The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-01-18

| BVAA6 w 0ShOOAp 0us ASddS gives
them their lessons right along" She
I! laughed proudly. Donnie does all
Willie's lessons, II we don't watch
him. Their handwriting's SO much
alike you can't tell the difference"
"They write alike?" Mrs. Tope
echoed in polite indifference. 'They
look exactly alike, Of course; but I
didn't know twins wrote alike, too"
eyes, they do" Mrs. Murrell in
sisted. 81 asked a doctor once, and
he told me"
But Bee interrupted her. People
were apt to interrupt Mrs. Murrell.
"Mr. Tope, Earl Priddy tells me
your friend Adam Bruce came back
last night"
1907" Tope echoed. "Why, he told
us in Middleford that he was taking
the midnight train. Must've changed
his mind"
Bee laughed. Adams always an
uncertain quantity. He must be
sleeping late. I'll have Mrs. Priddy
keep some coffee hot for him!"
After breakfast, Tope and Mrs.
Tope returned to Cascade. Tope
rummaged boots and fishing garb
out of the rumble of the car and put
them on. well make fishing an
excuse" he explained. well drive
away out of sight, and get to Amasa
Dewain's without the folks here
knowing"
She nodded, and presently they
came out to the car, Tope brave in
rubber boots and an old felt hat
adorned with flies stuck in the band
and crown. Earl Priddy, passing by
along the drive, paused to ask in an
interested tone: "Goin' fishin'?"
Tope admitted this. "Git you any
worms?" Tope shook his head. "I'l
dig you some, fust chance I git"
Priddy promised. "Fellow come
through her last summer, hired me
to take him fishing. Englishman, he
was. And a great one for flies!
Man, he could handle 'em, too"
Tope was always willing to listen.
He had heard, sometimes, surpris-
ingly useful things. Don't see
many Englishmen here, I expect"
he suggested at random.
"Well, some!" Priddy declared.
"Fellow come here Friday night late
II guess he was English by the way
he talked. Had that kind of def
mans voice that they have. can
tell 'em fur as I can hear 'em. He
had a woman with him! Miss De-
vain wouldn't have took 'em in, If
she'd been up, case they WANT
respectable; but she'd gone to bed,
and l amt so pa 'tic'lar. / put 'em
in Little Bear. They Lit out before
was up in the morning"
Tope nodded indifferently, and he
got into the car. When they APP
preached Amasa Dewain's farm
house, they saw Adam on the porch.
Cumberland and the doctor are in
side," he reported. "Want to go INF"
Tope said: "I'm wondering how
long that man has been dead. Earl
Priddy just told me that a man and
woman came late Friday night
and stayed in Little Bear, and left
early in the morning." Bag
Bruce's eyes lighted, but before
he could speak, Mat Cumberland
came out of the house; and when he
saw Tope, he drew from his pocket
something wrapped in a handker-
chief.
You'll want to see these things,
Inspector" he suggested. "They
were in the pocket of those overalls.
Ever see knife like that before?"
The knife was of a peculiar de-
sign. It bore on one side a gradu-
ated scale marked off not only in
inches but in centimeters. Tope
opened the blade to see the makers
name-a Sheffield firm. English"
he remarked thoughtfully; and he
picked up the other article, thing
like a little metal fan, with leaves
of differing lengths and thicknesses.
whats that?" Cumberland
asked.
"That's a gauge to test valve
clearances. Mechanics use them.
on cars and airplanes."
A car came toward them along
the road from the highway. Bee De-
vain whirled into the yard and
alighted, full of surprised questions.
whats happened?" she demand
ed. "What are you all doing here?"
No one spoke; and she turned to
Adam. Earl told me you came
back last night. Why?"
Adam said laughingly: Couldn't
bear to go away without seeing
you again."
She colored angrily. Don't treat
me like a child Why doesn't some
one say something?"
Mrs. Tope spoke. "I'll tell you,
Miss Dewain." And she made the
matter briefly clear. She turned
pale, but her head did not droop.
81 see," she said through stiff
lips. ''That's terrible, isn't it?" She
caught Adams eye. "This was why
you came back?" she guessed. 81
suppose Mr.. Tope telephoned your"
"Yes."
Doctor Medford spoke. "Know