The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-08-11


agreed. 'But what would they be
afraid off"
'Well," Tope. reminded him, his
tone suddenly grim, "a woman died
Of poison in there last night. II
she'd known it was going to hap
pen, she'd have had right to be
afraid" p
So Clint was silenced; and they
came on into the suburban town that
was their destination, and found Po-
lice Headquarters. Miss Moss elect
ed to stay in the car while they went
inside.
Inspector Heale came to. meet
them. He was lean and gray, and
his brows were extravagantly
bushy. He shook TOPICS hand, and
spoke some hearty word.
"Might have known you'd be
around" he said hunorously. you
old buzzard! How do you hear about
these things so soon? I didn't even
know Mrs. Leaford was dead till
you called me up" = 81.
"Done anything?" Tope asked Sc
riously. y
Inspector Heale babe them come
into his Office and closed the door,
and he shook his head. "No," he
confessed doctor berries gone
to look her over, of course. Doctor
Cabler hadn't notified him. Cabler
was called in late last night, slept
late this morning. That's why he
hadn't phoned Doc Derrie. He said
there wasn't any hurry"
And he explained: "Mrs. Leaford
had been taking this dope for years.
She took an overdose once before.
and came near passing out. This
time it was nearer than, that"
dead when Doctor Cabler got
there?" Tope inquired.
Before that, l guess" Heale ex-
planned; and he looked at Tope and
then at Clint inquiringly. "But I
want to know how you heard about
it." he reminded them, and Tope
babe Clint tell the tale Of his adj
venture the night before.
So Clint repeated his story; and
Inspector Heale listened without in
terruption till he was done.
''The girl was Miss Leaford," he
explained then, "Mrs. Leaford's
daughter. She found her mother
dead, and the telephone was out OF
order on account of the shower, SO
she ran to get the doctor" He
grinned. 81 didn't know she made
the trip in her nightie," he adj
mitted. They're a queer lot UP
there, and she's as queer as the
rest of them"
s'They're that way about every
thing" Inspector Heale insisted.
'sYou take electric lights. Hurder
put them in his house, here a few
years back; and then the others
hooked his meter, to save meter de-
posits. The light company kicked,
but those folks on the Hill, they
mostly get their own way when they
want it. Old Mrs.. Bowdon-she's
seventy if she's a day-you can
argue with her till you're blind and
she don't give an inch.
Sand Mrs. Taine's as bad," Heale
continued. "She's one of these
thin, stringy women in black
dress; and she talks in kind of
whisper as if butter wouldn't melt in
her mouth. She can strip the hide off
you and never raise her voice. She's
a worker, too. She'll put on over
alls and 60 right at it. Do any
thing. For. instance, she wired her
own house. and Bowdon's, and
hooked up the wires in Hurder's
cellar. If I didn't know they had
money, I'D think they didn't have
a cent, the way she works all the
time"
Clint began: miss Leaford--"
The Inspector said guardedly:
''Why, she might be all right. for
all / know. She's always slipping
around through the woods, alone,
like q wild animal; and she never
speaks to you. Passes you right
by ~ b,