The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-02-08


tell you, Hector Bruce replied.
"You probably know more about it
than I do
"Have you any very clear opin-
ion concerning how your father
came to his death?" Hector asked
abruptly.
81 have understood that he took
his own hfe-because of his love for
for another woman" Bruce re-
turned.
"You know that?"
"I have put two and two together,
Hector" Bruce replied bluntly. 81
know they were in love-the rest I
have guessed"
"You have talked with Autumn
about it?"
"a ittle-a very little-one night
just after she came back" Bruce
admitted.
"You came to that conclusion to-
gether, them" Hector asked. "I
hope you don't mind my question
ing you in this way. It's scarcely
good manners in a host"
at can't make the slightest diff
ference, Hector" Bruce replied. 81
see no reason why you and I should
stand on ceremony"
Certainly notl Certainly not! Be-
cause of that, I mean to tell you
the truth about that episode, if you
can bear the telling of it"
Bruce bit meditatively at his un-
der lip while his eyes studied Hec-
tors face.
I'm of age, Hector" he said. 81
guess I can stand hearing it-if you
can tell it."
The old man drained his glass and
set 1t on the table. "Then-listen
until I'm quite through with it." he
said.
Bruce felt ridiculously like child
who was about to be told the facts
of life for the first time. But in
spite of his mildly derisive mood,
| the piquant articulateness of Hec-
tors ancient furniture and clocks
and silver and porcelain gave him
a strangely warm feeling of recep-
tivity. However shocking Hector's
disclosures were to be, it seemed
| true to him now at least-whether
or not the mellow personality of the
room had hypnotized him-that the
past was the past, yesterday flowing
back into the Renaissance, into the
! Middle Ages, into the lush glow Of
prehistoric times, sealed and sepa-
| rate from today.
! Three clocks, in various shadowed
recesses of the room, struck eleven.
Bruce had heard all of Hector 8
story, and the two men had sat for
minutes without speaking word.
Hector got up from his chair,
looked briefly at the youthful figure
seated across from him, elbows
propped on knees, head resting on
hands, and poured out two more
drinks of brandy.
"A night-cap, my boy" Hector
said sturdily, as he offered the glass
to Bruce.
Bruce came suddenly out of his
reverie, and took the glass from
Hector, than sat for moment star
ing into the sparkling liquor.
"How much of this does Autumn
know" he asked.
Everything I have told you"
Hector replied.
ST see," Bruce said quietly. "Did
you tell herr"
Jarvis Dean told her-one night
soon after she came back"
"You don't happen to remember
about what night that vast"
| Hector thought for moment.
'sNot very clearly. She called here
the next morning. think-on her
way to visit the PARIS"
"That was on her first visit,
wasn't it?"
"I believe it was" Hector told
him.
''It must have been," Bruce said.
"It just about killed the girl,
guess"
Hector looked at him for mo-
ment. "Why do you think she has
been playing the fool ever since?''
Bruce tossed off the brandy and
set his glass aside. tIt's a crazy
world" he said. Zone night-only
a week ago-I learned how it feels
to want to kill man."
Old Hector, standing above him,
raised his eyebrows. A light seemed
to dawn in his eyes and he smiled
whimsically down upon the roughly
tousled head of his guest.
''That was good for your soul, my
boy" he observed. "You learned