The midland journal., 1946-03-15


rived, seeking Tope; but Tope was
not here.
"He ought to be, by now," the
trooper protested. "He left five-ten
minutes before I did,"
LEFT where?" Mrs. Tope asked.
"Was he coming here?"
"I thought he was," Ned declared;
and-their questions prompting him
he told the story of that scene in
Will Banion's chapel, when Tope's
case crumbled and Joe Dane took
charge.
"I'd like to slap Joe's facel" said
Bee hotly.
But Mrs. Tope only asked: "Where
is Inspector Topper"
"Why, ma'am, he left us there in
Banion's. stopped in here to tell
him not to take it too hard. I'll jog
up to the quarry now-see how
they're doing with the car. Tell the
old man I'm for him, will your"
He started his engine with kick,
and wheeled out into the highroad
and so away.
Ten minutes later, Tope and
Adam reached the Mill. These two
had been some time in finding, in
North Madderson, the things Tope
sought; and when they had secured
these objects and slowed them
somehow, well concealed, in the
back of the little car, Adam looked
at the old man inquiringly.
"Whats all that for?" he asked.
Tope chuckled. "Why, ADAM" he
said cheerfully. "I thought I'd take
you out to shoot fishl"
Adam looked at him; and after
moment he said gravely: "Inspec-
tor, I've gone along blindly so far.
Buff you're suggesting that l
shoot anything but fish, I'll have to
know where we stand"
Tope looked at him. "Why,
ADAM" he suggested, 'if you saw
one man trying to kill another man,
and no way to stop him but to shoot
him, you wouldn't wait for explana-
tions, would you?"
"You expect some one else TO be
killed."
"I expect there'll be a try to kill
two people, before night" Tope as
sented simply.
"Who?" Adam demanded. "What
two people?"
'Mr. Eberly," said Tope. "And
Miss Ledforge."
Adam CALCULATED: "Why? Who"
Tope hesitated. "Well, ADAM" he
said, "you ought to be able to see
it by now" And while Adam drove
more slowly, listening, he explained:
"This business builds up like
brick house, one brick at time.
First thing, a dead man under the
bed in Faraway Second thing, two
people put him there. Third thing,
they stayed in Little Bear, and one
of them was woman. Fourth thing,
the man was small, and he knew
Kell. He knew Kell because he imi-
tated Kell's way of talking, and he
wore KelTs shoes with the heel
plates on them. Fifth thing, they
came in Holdom's coupe, and the
woman was Mrs. Kell."
He added: "Those were facts; and
Bob Flint being dead was another
fact. And that telephone call from
New York Saturday to report the
stolen car was another fact. The
dead man being Ledforge wasn't
fact, but it might get to be. Then
the hair-oil on the dead mans head
was fact; and the hair-oil on the
pillow in Little Bear was a fact.
The two of them together made an
other fact"
But Tope said: "Here we are
here's the Mill. Wait till we leave
here, son. We won't stay long"
Bee and Mrs. Tope were quick to
meet them, Bee voluble with SYM
pathy for the Inspector. But Mrs.
Tope, watching them, thought him
in no need of sympathy or reassur-
anceS.
"Why, take that kindly of you,
Miss Dewain. But he couldn't be
Joe Dane and do different" the In
spector assured Bee. "Don't 60 ex-
pecting people to be different from
what they are" He turned to Mrs.
Tope. 81 was thinking" he said,
shat before we pull out of here, you
might want to make a call some-
where. Like as not Miss Dewain
would go with you. Mr.. Eberly still
here and all right, is he?"
Eberly said from the doorway:
"Quite all right, Inspector"
And Mrs. Tope asked, surprised:
"Call? On whom?"
Tope said: "Why, on Miss Led
forge. She's a real nice woman.
Why don't you get Miss Dewain to
drive you down there?" He looked
at his watch. "It's going on three
o'clock. Time, you get prettied up
and get there, it will be Just about
time for her to give you a cup of
tea"
She hesitated. 81 think know
what's in your mind" she admit
ted. "Ned Quill told us you sent for
Mr.. Ledforge's dentist. Butts that
possible?"