Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-02-26
CHAPTER 81

DON KNOW WuelueF any VI
YOU have been reversionary lega-
tees" Lord Simon remarked as he
developed his theory of the muir
der. land had to twiddle your
thumbs while someone lives on
the money which will one day be
yours. I'm told it's the most de-
noralizin' business. The most vir-
tuous and temperate natures grow
potentially murderous. But this
fellow was not exactly a born
murderer. He wanted money. He
meant to get money. But If he
thought of murder in the first
place he was headed off by the
penalty. The fortune involved
had surprised him. The details
had been given him b. the solicit
tor, and the sum left by his father
made his eyes pop. And since ne
knew there was so much money
in question he wasn't the lad to
hang back.
$50 he started more or less
begeing-which might have been
harmless enough. He found out
that Mrs. Thurston was living
here. and had a car, so he ran
down to a village which was just
near enough to make meeting
feasible, yet not too near. And
from this village, which was
called Sidney Sewell, he wrote to
Mrs. Thurston. That first letter,
one supposes, was quite a polite
and pleasant affair. Regret over
his fathers death. Sorry he had
never met his stepmother. Usual
sort of thing laid on with a
trowel, perhaps. but nothing TOO
stirring.
However, feel convinced that
il contained one phrase winch
troubled Mrs. Thurston good
deal-a request that she SHOULD
say nothing to her husband. Wnat
reason he gave one cannot posi-
bly suggest now, but it is pretty
certain that he found a good rea-
son. Good enough, anyway. Tor
as we know Mrs. Thurston never
mentioned to her husband that her
stepson had reappeared. More's
the pity. She might have saved
her life.
"Instead of that she went to see
her stepson, and in her usual, cas-
ilv pleased way she liked the fell
low. Now I'm bein' a bit psyche
logical and all that sort of thing.
I'm goin' on the characters of
both of them to get an idea OF
what happened. But I feel sure
that in that meeting Mrs. Thurs
ton was very much herself, the
woman you all knew primarily as
q hostess. She saw that her step
son would fit very we'll into her
circle here. She had passion for
entertaining. She saw way OF
fitting him in. And she planted
him on her husband without tellin
DR.. Thurston who the fellow in
reality was.
"How far he persuaded her into
that we shall probably never
know. It suited him excellently.
And from that moment he began
to sponge on Mrs. Thurston with
an ease and a greed which seem
incredible now. He never tried
to blackmail or bully her. That
wasn't necessary. He played the
part of the poor son who had been
cheated out of his rightful due by
her very existence. He had the
sense to play the part gently and
spontaneously. He never grum-
bled, but he pointed out that he
never grumbled. He made her
feel that it was hard luck on him,
and that she must do all she could
for him. And he did very nicely,
thank you.
Nov so far I have recon
structed the story as it looks to
me, and filled in the gaps in a
fanciful sort OF way. The bare
facts I have confirmed. The step
son did arrive in England soon
after Mrs. Thurston's second mar
riage, and did go to his fathers
solicitor to hear about the will.
I've spoken on the phone to the
solicitor myself. Charmin' old
boy, and remembers the visit dis
tinctly. Moreover, he did go to
stay at Sidney Sewell. and Mrs.
Thurston, as we know, was in
touch with him there. And finally
he did come to this house, was in
this house at the time of the MUIR
der. and 10. unless Beef has lei