Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-11-07
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

your Will, NAohy Auot Auau'J
that's very funny And it was very
clear to you what was in her mind.
:. She had been thinking, perhaps,
that Mary Gerard was not going to
live long. -"
Peter Lord said: 81 only imagined
that. don't know"
Poirot said. 'No, you did not only
imagine it. y"
Hercule Poirot sat in Nurse Hop
kins' cottage. DIR. Lord had brought
him there, had introduced him, and
had then, at a glance from Poirot.
left him to a tete-a-tete.
Having, to begin with, eyed his
very foreign appearance somewhat
askance, Nurse Hopkins was now
thawing rapidly. She said with a
family gloomy relish: eyes, it's a
terrible thing. One of the most ter
rible things I've ever known. Mary
was one of the most beautiful girls
you've ever seen. Might have gone in
the films any time! And nice steady
girl, too, and not stuck-up, as she
might have been with all the notice
taken of her."
Poirot, inserting question adroit-
ly, said: "You mean the notice taken
of her by Mrs. Welman?"
"That's what mean. The old lady
had taken tremendous fancy to her
really, a tremendous fancy"
Hercule Poirot murmured: "Sur-
prising, perhaps?"
"That depends. It might be quite
natural, really. I mean. =" Nurse
Hopkins bit her lip and looked con-
fused. "What I mean is, Mary had a
very pretty way with her; nice soft
voice and pleasant manners. And it's
my opinion it does an elderly person
good to have young face about"
Hercule Poirot said: miss Carlisle
came down occasionally, I suppose, to
see her aunt?"
Nurse Hopkins said sharply: miss
Carlisle came down when it suited
her"
Poirot murmured: "You do not like
Miss Carlisle?"
Nurse Hopkins cried out: 81 should
hope not, indeed! A poisoner! A cold
blooded prisoner
"Ah," said Hercule Poirot, 81 see
you have made up your mind"
Nurse Hopkins said suspiciously:
"What do you mean? Made up my
mind?"
"You are quite sure that it was
she who administered morphine to
Mary Gerard?"
"Who else could have done it, I
should like to know? You're not sug-
costing that ! did,"
"Not for a moment. But her guilt
has not been proved, remember"
Nurse Hopkins said with calm as
surance; miss Carlisle did it. Apart
from anything else, you could see it
IN her face. Queer she was, all the
time. And taking me away upstairs
and keeping me there-delaying as
long as possible. And then when I
turned on her, after finding Mary
like that, it was there in her face as
plain As anything. She knew knew!"
Hercule Poirot said thougtfully:
eft is certainly difficult to see who
else could have done it. Unless, of
course, she did it herself"
what do you mean, did it herself?
Do you mean that Mary committed
suicide? never heard such nonsense
Hercule Poirot said: zone can new
or tell. The heart of young girl, II
is very sensitive, very tender" He
paused. at would have been possible
4 supp0se2 She could have slipped
something into her tea without your
noticing herr"
Skipped it into her cup, yo'
meant"
Eyes. You weren't watching her al
the time"
az wasn't watching her-no. Yes
I suppose she could have done that
But it's all nonsense! Wha
would she want to do thing lik
that fort"
Hercule Poirot shook his head wit
a resumption of his former manner
"a young girls heart as / say, 8
sensitive. An unhappy love-affail
perhaps"
Nurse Hopkins gave a snort Girl
don't kill themselves for love-affair
not unless they're in a scandal-an
Mary wasn't in such, let me tell you!
She glared at him belligerently.
"And she was not in love?"
r f.