The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-12-12
EF. VAN o. WATER
w. ~ v. Service

1t was good to throw pretense aside
at last and speak my thought.
miss Ferriter," I went on,
gave"
He lifted a hand so sharply that
I stopped.
''My sister," he said, and I felt
now that he was wholly candid, sis
to be kept out of this tragedy if 1
have to go further than-chivalrou
perjury. She has suffered more than
enough, already"
His emphasis threw me out of
my stride for an instant.
"All right" l told him. "You
gave Grove a key. Let it go at
that. I hope when he opens up he
tells the same story. You gave him
the key. How does that explain his
presence in your fiat last night at
the time of your brothers.
suicide?"
He smiled at the stress I laid on
the last word and that made me an
grier.
''It doesn't" he said. mo one
knows why he was there-except,
possibly, poor old Everett"
'Your sister knows" I said, tin
Cling. Maybe you do, too"
"Are you," he drawled, trying to
be offensive?"
cts no effort" I assured him.
Everett committed suicide. No
doubt he had his reasons. He left
the note they found on Grove. No
doubt you know what it means.
Grove is that way about your sister.
That's why he had key. He's in
this jam on her account while
you"
A voice behind Lyon cut through
my angry speech and checked it.
Would you mind" it asked,
stepping little aside, Mr.. Ferri-
ter? I thought you had gone"
He obeyed. Miss Agatha sat be-
hind him in her wheel chair. Her
bleak face daunted Lyon who was
as nearly Ill at ease as I had ever
seen him.
yes" he stammered, 81 should
have gone-some time ago." and
without further glance at me, hur-
ried down the hall. The door
slammed.
The old lady turned her head and
looked at me and again I marveled
at the residence of her crippled
body. Not even the plight of her
beloved nephew had dulled her eyes,
or shaken her voice.
I was still too angry to read omen
in her regard.
81 gather" she said, ''Mr. Ferri-
ter has been telling you he gave
Grove that latchkey."
81 can gather" I snarled, shat
he's willing to cruelty silly kid
for the sake of Ione's good name
if any"
My violence seemed to soothe her.
Her face softened a little. She said
dryly:
I'm glad you're so strenuous,
David. Something has happened
that Allegro and I want to ask you
about"
was so dumb that her words
heartened me. I thought that they
were going to ask for counsel and I
forgot my recent wrath. Perhaps
that sacrificial yearning l had felt
in Allegra's presence wasn't so idi-
otto after all. l might yet serve
her.
I'm grateful to you both," told
Miss Agatha.
Again, she gave me that puzzled
stare. I thought she was going to
ask question but she turned her
head instead and called: "Allegra. Z"
l heard the girl come down the
hall. Something made me family
uneasy. forgot my qualm when
she entered the room.
got up. Worry had hardened
her. Her face was white. Her eyes
endured mine so indifferently that
I wondered if this could be the girl
I had kissed few hours ago. She
was immune to my smile; she was
deaf to my greeting. She looked
from me to her aunt, who gave a
prompting nod. In Allegra's
clenched hand, a paper cracked.
Her voice had the same impersonal
sound as she asked, looking straight
at me again:
''Do you know a man named Law
renee Duke?"
I could feel it coming. I knew
now that it wasn't just anxiety for
her brother that had bleached and
hardened her. There was sweat in
my palms and my voice sounded
hoarse to me as I said: Eyes"
Allegro gave her head a quick lit
tie jerk and unfolded the paper she
held.
"'I DON'T" she told me with quiet
scorn, "but he writes on the letter.
head of the Sphere: Dear Madam:
Perhaps you are unaware that your
escort of tonight is reporter on
the Press in disguise.
Miss Agatha asked:
SIS that true, David?"
GAS far as it goes" I told her
and there was sudden dullness in
the clever old eyes. I had no time
to explain for Allegro said and her
voice cut:
"You have been stealing my
aunt's generosity and my-friend-
ship"
mo-" I said.
'You are a reporter for the
Press?"
''Only on probation" I said.
In her voice heard the anger Of
trust betrayed. 1t angered me. I
wheeled about and picked up my
hat and coat. The girl said:
"a stool pigeon"
That stung. I ignored her pur-
posely and turned to Miss Agatha.