The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-06-01

"Till Mother woke me, yes"
Where was she?"
with Grandma Bowdon."
Dressed, were your"
"Shoes off, and coat" Asa an
swered.
Rab interrupted: "Asa, you said
they questioned you before? You
knew what they thought about Aunt
Kitty"
"They told me. yes" Asa ex-
| planned.
Rab cried: .'Then why didn't you
tell us?"
But Tope, in the background, sug-
gested mildly:
II hear you were in Providence
tonight, Mr.. Tame"
Rab stared at him almost trucu-
lently. what of it?" he demand
ed and turned away.
"Do you mind my questions,
Asa?," Tope asked.
NO." Asa assured him. "Any-
thing you like
''Mrs. Leaford leave a will?"
EMO"
'Mr. Bowdon? Mr.. Hurder?"
"Yes, of course"
what were the terms?"
Asa looked at him thoughtfully;
and he glanced at Inspector Heale.
He said: ''Ill tell you anything !
can, but I can't help you on that.
My father drew the wills. You'll
have to ask him "
"Where is he?" Inspector Heale
demanded. Where was he to-
night?"
Asa smiled family. ''He went to
sleep in kitchen chair after sup
per-" he explained. Mother found
him still asleep there when she
went to telephone Rab."
"Asleep through all this hullaba-
LOOP"
Hes stone deaf, you know"
Tope asked gently: elaine, if one
of the connections didn't do this,
who did? Anyone live around here
who might? Jim Glovere, or the
Thayers?"
He saw Asa taut and stiff, like a
fencer on guard; but before he could
reply, Rab spoke at TOPICS elbow.
The young man had returned I'M
seen, and he said in the tone of one
conveying an order that must be
obeyed:
my mother wants word with
you gentlemen. Please follow me-"
Without the slightest hesitation,
Tope moved briskly after Rab.
Heale almost reluctantly followed
him, but Asa stayed behind.
When Tope and Inspector Heale
followed Rab into the house where
lamps were burning to replace the
now useless electric lights, there
was stir and movement behind the
closed doors of the dining-room in
which Denman Hurder still lay un-
conscious and near death; and the
parlor doors likewise were closed.
But Mrs. Bowdon and Mrs. Tame
waited for them in the sitting-room;
and Mrs. Bowdon was in chair
that faced the door by which they
entered. Tope had an impression
of mass, of white mass that would
not easily be moved. Her hair was
white; so was her cheek; so was the
shapeless dressing gown she wore.
She sat in a ponderous immobility
which had nevertheless sugges-
ton of power held in restraint; and
her eyes were alive and hard and
cold.
Mrs. Taine, on the other hand,
met them at the door. This was a
spare, thin woman; her thin hair
was black; her cheek was sallow;
her lips were thin. She spoke in a
soft sibilance, in keen syllables that
suggested the slicing stroke of ra-
zor-blades.
''I sent for you gentlemen" she
told them simply. "My son tells
me you are circulating the sugges-
ton that Mrs. Leaford's death, and
the tragedy tonight, were not acct
dent but design. I will not permit
such nonsense. If such runors be-
come current, I shall know whom
to blame, and I will hold you both
responsible. Let the talk END here
and now. I bid you good day.
Inspector Tope waited for Inspec-
tor Heale. to speak. Rab ex-
claimed, in a restrained anger:
"You heard her, gentlemen. That
is ALL"
And when Heale still was silent,
Mrs. Bowdon said, without moving
her lips: Outrageous. Impudent
audacity. Clowns"
Zone thing MORE" Mrs. Tame re-
membered. "Mr. Clinton Jervies
took June Leaford away with him,
against my express wish. She must
be back here in the morning. We
take care of our own, we Kene-
saws; we ask no favors anywhere.
See to 1t that this is done, or ]
shall know what steps to take"
Heale remained mute; but Tope
suggested gently: ''How old is
Miss Leaford, ma ann"
Mrs. Tame looked at him. Most
people were somewhat melted by
TOPICS mild kindness, but she was
not. "She is of age, yes" she said
calmly. "But that is inmaterial.
She is an inexperienced child, quite
incompetent to decide things for
herself. Kitty Leaford was no fit
mother for her, but I have done my
duty by June, and will continue to-"
But Inspector Heale found his
tongue at last, forgetting his awe
of these two women in remem-
brance of his duty and his rights.
'sNow, wait minute he insisted.
"You folks on the Hill have gone
your own gait in lot of things;