Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-10-10
FATHER BROWN TURNS
THE COAT OF A PARSON
INSIDE OUT AND START
LES A RUSTIC ENGLISH
TOWN.

A T TIE TWIST Of a path in the
Il "a NILS where two poplars stood
Il - up like pyramids dWarfing the
a. "a tiny village Of Potter's Pond
p mere huddle Of houses, there
once walked a man In costume Of 6
/ very conspicuous cut and color, wear
4 ing 3 vivid magenta coat and q white
hat tilted upon black ambrusial curls
which ended with sort of Byronic
flourish Of whisker The riddle OF why
he was wearing clothes of such fantas-
tic antiquity. yet wearing them with
an air OF fashion and even sWagger,
was but one OF the many riddles that
were eventually solved IN deducing the
mystery OF MS fate. The point here Is
that when he has passed the poplars
he seemed to have vanished: rs If he
had faded into the wan and widening
dawn or been blown away UPON the
wind of morning
It was only about a week afterward
that his body was found a quarter Of
a mile away, broken upon the steep
rockeries OF q terraced garden leading
up 20 gaunt and shattered house
called The Grange. just before he had
vanished he had been accidentally
overheard apparently Quarreling with
some byStanders, and especially abus-
ing their village as "a Wretched little
hamlet; and 1t was supposed that he
had aroused some extreme passions of
local patriotism and eventually been
their victim. AT least the local doctor
testified that the skull had suffered q
crushing blow that might have caused
death. though probably only inflicted
with some sort OF club or cudgel. This
fitted In well enough with the notion
OF an attack by rather savage yokels
But nobody ever found any means of
tracing any particular yokeI; and the
inquest returned a verdict Of murder
by persons unknown
Three years afterward the question
was reopened in a curious way; g series
OF events which led q certain DR.. Null
borough, called by his intimates Null
berry In apt allugi0n TO something rich
and frsrity about his dark rotundity
and rather empurpled visage, travelling
BY train down to Potter's Pond with
a friend whom he had often consulted |
upon problems Of the kind. In spite of |
the somewhat port whey and ponder !
GUS exterior Of the doctor, he had q
shrewd eye and was really q man Of |
very remarkable sense; which he con-
sidered that he showed in consulting 1
a little priest named Brown, whose ac-
quaintance ne had made over q poison
ing case long ago. The little priest was
sitting opposite to him with the air
OF q patient baby absorbing instruc-
ton; and the doctor was explaining at
length the real reasons for the journey.
81 cannot agree with the gentleman
IN the magenta coat that Potter's Pond
Is only wretched little hamlet, but
&c is certainly very remote and Sc
cluded village, so that by this time 1t
seems quite outlandish, like village
of 8 hundred years ago. can't describe
% you how strong this impression u.s.
It's as IL you came on a village still
lsing stone hatchets or waffle huts.
The spinsters are really spinsterS-
lamn it, you could almost imagine you .
'aw them spin. The ladies are not just
aides. They are gentlewomen; and
heir chemist is not chemist, but an
lpOthecary, pronounced potecary. They
10 just admit the existence Of an or
iinary doctor like myself to assist In
'otecary. But am considered rather
juvenile innovation, because / am
My 81 years old and have only been
n the country 26 years. The solicitor
Doks as IL he had known it for $4,000
ears. Then there is the old Admiral,
rho is just like q Dickens illustration,
nth a house fun of cutlasses and cut
lefish and equipped with q telescope"
II suppose" said Father Brown,
there are always q certain number of
.dmirals washed up on the shore. But
never understood why they get
branded so far inland"
Certainly no dead alive place in the
epths of the country Is complete with
ut one Of these little creatures" said
ne doctor. "And then, of course, there
the proper sort Of clergyman, Tory
nd High Church. He's a white-haired
;udious old bird, more easily shocked
IAN the gpinsters. Indeed, the gentle
omen, though Puritan in their princi-
les, are sometimes pretty plain In their
,eech, as the real PIlritans were. Once
: twice have known old Miss Car
airs arew to use expressions as
Vely as anything In the Bible. The
Ear old clergyman. Is assiduous in
aiding the Bible, but almost fancy he
luts his eyes when he comes to those
ords. Wen, you know I'm not par
cularly modern. don't enjoy this
zztng and Joy riding Of the Bright
Dung Things"
''T1s Bright Young Things don't en-
y it," said Father Brown. THAT is
e real tragedy"
but am naturally rather more In
UGH with the world than the people
this prehistoric village" pursued
G doctor And had reached point
1sn I almost welcomed the Great
'D0nt say the Bright Young Things
we found Potter's Pond after al,
served the priest smiling.
20 even our scandal is on old es-
blished melodramatic lines. Need I
y that the clergyman's son promises
be our problem. 1t would be almost
egular II the clergyman's son were
lite regular. So far as can see, he
very mildly and almost feebly ir-
yular He was first seen drinking ale
tside the Blue Lion. Only It seems
is q poet, which in these parts Is
xt door to being poacher."
Surely" said Father Brown, even
Potter's Pond that cannot be the
eat Scandal"
mo- replied the doctor grayeIy.
he Great Scandal began thus. In
. house called The Grange. situated
the extreme end of The Grove, there
IS lady. A lonely lady. She calls
rgeh Mrs. Maltravers (that is how
put IT.; but she only came a year
two ago, and nobody knows any
ne about her. 7 can't think why she
- A a a. MTE.- ~ -