The Coolidge examiner., 1936-12-31


can do for you, Margaret?"
Margaret looked at him hard
Il must talk to someone, she said
81 have a strange story to tel
you. You may find it on the sur
face unbelievable. / can only say
that 1 am telling you the exact
truth"
Patrick remained silent.
about a week ago, Ace Blaikie
called at the house and asked me
il 1 would lend him some money
For many reasons, I did not want
to lend Ace any money. I did not
like him in the first place. In
fact" Suddenly her dead eyes
blazed. ''In fact-I hated him.
did not trust him either. When he
told me how much he wanted tc
borrow, I was appalled,
Patrick said, "How much was
it?"
Ten thousand dollars" Marga.
ret answered.
Patrick whistled. said moth
ing. 1 could not speak.
What did Ace want that ten
thousand dollars for?" Patrick
asked.
y don't know" Margaret an.
swered. Perhaps 1 could guess,
but I'd rather not" She looked
pieadingly at Patrick.
you're right, Margaret!" Pat.
rick approved. Lets confine our.
selves to the facts. Did you lend
him this money!"
xes-but not at once. 1 told
him I would have to think it over.
knew that | would have to take
that ten thousand out of my prin.
cipal."
he called more than once?" Pat.
rick interrupted.
"Yes, four times. have the days
in my diary. Ace stipulated-re.
quested l mean," she corrected
herself with the careful honesty
typical of her, that 1 give him a
certified check 1t all took time,
but he kept hurrying me. He want.
ed the money, l felt, for something
special"
when was the last time he had
been in your house before that?''
Patrick asked.
ACE Blaikie had not been in my
house for twenty-five years." Mar.
garet replied.
did you give him the money!"
Patrick asked.
Yes"
"When?"
"The night of the masquerade. "
"Where?"
I'm Mary's Spinney.'
Patrick sighed again. "About
what time was it?" he asked.
"A little after ten thirty"
How were you dressed?"
Il wore black dress, black
scarf over my head, a big black
lace shawl of my mothers"
How did you go to the Spinney?"
Il walked up the road toward the
Park, turned off at Marys path
walked past the Little House and
met Ace" She paused bleakly.
Patrick waited.
''At the exact spot where they
found his body" Margaret conclud
ed.
A pause. pregnant with awful
possibilities, whirled between us
three.
Did your interview take long?"
Patrick asked gently.
mo, it took scarcely a moment" "
Gould you reproduce it for me?"
Easily. I said, Here is the
check, Ace He said, 'Thanl; you!
Here's my note for it!' l handed
him the check and he handed me
the note. 1 have it with Lie. Would
you like to see it?"
"Yes-thank you, Margaret, foI
thinking of that"
Margaret took folded piece o1
paper from her handbag and hand
ed it to Patrick. He examined il
on both sides, held It up to the
light. will you trust this with me
for a while?"
Certainly, Patrick" Margare
replied.
by the way, Margaret, who'c
you make it out to? Oh yes. you'c c
have to make it out to Ace"
YES"
Patrick whistled' THAT compli
Gates things. Perhaps there's
somebody boob enough to think he
could murder Ace and then forge
Aces endorsement on the check
Has the check been cashed, Mar
garrett"
mo. The day l heard of Aces
death, I went over to the bank te
stop payment. They said I couldn'
do that without a court order
They told me it hadn't beer
cashed."
We'll, we'll watch that point any
how" Patrick assured her. WA!
that all you said?" Patrick wen
on.
mo. l said one other thing anc
it was the only other thing l die
, say. 1 said. Ace Blaikie. l hope
! you die the death you deserved"