow house before the people took
off their masks?" And then, be-
fore Sylvia could answer him-and
little as though he regretted this
whimsical impulse-"Oh Mary" he
exclaimed, that reminds me"
He slipped Sylvia down from his
lap onto the floor. Run away"
he ordered in a gentle voice. Il
want to talk to your aunt"
If Patrick had only put his ques-
ton seriously to Sylvia-I mean if
he had listened to her answer, how
much we would have been spared.
What Patrick asked me was,
MARY, what 1 want you to do now
is to tell me all you know about My
ron Marden and Caro- Prentiss."
81 know a great deal about them"
I said in a voice that, to my dis
gust, contained an acrid defensive
note. They're the loveliest kind
of people, Patrick"
That may all be true" Patrick
agreed with me, but what 1 want
to know now is what you know and
all you know"
You're quite right, Patrick" 1
admitted humbly. land I'm wrong.
Well to begin with. Doctor Marden
has practiced in Paris ever since
long before the war. Caro- was
born in France and has always
lived there This is her first visit"
How did they happen to come
to Satuit?"
Friends in Boston recommended
it to them"
Served as SUI rgeon in the war,
I believer"
Yes"
mo doubt about that. I sup
pose?"
Absolutely none. How could
there be? In the first place, Doc
tor Marden is a gentleman and a
thoroughbred"
I'm prepared to agree with you.
I'm only asking you-have you any
proof of the war record?"
"Only Doctor Marden's word" l
answered. And the fact that Ace
Blaikie talked World war with him
whenever they got together. They
were thrilling talks too, Patrick, l
can tell you. And when Bruce Hex
son was there, it was marvellous.
They never questioned the authen-
ticity of Doctor Marden'S war rec
ord"
well, that's all l wanted to
know" Patrick said. We'll l must
be getting back to the P. S. Thank
you again, Mary, fer letting me
spill everything to you like this"
That's all right. Patrick. I hope
you do. l hope you come back to-
morrow"
IN probably be back this after
noon," Patrick declared, taking his
hat.
'Oh, one moment" l called as
with his swift, light boxers step,
he was hurrying across the piazza.
"BeSsie'S a little worried, l think.
and I've been saying to Sarah, SO
that Sarah would repeat it to Bes-
sic, that l didn't think a woman
could have committed this murder.
In point of fact, I'm not at all
sure. What do you think, Pat
rick?"
"A woman might-that is, pro-
vided she was big and powerful.
I've seen women golfers Well,
woman of the build of Margaret
! FairWeather for instance. Marga-
| ret might"
His breath died down. The words
dried on his lips. He stood staring
at me. / stood staring at him. 1
knew Patrick was seeing the pic
ture l saw--a big woman all in
black coming down the path from
the Little House. But l am sure
Patrick did what l did-blanked
that picture. Margaret Fairweath-
er had been in our class in school.
We had coasted, skated, picnicked