The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-11-21
CHAPTER XII

Most of the first act of "Die Wal.
kuere" went over my head, which,
perhaps, left me even with most
of the audience. I was stirred more
by the girl beside me than by the
fat persons on the stage. She
watched their posturings and, when
ever I dared, watched her.
Didn't it get you at all?"
She was flushed and her eyes were
bright. rose to let our seat neigh
bors pass into the aisle.
1T got too much of me-" I told
her. Shall we get out?"
IF you had an opera hat" she
said, I'D know you were itching
to wear it in the lobby with the rest
of the show-offs. Me, I'd rather
sit still. 1t takes time for me to
get my breath after Ring music.
Let's just talk"
I said: 'I'd rather, too. Will you
pick up where we were interrupt
ed? Why hasn't Everett an alibi?"
Aren't you," she asked, ''the
most persistent person." Her smile
faded and her face grew troubled.
She frowned and picked her words:
Measured by time, he hasn't. If
you can stretch your imagination to
believe him murderer, he might
have done it."
Then why" I began, but she
took away my question.
why did I clear him? Because it
was idiotic to dream-it's still crazy
to think-that Everett was the kill
er. When Captain Shannon began
checking up, Agatha said I had been
with Everett and I let it go at that.
had been, too, but only for less
than five minutes before you came
In. How long he had been in our
apartment before that, don't know.
He usually spends most of the after
noon in the workroom. He has a
latchkey."
Her eyes were dark with worry. !
said, trying for ightness:
There are too many latchkeys."
I knew from the way she caught
her breath that the jest had
hurt. She sat for a moment, pleat-
ing her program with nervous fin
gers and felt she was trying to
control her voice. It was quiet when
she said at last:
Grove is with lone tonight"
/ could find no answer for a mo-
ment. She went on, as though she
were afraid of silence:
They probably are out together
right now. They always are, when
he has one Of these business en-
gagements' that keeps him from
coming home"
She turned and faced me, like a
child who is sorry for a fault.
Maybe that's not fair. Maybe
she loves him. It's just that-weI,
I'm jealous, I suppose. Grove and
/ have been very close since we
were little children and NOWHERE
not. That's not all. This murder
seems to have turned everyone's
world-but Agatha's-upside down.
I'm frightened for Grove. He's walk
ing deep into something. And I'm
afraid"
Sure" I said, ST know how you
feel"
The thick voice I had heard over
the telephone; the still unexplained
disappearance of the murderer;
Grove turning on the light in the
Ferriter apartment; my struggle in
the dark basement hallway; Ever
ett's furtive raid on my room; my
duel with his brother-these were
blown about by the strong wind of
music. Siegmund and his rival were
fighting with swords on the stage.
When the clumsy contest ended I
found my palms clammy and my
breath scant. I might at this mo-
ment be lying like the slain Humid
ing. I looked at Allegro. She had
made life important. I was sweat
ing as the curtain fell.
Allegro, too, had felt the music's
spell. She watched me mop my
face and, think, read there some
thing more than the effect of an
operate tragedy. When our neigh
bors had gone again into the lobby,
she asked:
'Just what is your-your interest
In this mess?"
/ could tell from her eyes and the
sound of her words that she had
kept that question a long while.
tried to gain time.
81 don't quite know what you
mean"
She brushed that away with a
quick movement of her hands.
Mister" she said with hollew
gaiety, you wouldn't trifie with
poor girl, would you? You aren't
just a spectator. You're IN this UP
to your neck. I Gao feel it. Why?"
! said slowly:
That's a hard one. Because if
told you the truth; il said that my
interest in a murderer and muir
der was chiefy-almost entirely
the hope that might help you, yor
wouldn't believe me-"
ITO BE CONTINUED