Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-01-14
Do you suppose she can leave hel
for q NOM onf2O 49,

| ooh, I'm sure she will see you,"
| Hannah treasured me.
Elbow are you feeling, Hannah?"
| asked casually.
"I'm all right now, but I have
been feeling all tuckered out. Why
the other night-the night of the
murder was sitting up with Miss
Flora and I fell asleep in my chair.
slept like the dead. I must have
slept for hours"
"Miss Flora must have been
| sleeping too," I commented me-
| chanically.
eyes, Mis- Avery, she was asleep
when I woke up. Will you wait in
the living-room, Mis- Avery, or
would you like to 60 out on the
| piazza?"
/ "I'u go out on the piazza, Han
nah! I haven't seen the sea for
two days"
I made my way through the
broad hall to a glass door at the
back, the panes of which the sun
had transmitted into golden plates.
The Fairweather house faces on the
road, but the living quarters look
onto the sea. The big glassed-in
piazza is really an extension of the
living-room-wha with its couches
and tables, books ana magazines,
crickets and reading lamps. It was
in perfect order, as was the rest
of the house. Yet there fingered
even in this atmosphere, the in
tangible odor of invalidism-medi
cines, hot water bottles, COM
presses cold and hot-its sinister
hush weighted it.
Presently there came step at
my side. "Oh Margaret" ex-
claimed still in my hushed tone,
and springing to my feet. elbow are
you, my dear? And how is Flora?"
'.Flora's about the same" Mar
garet Fairweather answered. "And
as for me, I'm always well"
tYou look frightfully tired today,
Margaret" I said.
And indeed I was Mortified at
her appearance. Margaret Fair
weather is a tall, big woman-pow-
erful, I might say; broad-shoul-
dered with big, fine muscular
hands. Only few years before,
she had been our star woman-ath-
lete-tennis, golf, swimming; she
was even an expert fencer. But
when Flora started on the long
road which was to lead to her
agonizing death, Margaret dropped
every outside interest; devoted her
self to her sister.
'tI'd like to talk with you, Mar
garet. Could you walk little way
along up the Head? I wouldn't keep
you more than minute"
eyes, I think cam" Margaret
answered, taking thought. "Flora's
sleeping. Opiate of course! don't
want her to hear anything that
would disturb her"
We went noiselessly back through
the broad hallway and out the front
door.
"I'll say it's awful, Margaret" I
began, and no more =
'Ill say I agree that it's awful -
she responded, "and no more
''Does Flora know about Ace?"
I asked as we drew away from the
house.
mo and never will, if I can help
it."
s'There's something particular
you wanted to tell me, Nary"
81 wanted to talk with some
body" I answered little evasive-
ly. "Of course I've seen Matte
and the Gearys I haven't been to
the Eameses yet. Nor the Tread
ways"
''It's nice about Molly anc Wal
ter" Margaret interpolated.
eyes, I'm very glad. I've seen
Molly and Walter, but I haven't
been to call yet"
81 haven't of course-but then
I call on nobody"
Nobody expects it of you," I
reasured her.
"People are wonderful about
coming she said EDO they sus-
pect anybody" she changed the
subject.
"Patrick O'Brien has just arrest
ed Tony Torriano," answered.
I looked out on the rumpled blue
green sea. looked up to the
smooth white-gold sun. "Marga-
ret" I said, "I'm going to tell you
something. / haven't any right to
tell it to you. I'm breaking con-
fdence. But the arrest of Torriano
is only a blind. Patrick does not
think Torriano did it. At the mo-
ment, it looks as though woman
did"
"a woman!" Margaret repeated
lifelessly.
eyes," / went on hurriedly, "a
woman! Torriano met Ace in my
Spinney. They had had a quarrel
that day over bill which Ace owed
Tony for months. Ace promised to
pay him that night; made the APP
pointment to meet him there. He
did pay him and Tony got out at
once But Tony says that when he
left Ace he saw a woman coming
along the path from down over the
Head