The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-08-06
Don't Dream on Midsunmer's Eve

tn nearly midnight. But I suppose he
his business best"
,He certainly does, Mrs. Stock"
MeI!e,s voice was firm, to hide the
the unexpected absence. As she crossed
q nall, instead Of entering the dis
pensary, b nerved herself to open the
co0r OF the dining room.
Her first glance showed her that the
pig chair was empty. No huge, dis
torted body lay stiffened there in its
than dead flowers in the vases and the
usual signs Of the housekeeper's neglect.
She started at the sound of Mrs.
Stocks voice.
your bags in the dispensary, If
that's what you are looking for."
Convicted Of trespass, Merle returned
70 her W domain Of the dispensary,
where indignation drove out every
other emotion. It was only too obvious
that Mrs. Stock had taken advantage
or n doctors absence to slack shame
fully.
She's not so much as shown it a
duster," thought Merle %furiously. Her
numbers up, as far as I'm concerned.
And she knows it; That is why she
Although a note in the doctors hand
writing was lying on q table, she did
not open it at once. After telephoning
to the few patients who had appOint-
ments, she decided that she must re-
store some order before she could work.
The wastepaper basket was stuffed to
Overlooking and had evidently been
used as a communal dump for the
rubbish from the living rooms.
AS she picked it up, with the inten-
ton Of carrying it out to the kitchen,
she noticed some fragments of glass
lying amid the dead flowers from the
dining room.
Her heart dropped a beat, as she
scooped them up to examine them. They
were parts Of a broken tumbler, to
hered.
Her dream was true. She had actu-
ally given poison to her brother-in-
law.
Feeling as though she had been sand
bagged, she looked around her duly.
BY now, Lewis Cores death was known,
for someone had discovered the body
was the doctor, who would do his ut
most to protect her. It was even pos
sible that his absence was connected
with her interests.
The thought of his championship was
her One ray Of light. There was a wan
smile on her lips as she opened his note,
but it stiffened to a grimace of horror
as she read it.
I've just seen your brother-in-law.
He spun me a lie about taking Puck
out to Borneo, but I soon got wise to it.
He wanted to be bought off again, and
it was merely a threat to raise his price
. . . Now, you'll be furious with me,
but I knew he would only go on bleed
ing you, so I wrote him a final check.
(Tv1 tall HNrry Hy0,y nm vnNovy Vna
when I come back.) In return, I have
his stamped agreement, appointing you
Puck's guardian and renouncing all
claim. I am taking it up to Somerset
House, to get it stamped"
The letter made the tragedy doubly
grim, by eason of its irony. It was
torment for Merle to reflect that Lewis
had already signed away his claim to
the boy when he called yesterday. He
was telling lies to try and get some
thing extra out of. her.
For some time, she sat, stunned by
the blow. The telephone bell rang, but
she did not stir from her chair. Pres
emily she reused herself to speculate
on her future.
she could II; not Sc see any. any r sy s Of hope
or Imprisonment for life. What jury
would believe her story Of a mistake,
in view of the fact that the bottle was
plainly labeled, and that she was &C.
customed to dispense drugs?
But her own fate was nothing COM
pared with Puck's future. By the deed,
now in process of being stamped at
Somerset House, she was appointed his
utterly. It appalled, her to imagine what
would become of him-penniless and
left to strangers.
Even If the doctor took charge Of
him, for her Sake-and she only as
sumed his affection for herself-it was
natural that he would marry some
other woman, later on.
In that dark hour Merle had to ad-
nit that she and Mrs. Thomas had
spoiled Puck, even although, in their
opinion, he redeemed their fondness
by a hundred ways, just by being him
sef-the most adorable small boy in
the universe.
But this practical Hypothetical
woman-the doctors future wife
would probably resent him as a usurper
and pack him off to boarding school.
| On the other hand, If no one accepted
his responsibility he would be sent to
And she could do nothing to help
him-for she was going to be hanged.
The idea was so fantastic and mon
strous that her mind slipped away on
another journey. Although her brain
was too blurred for clear thought, it
was apparent eve to her, that, since
the doctor knew nothing Of the tragedy,
there remained only Mrs. Stock to
make the discovery. Remembering her
dilatory habits, it vas likely that she
found the distorted body in the chair
only a little time before Merle had ap-
peared on the cene.
In her employers absence she would
notify the police, who had evidently
There could be no other explanation
Of the empty chair. Yet, as Merle
thought of the housekeeper'S grim 81
1ence, when she opened the door, and
her denial Of any unusual incident,
over the telephone, she had the help
less feeling OF being ambushed.
II she were already connected with
the TRAGEDY Why had no official aD-