The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-08-05
SHORT SHORT
STORY
Complete in This Issue

Suddenly Hetty herself breezed
into Mrs. Bankers living room.
Didn't think 1 was coming, did
your" she inquired. "Wel, fact is,
1 can't stay. Claude Doone thinks
Pm down to Garry's store ordering
supplies for the"
"Oh, Hetty! Hetty!" a chorus of
voices exclaimed. "Begin at the be-
ginning!"
"Well, my phones out of order
or, believe me, Steve Banker would
have heard from me before now.
AS town constable he's the one to
deal with this, l guess. You see,
Claude Doone drove over yesterday
morning to get me to go to the
Winston place. He'd just got long
distance call from Mrs. Winston
in New York. She wanted him to
open up her summer home on the
river and have a capable woman go
with him and fix up the place bit.
She's coming here by motor this aft
ernoon at a."
"Why, the Winstons haven't been
at their summer home since 1917"
remarked someone.
eyes, and believe me, it was a
mess" went on Hetty. 'You know,
the Winstons always were close
mouthed. Never could find out any
thing about them. Those two Win
ston boys, Jason and Wilfred, and
their aunt just stuck by themselves.
l got to thinking about them while
was working around. You know,
it was mighty queer the way they
left in hurry like. Fact, no one
remembers seeing the boys go. Then
in Mrs. Winston's bedroom this
morning I found this note" With
an important air Hetty handed it
to Mrs. Banker.
Dear Aunt Ann-Forgive me for
running away like this, but 1 can't
stand it any longer. Especially
thinking about Jason. Ever your
Wilfred."
"My world" chorused the women.
eyes," Hetty's eyes sparkled with
excitement, 81 got to thinking, and
remembering how was up helping
Mrs. Winston Ions about that time
and recalled the boys fighting about
something. Jason was going to go
somewhere and Wilfred wanted to
60, too. Jason told him he wasn't
to go. I remember Wilfred was aw-
fully mad and excited.
GtTNon 7 ,,,ooA
garden to bury some rubbish and
dug a little hole, and this is what
dug up" Hetty opened a bag in
her hand with a dramatic gesture
and displayed two large bones and
several small ones. The large bones
were Enthusiastically of human origin.
ooh, Hetty! You can't think
you don't mean" came confusedly
from the women.
II don't think-I know" Hetty in
terrupted triumphantly. ''Wilfred
Winston killed his brother Jason and
that's why he ran away"
At 4 o'clock a breathless crowd
gathered at the Winston house, but
it was some 40 minutes after that
hour when large touring car drove
up. Out of it stepped Mrs. Winston
and two young couples.
why" exclaimed Mrs. Winston
to the little group, chow dear of
you all to welcome us! You all re-
member Jason and his young broth
er, Wilfred, who would follow him
to war. He ran away, after Jason
left, to enlist; that's why he left so
abruptly. Jason and Wilfred were
married this morning in New York
and they've come to spend their hon
eymoon here, and they would have
me with them"
The Leelon crowd looked around
for Hetty. Then Mrs. Banker hast
lily dispatched Steve for several
new pies she had made and for the
refreshments the tea party of the
afternoon had been too excited to
eat.
Nobody mentioned the bones, but
Hetty found out afterwards that
they were human bones, for Mrs.
Winston's husband had been a ply
stefan and he had used them in
his study of anatomy. At his death
she had had them buried, as she
did not want them about.
Leelon did not care very much
one way or another whether there
had been murder or not, for now
there was double wedding in their
midst-they had something else to
talk about