The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-12-19
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relief to talk to someone without
holding back. We smoked together
at first and then, as I passed from
the scuff1e in the basement to the
duel with Lyon and the rifling of my
room, the cigarette burned down I'M
needed in her fingers. She asked
at last:
Sand why have you had all this
attention."
"Miss Agatha" I told her with a
grin, 81 haven't the least idea"
She chuckled again.
cat any rate" she said, "we
start even as allies"
wait" I babe, and told her of
the foreign voice I had heard at
Mino's. She looked at me hard
when I had finished.
care you sure?" she asked.
l shrugged.
Right now, I'm not very sure OF
anything. Yet I don't think Pm be-
ginning to hear voices. And it may
be important, but it isn't evidence,
unless we can persuade Lyon to
drop back into it again for the bene-
fit of the police
mo-" she said thoughtfully.
you're right. It's signpost, moth
ing more. There is a flaw in Lyon,
somewhere. Everybody has one If
we could only find it and work on
it,
"You said he was proud" I re-
minded her.
''And clever" she added. "And
also lucky, at poor Groves expense.
Think minute.
She gathered her fragile body to-
gether and looked hard at the hands
clasped in her narrow lap as though
they held seer's crystal ball.
Think" she went on, 'of his
luck. Everett knew Lyon had killed
Blackboard And Everett was fright
ened. Anyone could see that. He
was not of the breed of heroes. You
were to be killed by accident while
Everett rif1ed your room. The Fer
riters thought you had something
that was key to the murder
"And Everett failed" I offered
as she paused, 'and that, plus fear,
destroyed him. So he wrote a fare
well note to his family, who were
waiting for him to show up at Mi
nos, and killed himself out of sheer
terror"
The surprise in her face heart
ened me.
EYES," Miss Agatha said slowly,
shat is quite possible and Grove
found the note and since it's implica-
tons seemed to threaten the we'll
being of his precious beloved, pock-
eted it - he would = and thereby
damned himself"
There was excitement and odd re-
lief in thrusting facts into the pig
eonholes of theory where, at least,
they would lie without falling out in
confusion. Faint pink had come to
Miss Agatha's cheek-bones and her
eyes sparkled. I asked:
''Has your nephew told to whom
he wrote the letter at this desk last
night?"
''He has not" Miss Agatha an
swered. 81 never have known 81
lence less golden than his"
Because" I went on, 81 think he
is telling the truth" and then I
confded my own experience at that
desk when, looking up, had seen
light across the area and Grove pull
ing down shade in the Ferriter fiat.
Miss Agatha, when I had ended,
reached out hand and, amazingly,
patted my knee.
81 think, David" she said quiet
ly, "a very wrong-headed pair of
women owe you more than an apollo
gy for what they thought of you this
morning"
Forget it," I told her.
She shook her head.
"No," she said. "Just postpone
it. Mightn't it be well if we were
to write down, separately, all we
know and suspect of this-bewilder-
ment? Thereafter, comparing our
lists, we might find some hint of
what else we should do?"
''It might" I granted, humoring
her.
There's another typewriter
about" Miss Agatha thought aloud.
81 believe it's in the basement
storeroom. I'm sure it was put there
when it came back from the repair
mans. Allegra!"
I do not think she saw the move
p1npf II yS,oIA 70 Ok hAv
had small desire to face the scorn-
full girl again. It hurt too much and,
at the same time, angered me. But
in an instant there she stood in the
doorway, looking at her aunt and
plainly not recognizing my exist
ence. Sight of her smoldering niece
made Miss Agatha revise her pur-
pose.
my dear" she said briskly, 81
have already apologized to David
for what we both thought when his
friends letter came this morning."
She paused. A1legra's face did not
stir nor did her eyes move. I FUN
deal and found nothing.
why should apologize?" the girl
asked. $50 that can read about it
in tomorrow's Press?"
If she could hurt me so, / might
be able to reach her. I said, as cas-
lily as could:
News must be either interesting
or important"
was sorry then, for she looked at
me, caught her breath and fed.
ITO BE CONTINUED)