The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-06-08

"Since his mother died, yes.-Of
him and of Clara"
The girl insisted on arising; and
she and Miss Moss had a long hour
together before Clint woke at all,
moving quietly, speaking in half
whispers so that he might not be
disturbed. Once the telephone rang,
and Miss Moss answered it. June
heard her speak in a steady mega
ton to some insistent one, and
guessed the truth before Miss Moss
confessed to her.
''That was your COUSIN" the old
er woman explained. "Mr. Taine-
wanting you to come home. He said
he would come fetch YOU"
"Rab or Asa?" June asked, al
most fearfully.
81 don't know"
sob, I don't want to co." the
girl declared. ''I can't bear to go
back there"
"You need not" Miss Moss as
sured her calmly. 'You will stay
here as long as you choose, my
dear" She smiled and lifted the re-
ceiver off the hook. well not even
answer the telephone" she de-
clared. Besides, it might wake
Clint. He needs Sleep"
81 want to see him." June adj
mitted, her cheeks bright; Miss
Moss smiled, and on sudden i'm
pulse put her arm around the girl.
Later Miss Moss heard a buzzing
in the telephone, and it continued
so persistently that she lifted the
receiver. This was Aunt EVE, in
sisting in her even, pitiless tones
that June come home. But Miss
Moss yielded not an inch; and June,
when she heard who it was, cried:
81 can't, Miss Moss. Mothers
dead, and now Grandma. Oh, I
can't go back to them"
Her voice was raised; it may have
reused Clint, asleep in Inspector
TOPICS own bed. He came in pa
jamas to the door, his hair rumpled,
his eyes drowsy, still not fully
walked. But when June saw him
there, she ran into his arms, and
he held her close; and Miss Moss
said in deep and tender mirth:
"She wouldn't be happy till you
did wake up, Clint. I couldn't please
her."
June looked back over her Shout
der and said gratefully: "You were
sweet to me. Butt did want Clint
too"
So June was able to forget for a
while those horrors of last night;
she and Clint and Miss Moss laughed
together over the breakfast-table,
and while they washed dishes after
ward. But early in the afternoon
Inspector Tope came home. The
old man was tired and worn and
haggard, and his clothes were sod
den. Miss Moss seized on him and
hustled him, protesting, away to
change; she would have put him to
bed, but the Inspector baked.
June asked Clint desperately:
what is it, dear? What has hap
pened? Why is he-that way?" And
suddenly: "Why do you call him
Inspector? Is he policeman"
''He used to be-" Clint told her.
"For years" He thought uncertain
| ly to distract her attention; and he
said almost eagerly: ''He can tell
you the greatest stories, about the
cases he had, the things he did.
guess he's the greatest detective
they ever had around here"
She stared at him with narrowed
| eyes. "Detective?" she whispered.
''But why" And suddenly Clint
| saw the blood drain out of her lips
and leave them white as marble;
but her eyes were steady. Clint"
she demanded, "does he think
But he was saved the necessity of
answering, for Inspector Tope and
Miss Moss came out to them again;
and June turned to the older man.
"You think someone killed my moth
err" she said swiftly.
Clint protested something, and In
spector Tope stood uncertain; but
June turned to Miss Moss. "TeIl
me-" she insisted. els it true?"
| Miss Moss answered her. eyes,
june" she said. 81 think it is true"
Her voice was infinitely kind.
June's eyes closed; she seemed
to grow tall, she stood so straight
and still. She looked at them all
! again, and said slowly:
"You must tell me. Oh, tell me
what to do
Miss Moss and Clint were silent,
full of tenderness; but Inspector
Tope spoke in a deep approval.
you're fine, Miss Leaford," he
said, "This is hard for you, and I
! know it, and understand. I would
like to talk to you," he explained
gravely. eff you can stand talk,
questions"
Tope began with Mrs. Leaford; he
came at last to the tragedy of the
night before. "Your grandmother
died." he said. 'Mr. Hurder is still
alive. He ought to be in a hospital,
to have every chance; but Mrs.
Tame insists on keeping him there.
Attending him herself"
He was silent for a moment,
frowning, foreboding in his eyes.
Then he went on:
''Now you've already told me
about your mother and the night she
died. You remember, when I came
out with Clint. But Miss Leaford,
I want to ask you about last night
about everything that happened be-
fore you left the house to meet
Clint: who you saw, what you did,
what other people did"
So June, picking her words with
care, arranging her memories in or
der, began to tell him; and while
she talked, he made an occasional
note, on pad of paper, till she con-
cluded at last: