Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-10-31

~--O
this Mary Gerrard?"
Peter Lord considered: "She was
well, she was nice kid. Yes, def
nitely nice kid"
Poirot sighed. He murmured: "This
Roderick Welman, did he fall in love
with her because she was nice kid %
Peter Lord smiled. ooh, get what
you mean. She was beautiful, all
right"
"And you yourself? You had no
feeling for herr"
Peter Lord stared. "Good Lord, no.
Hercule Poirot reflected for a mo-
ment or two, then he said: Frederick
Welman says that there was affection
between him and Elinor Carlisle, but
nothing stronger. Do you agree to
that?"
"How the deuce should 1 know"
Poirot shook his head. "You told
me when you came into this room
that Elinor Carlisle had the bad taste
to be in love with a long-nosed, sup
ercilious ass. That, presume, is a
description of Roderick Welman. So
according to you, she does care for
him."
Peter Lord said in low, exaspera-
ted voice: "She cares for him all
right! Cares too much!"
Poirot said: "Then there was mo-
tive. :"
Peter Lord swerved round on him,
his face alight with anger. "Does it
matter? She might have done it, yes!
I don't care if she did"
Poirot said: "Aha!"
"But I don't want her hanged, tell
you! Supposing she was driven des-
perate? Loves a desperate and twist
ing business. It can turn worm into
a fine fellow-and it can bring de-
cent, straight man down to the dregs!
Suppose she did do it. Haven't you
got any pity?"
Hercule Poirot said: 81 do not ap-
prove of murder"
Peter Lord stared at him, looked a.
way stared again and finally burst
out laughing. "Of all the things to
say-so prim and SNUG, too! Who's
asking you to approve? Pm not ask
ing you to tell lies! Truths truth,
isn't it? If you find something that
tells in an accused persons favor, you
wouldn't be inclined to suppress it be-
cause she's guilty, would you?"
Certainly not"
"Then why the devil can't you do
what I ask you?"
Hercule Poirot said: "My friend, !
am perfectly prepared to do So -
Peter Lord stared at him, took out
handkerchief, wiped his face and
threw himself down in a chair.
"Whoof!" he said. "You get me all
worked up! I didn't see in the least
what you were getting att"
Poirot said: 81 was examining the
case against Elinor Carlisle. Now /
know it. Morphine was administered
to Mary Gerard; and, as far as I can
see, it must have been given in the
sandwiches. Nobody touched those
sandwiches except Elinor Carlisle.
Elinor Carlisle had a motive for kill
ing Mary Gerard, and she is, in your
opinion capable of killing Mary Ger
rard, and in all probability she did kill
Mary Gerard. I see no reason for be-
lieving otherwise.
"That, mon ami, is one side of the
question. Now we will proceed to
stage two. We will dismiss all those
considerations from our mind and we
will approach the matter from the OPP
posite angle: If. ElinOr Carlisle did
not kill Mary Gerard, who did?
Or did Mary Gerard commit sui
cide?"
Peter Lord sat up. A frown creas-
ed his forehead. He said: "You
weren't quite accurate just now"
II? Not accurate?" Poirot sound
ed affronted.
Peter Lord pursued relentlessly:
"No. You said nobody but Elinor Car
Isle touched those sandwiches. You
don't know that"
"There was no one else in the
house."
GAS far as we know. But you are
excluding a short period of time.
There was time during which Eli
nor Carlisle left the house to go down
to the lodge. During that period of
time the sandwiches were on a plate
in the pantry, and somebody could
have tempered with them"
Poirot drew deep breath. He said:
"You are right, my friend. 1 admit it.
There was a time during which some