The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-09-29

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 a 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. I
guess he's the greatest detective
they ever had around here"
She stared at him with narrowed
eyes. 'sDetective?" she whispered.
sBut 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. 'Tell
me-" she insisted. SIS it true?"
Miss Moss answered her. eyes,
June" she said. ~ 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 ]
know it, and understand. / would
like to talk to you," he explained
gravely. "If 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.
Taine insists on keeping him there.
Attending him herself"
He was silent for moment,
frowning, foreboding in his eyes.
Then he went on:
'sNow you've already told me
about your mother and the night she
died. You remember, when came
out with Clint. But Miss Leaford,
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 a pad of paper, till she con-
cluded at last:
"And then Clint brought me away,
brought me in here"
Inspector Tope nodded with deep
approval. "That's fine," he said;
and he explained: "I've been trying
to figure out the times when some
of these things happened. I've made
a schedule. Some of this you don't
know about; but you and Clint look
at it and see if it's about right, as
far as you know"
no BE CONTINUED