The Ely miner., 1939-12-14
Prologue zaAave y4;;ss y:4;@:s !;
MARTHA osTENso-whU SERVICE

the breakfast was finished almost in
silence.
you'd better be getting away"
the Laird advised Autumn as they
got up from the table, and Autumn
felt that her father had no desire to
leave her alone with Hannah. "Get
your things together and I'll have
the car brought out for you."
And while Autumn was in her
room preparing for the trip to town,
she could hear her fathers voice in
stern admonishment to poor old
Hannah.
Hector Cardigan possessed hor-
ror of glaring daylight, and the rays
of the late morning sun that filtered
into his drawing room between the
heavy drapes of the windows sug-
gested to Autumn the curious fin
gers of the present prying into the
crypt of the past. She sat in one of
Hector's armchairs, glass of iced
tea in her hand, her lids half closed
upon that searching beam of light
from the window.
Hector" she said, glancing up
at him with sudden directness, 81
came to have talk with you. Do
you mind?"
Hector smiled at her. eve used
to get on very well with our talks. if
I remember"
81 was child, then, Hector"
"Yes-that's so, that's so. real
ly hadn't considered that aspect of
our-our friendship, may I say?"
81 am no longer child, Hector" "
Every true, my dear. I recog-
nize the fact-and I am forced to
confess that I have never been a
spectacular success in conversations
with women"
"You don't have to be on this oc.
casion, Hector. I am not here for
small talk"
"Hm-m-m-weI, of course"
81 want to ask you some ques-
tons"
81 cannot promiSe-ah, definitely,
you know-to answer any question a
young woman might put to me. Can
I, now?"
Autumn could not tell whether his
manner was becoming evasiye or
merely apologetic.
"You can answer the questions !
have in mind, Hector. I am sure of
that"
well, we shall see, perhaps.
What, for example, are you going to
ask?"
Autumn drained her glass and set
it aside.
81 went over to visit Jane Landor
last night" she began.
II thought you were giving a
dance"
'I left it for an hour or so-and
rode over to the Landor place. I
met Bruce and he took me to the
house to see his mother"
81 see. Rather singular conduct
for hostess, l should say"
'I'n admit it was-fcr the time
being, in any case. I saw Jane Lam
dor"
"You-spoke to her?"
'I'm not sure. Perhaps a word. I
forget. It was what she said to me
that I have come to ask you about. !"
Hector moved uneasily. "Poor
Jane Landor is not to be held to ac-
count for anything she says these
days, my dear. I understand she is
no longer-coherent."
81 am not going to hold her re-
sponsible for what she said, Hector.
I want to know the meaning of it,
that's ALL"
Hmm, well, my dear-what did
she say?"
when I stepped into the room
with Bruce, she became hysterical.
She declared to Bruce that I was
Millicent Odell and pleaded with him
to put me out"
''Was that all?"
''Not quite. AS I turned to leave,
I heard her say that death followed
in the way of the Odells."
Anything else?"
Nothing. l hurried out and rode
back home as fast as I could"
For several seconds Hector re-
manned standing with his back to the
fireplace, his hands folded behind
him, his eyes at gaze across the
room.
"Wen, now," he said at last, sit
was a somewhat curious greeting
you received, I confess, and one
likely to give you pause, but as
said before, the poor woman"
''The poor woman, Hector, has
lost her sense of time and place,
but there is no use in your attempt
ing to convince me that there was
nothing significant in what she
said"
''Hm-m-well, perhaps you had
better ask me your questions, my
dear, and I shall consider them"
"What sort of woman was my
mother, Hector?" Autumn asked
him bluntly.
He looked at her quickly, star
tied expression in his eyes. "Your
mother? She was the most beautiful
woman I have ever known, my
dear"
ST have heard that-years ago
from Hannah. Was she in love with
s.