Henderson daily dispatch., 1946-01-17

Walter, still smiling. But then you
earn the money you spend"
She waited a decent moment be-
fore she looked at Bcrnice. If Ber-
nice had felt the sting in the words,
she didn't show it. She was looking
at Walter still with that gentle
SubmissiveneSs.
The next afternoon when Vic
toria went out to the mailbox on
the left of the adobe gateposts
thanking the mouth of the drive
way there was only one letter. It
was for her. She noticed with idle
interest that the name and address
had been printed in capitals. The
two lines or the heavy gray paper
inside were also printed.
1T IS NOT OVER YET. YOU ARE
GOING TO SUFFER NOW.
She stared down at the page in
her hands. The sunlight twinkled
on her platinum wedding band. A
bird sang. From somewhere up the
street a dog barked.
Victoria put the note carefully
into its envelope. She saw from the
postmark that it had been mailed
late the evening before. Her mind
admitted what she had not before
admitted to herself. That she had
never quite believed in the accident
on Hazel's part. That almost from
the moment she had looked down
and seen Albert lying dead there
had been a haunting sense of an
evil behind his dying. This vague,
half-knowledge had been r%epressed,
held back, and it now burst forth
with double force for the withhold
ing.
The ability to destroy-the words
were framing neatly and carefully
in her mind as though she were
speaking them aloud-is as latent
in the human soul as the ability to
create. To destroy may become a
necessity, under certain inner pres
sures. 1t doesn't NEAR insanity, al
though that's the simplest word
for it.
She later regarded 1t as strange
that Sawn's face, the older face
which had replaced tie thinner,
young one, should have been sharp
in her mind when the old gardener
called to her: Mrs. Hime!"
She turned and saw him just the
ether side of the fence, STOPPING a
little to peer below the intervening
black branch of enc Of the trees
before her house. This time he haC
his hand curled around a rake rath.
er than a spade, but otherwise his
appearance was the same as on the
morning after Albert's death, wher
he had SO startled her by peerins
into Albert's room. The old felt hat
dingy with sweat, the faded blue
shirt rolled back at the cuffs. the
sagging vest, the sagging trousers
and the faded old blue eyes.
Hello" she answered. HI
stepped carefully over the low pick
ct fence, eased himself to her yar(
with a long step, and came TOWARD
her, his feet scuftiing through thu
ivy below the trees with a snake
like sound. Il been thinking
should tell you something," he said
his coat. Il think this was writer
by a woman" he said.
Victoria heard. yet did not hear
She said: I'm afraid, Mr., Tuck
For the first time in my life, In,
afraid" Saying the words easec
her.
"Of Captain Harris"
Yes. OF him, or-of someone
Under his probing grave eyes she
turned sharply away. Il sound like
a fool" Then she faced him, hold
ing out the hand Will, the ring
"Whatever anyone says to you
does it look as though Albert ane
l hated each other? Does it look as
though we quarreled?"
Hazel's voice called, Mr.. Tuck
She was standing in the kitchen
doorway, a white dish towel in hel
hands. With her head high. SHE
said: Il COULD have made tina
mistake with the poison, Mr.. Tuck
If it's that or Victoria killing him
then ! did,"
Tuck looked at her long and curl
ously. and at the ling, and at Vic
toria's tense face. Then he smiled
almost sadly. You two women dt
me an injustice" he said. slowl,
and carefully. Il make guesses.
have intuitions. ] am not a strict,
logical man."
His long and tired brown eye!
we're on Victoria's when he added
Logic tells me nothing; a CUES
tells me that Hazel didn't acciden
tally poison the sugar; an intuition
a feeling which is very bother
some tells me that you are right II
being afraid. Mrs t1ime."
He had left the house and wa.
| standing on the porch as he added
THE Los Angeles Police depart
ment is more trying than most.
believe | may be getting ulcers o
the stomach"
An hour later a mechanic re
turned Albert's car from the ga
rage which had picked it up, Onl.
after he had gone did she realiz
she had allowed him to leave II II
the driveway where 1t would pre-
vent her driving her own car t
the street. OF course. there was n
reason why she should not use Al
bert's, 1t was much handsomeI tina
hers which was of a popular make