The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-09-02
CHAPTER v
il

While they were at lunch, a little
later, Dean Hare telephoned to say
that Inspector Irons had decided to
postone his interrogations, so for the
afternoon they were free. Mary was
to see Neil Ray when he went off
duty; and as they finished lunch,
Linda came to propose that Phil 60
for drive with her.
81 have to 60 out to those mills in
Norwood to get some homespun,"
she explained, "and I hate to go
alone"
Phil looked to his mother for con-
sent. go along" she said. "Bar-
bara and grandmother will be
here" So Phil went, and found a
measure of peace and forgetfulness
in being thus with Linda. But when
she brought him home, in late after
noon, he was reluctant to face them
all; instead of going directly in
doors, he walked around the house.
He heard voices by the muddy
stream beyond the pergola and went
to look down over the bank. Police
men were there in boats with
things like hinged rakes, dragging
up debris from the bottom of the
stream. One of them saw him and
spoke quietly to the others, and they
all looked up, silently. Phil went
back toward the house, trembling.
He found his mother alone.
''Mary's dining with Neil," she ex-
planned, "and I sent Barbara in to
stay overnight with grandmother.
Professor Brace called, drove them
in" She smiled reassuringly. ESQ
we'll have dinner together, you and
l."
Professor Brace?" he echoed.
He remembered warily that the Dis
trict Attorney had questioned Pro-
fessor Brace, but he did not say so.
Sunny for him to-hang around"
81 suppose he's naturally interest
ed. The scientific mind, you know"
Her tone was edged. 'We're under
his microscope, like insects"
''He introduced himself to the re-
porters," Phil recalled. almost as
If he-wanted publicity"
81 see you don't like him either"
''Oh-I like him all right"
Dinner was served and they went
In; and since they might here be
overheard they spoke of other
things. Phil talked at random,
steadily, fighting down his thoughts:
that his father had taken his gun,
that his father had tried to burn
money in the furnace, that his IA
Their was murderer He must not
let his mother guess his dreadful
certainty.
And she, as intent to hide her
thoughts from Phil as he was to
conceal his from her, helped him
keep talk alive; but when they left
the table and went into. the living
room and were alone, silence
crushed them; and Phil noisily light
ed a fire, and Mrs. Sentry tele-
phoned old Mrs. Sentry's apartment
to say good night to Barbara. She
reported to Phil, when she left the
phone, that Professor Brace had
stayed to dinner with them.
IT suppose he's taking notes." she
reflected. Like that German tutor
at the foot of the table in War and
Peace Remember? There's just a
paragraph about him, but he's per-
fectly clear cut, a complete char
acter in your mind afterward."
Phil did not remember. ''But
speaking of Russians" he suggest
ed, "how about some Russian
Bank?" So they played till Mrs.
Sentry said at last that they might
as well 60 to bed. The house seemed
very big and empty when they went
upstairs, and parted for the night.
Later, Mrs. Sentry, still awake,
heard Mary come in; but the girl
did not come upstairs, so her moth
er went down, a dressing gown over
her night garments. She found Mary