Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-02-10

/ Bryant put his arm around his wife.
Why, Mary?" he asked her somberly.
John" she said, its hard to tell
you. What the girl says is true 1t was
because of Dick it goes far back,
when you were so absorbed in your
work. Joan was growing up and away
from me, the days were empty
you like. 1t started quite by chance,
then became real and insistent and
terrible in my life, SO that I grew
Mrs. Bryants voice, trembling now,
went on: Il had no warning of his
love for Audrey-not an inkling of it
till she. suddenly blurted it out at the
table, looking so young and lovely,
Dick so clearly her slave and tired Of
! me You could scarcely under
stand, John, knowing me as you do
:. went altogether cold, then
something seemed to explode in my
head. But I kept quite cool. to all APP
pearances. Then Dick was called away
and then I thought of the gun. of the
summer house You know the
rest"
Her whole body was quivering now.
"Afterward it was more awful than I
thought. brought the gun back to the
library I meant to return it to your
desk, after wiping it off Then I no.
ticed the little Venetian book where
I sometimes keep trinkets I slipped
it in. I forgot about fingerprints-
everything
That's all For years I've been
hearing about your murderesses, John.
Perhaps all that talk was in my head.
I came to my senses the minute fired
the gun. All the hate went out of me.
But too late. I see quite clearly now
that I was mad . Oh. John, Johnl
What will we do now? Your career,
Dick, Joan-everything."
At last she noticed Clover. standing
quietly in remote corner of the room
She suppressed a scream. Her control
gave way and she flung herself down
on the sofa. sobbing That girl" she
cried. Look at her. John. Get her out
of here"
Justice Bryant turned to Clover
YEARLY. He seemed to have aged in
the space of minutes Have you had
enough, Miss Lane? Unfortunately,
your deductions were correct. But wait
minute have something else to do"
He picked UP the telephone receiver
and called Gluck His wife shrank
deeper into the cushions Come over
at once. Gluck." he said We've solved
the Harrington murder"
There was a moments pause as
Gluck put the obvious question
slowly.
Too late to stop anything now!
Clover fled from the room, rushed down
the drive and sped to the roadhouse
where she and Hank had found the
telephone She gave Charlie Levitt a
brief outline OF her story.
Great Scott, girl he said. ARE you
sure this isn't pipe dream? I take
back everything. everything. Give San
ders everything you can on rewrite,
then hop to Western Union and do
Your stuff-all that it takes, every
minute Of that scene between the Judge
and his wife. You can have start
on the others and it's close to the
first edition. Now pull yourself togeth-
er, Clover. You sound hysterical to me"
She hung up hurriedly. Sobbing, not
with triumph, but because she could
not forget Justice Bryants face Clover
stumbled blindly out of the telephone
booth and straight into Hanks not
unwilling arms
Il couldn't hear what you said, but
I gather from the touching scene
through the glass that it's another
bawling out from the office" Hank
volunteered
Not this time. Hank. but I certainly
have the filters"
He took out his handkerchief and
mopped her eyes. "Softie," he gibed.
have any sleep? The gang couldn't
find you anywhere" Hank looked at
her sharply. Il just have a bunch that
something's doing at the Bryant home"
he observed. Il think 1 saw Gluck
heading in that direction I'll take a
run out and see what's doing Want
to come with me?"
Not this time. I'm all in" Clover
looked at her watch. She had a dead
line before Hanks. She could Just
make it if she rushed
We'll. I'll give you the dope when
l get back. if there's anything doing.
I still think it's that egg Bremner, al
though they haven't a thing on him."
Glover looked her most angelic as
Hank climbed into the car
She gave him a friendly wave as she
went off to her own taxi. How white
she looked. he thought. A dear kid,
but she would never make the grade
as reporter. Judge Bryants home"
Hank told the driver. And step on it,"
(TE1E END)