Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-06-18
They Met Murder on the Way
By MRS. BELLoc LowNDEs
By MRS. BELLoc LowNDEs


know it, the whole towns talking about
you and that woman"
There came a change in DR.. Cheam's
voice, 1t became the voice OF a fiercely
angry man. ''Tf you send that letter to
the General Medical council youn ruin
not only me. but your child and your
self as well"
L don't care"
And you won't have hurt Mrs
Dingle."
And then-what was 1t that he
muttered? Annie Dove, straining her
about that"
There followed the sound of Mrs
Cheam's footsteps on the stairs, and
OF their turning into her bedroom. AS
for the doctor. he apparently went into
the kitchen, no doubt to find something
to eat. But no. for he only stayed
too, came upstairs, and went into his
dressing room.
Annie felt deeply dismayed. for If
the missus came down tomorrow morn
ing, and posted the letter she had
boasted Of having written, 1t would be
the end of her own Annie's life in
The Red House, as well as the end, in
another sense. of the doctor and his
miSsus. The girls eyes filled with tears,
little Mark that brought them there.
She knew 1t would be more than easy
for her to get a pleasanter job.
She got up, and quietly she shut the
door Mark gave q sudden fretful cry.
He had slept through that terrible
quarrel downstairs, and yet he awoke,
now, because his nurse had slipped
out Of bed. She brought his cot across
close to her, and gave pat to his
little hand.
Now, at last, surely she would be
able to go TO sleep properly, and not
have what her granny called "cat
maps" But hardly had she lain back
on her pillow and shut her eyes than
she seemed to hear, as in dream. her
dead mothers voice, and that voice
said Keep mum. dearie keep mum.
What funny thing to say, but funny
things are said in dreams as we all
know.
1t must have been about two o'clock .
when Annie Dove again awoke. This /
time 1t was a scream. followed by a .
dreadful moan, that woke her. Sitting
up she listened, terror filling her heart,
and then again, and again, and again,
came thuddtng sounds Of blows raining
down on-she couldn't think what they
were raining down on, or from whence
they camel
The sounds stopped as suddenly as
they had begun, and she told herself
that that scream and awful moan must
have come from some poor animal,
being done to death in the darkness Of
the night.
At last she heard a door being
opened very, very quietly, and she knew
It for the door of Mrs. Cheam's room.
Each Of the doors in that old house
had its own individual, and now, TO
Annie Dove, familiar creaking sound.
There followed the doctors footsteps.
Ear slower than usual, as well as heavy
and firm, but they did not stop at his
hem to do; they went on into the
bathroom. Then came the click Of the
electric light being turned on in there,
ind the bolt being run into It's socket.
What a strange time of night to have
! BATH Yet that was what the master
vas going to do, for she could hear
he water, both hot and cold, gushing
,ut. When anyoI1e had a bath in that
louse everyone IN the . house knew IT, It,
lad not got into the bath, for she
'ould not but have heard him do It,
lad he done so.
After a while the girl again fell
sleep, only. however, TO be awakened
or a third time, for uttered Just out
ide her door with startling clearness
anne the question: "Are you awake,
Annie2"
dice that uttered these four words. It
ras fierce, suspicious voice.
Almost did she cry out: Eyes, sir,
m awakel Is there anything can
10 for you?" But Keep mum, dearie.
eep num-" seemed to echo in her
airs, and she did keep mum.
Again came the question and It
ounded strangely ominous: Are you
wake, Annie?" And this time, filled
nth unreasoning fear. she covered
nder the bedclothes.
Even when little Mark, doubtless
earring his fathers voice, stirred rest
.ssly In his sleep and gave a whimper-
lg cry, she only put out hand and
,roked his cheek. Thank God he didn't
AXE I'D and call out: "Nanniei Nam
lei" Had he done that, something
semed to tell her that she would
rely have answered him. But oh, how
ing it seemed before she heard the
octor turn away from her door and
, very slowly, very heavily down the
she slipped out Of bed, and tiptoe-
& over to the door she opened it a
'ack, and listened. Drawers were be-
Ig roughly opened and shut, down.
airs IN the sitting room, and she
new that DR. Cheam was looking for
he letter his wife had always been
lreatening TO write, and apparently
Id really written last night.
Then she heard the lid of the oak
lest in the han being turned back.
That chest was the one good thing
the house, and 1t had been left to
lie doctor by a grateful patient. 1t
as In there that we're kept the big ~
eets Of clean brown paper in which
I'd been wrapped any large parcels "
at came to the house. Mrs. Cheam IN
as the tidiest woman that ever lived. N
re hated to see even a little bit OF NJ
ring lying about.
AS she closed her door quietly, Annie 4
liled. How could the doctor have sup
lsed the missus to have hidden that IL
tier in the chest? It was probably In
T pocket.
Annie awoke to feel Marks podgy %
tie hand stroking her face, and the en-
might streaming IN through the gap rs