Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-10-30
CHAPTER 40

ONE AETERNOON dUOuC I'LL &C
weeks before Christmas, Tim was
visited at his surgery by Bennett,
the landlord of the Goose Quill
Bennett was a former Sussex
cricket pro, a very decent sort OF
man who had been an Irregular
patient for years. He held a high
opinion of Tins professional skill,
and was also linked with him by
the fact that his daughter had
spent three very happy years as a
parlormaid at The Wilderness be-
fore leaving to get married.
Today, he was unable to point
to anything particularly wrong
with his teeth. Gust thought 1t
was time you gave me a once
over, Mr.. Kennedy" he said; but
after Tim had poked about for a
while and declared there was
nothing requiring attention, he
showed a disposition to linger.
"Your man Adams not about to-
day?" he asked at last, with an
assumed casualness.
mo, he's got one of his nervous
headaches" replied Tim. II told
him to rest"
Adams had actually laid claim
to a headache, and expressed his
intention of going back to bed for
q few hours. Il may be down
later" he had said. Meantime,
you can carry on for yourself all
right for a bit" Today Tim had
been obliged to let in his own pa
tients, leaving his work to do it.
Adams had not turned up.
"Well, I hope you don't blame
me for his headaches, sir" said
Bennett.
II certainly don't, Mr.. Bennett.
Why should II"
"You might argue that he picks
'em up at my place."
Tim picked up one of his instru-
ments and began to clean it.
II know he goes there at nights,
Of course" he said after a pause.
"He's putting away lot, eh?"
"He certainly is, Mr.. Kennedy.
.. Of course you understand, sir.
We can't refuse to serve anyone
with liquor within licensed hours
50 long as they don't actually
make a disturbance. But you've
always treated me very well, Mr..
Kennedy, and I thought I ought
to give you a word of warning"
HAS Adams been making a
nuisance of himself, then?"
mot exactly. It'd be easier to
deal with if he had. But he's been
talking wild"
Tim turned to face the man.
you'd better tell me what you're
getting at, Bennett. It's no use
making half-confidences.
Strictly between ourselves, of
course"
cts a bit difficult for me to tell
you, sir. Truth is, when he's
got a skinful inside him, he be-
gins to talk wild, as I say.
Disrespectful about you, sir,
mean"
what has he been saying about
me exactly?"
well, sir, he's called you an old
humbug, and names like that"
Anything else?"
Hes kind of limited that he
knows a thing or two about you.
:. Understand, sir, nobody takes
him seriously when he starts talk
ing like that. But, Of course, it
looks bad"
IT wish you'd be as precise as
you can, Bennett. I want to get
this quite clear"
Bennett fdgeted uneasily in the
chair. 81 don't like bearing tales,
sir, and that's fiat. But, to give
you an example, last night, some
body had been saying you looked
bit :. off color, since Mrs. Ken
nedy died, and how it must have
affected you. :. All quite nice and
sympathetic, sir, nothing to give
offense.
'"Then Adams said, Broken up
nothing or something like that.
He wasn't sorry to get rid of his
missus, take my word for it he
wasn't. >
Someone told him to shut up,
that was no way to talk. Then
Adams got excited. He said, T
could prove it to you if I wanted
to, perhaps some day I will He
was pretty far gone, you see, Mr..
Kennedy. -. It was just on clos
ing time, anyway, so put a stop
to it, hustled, EN- all out a bit
quicker than usual. +. tell you,
I'm not surprised he's got a head
ache this morning."
/ Tim went over to the wash
basin, and soaped his hands for a
few moments in silence. I'm glad
you've come to me, Bennett" he