Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-08-22
CHAPTER v

" through the door that stood opel
n to the mild spring air, and Wer'
a forced to feel their way CAREFUL.
t. through the tempered gloom
e around the immense old pieces O.
n furniture. Georgine thought,
don't hear Barby, l hope to HEAVIER
8 everything's all right; she was Sc
d willing to stay with Mrs. Peabody
From the back yard a little voice
0 raised in tuneless song treasured
; her; she went toward the kitchen
: and stopped short at the sound Of
;. another voice, harsh, nasal and al
most breathless. They had left the
r owner of that voice on her own
front porch, just five minutes ago.
: didn't get much out O me-" It
: said. "But l want you to know, if
: them two come round here askin'
you any innocent soundin' ques-
tons, then you can be certain
sometimes up"
"But l." Nella Peabody was
saying as Georgine began to re-
treat.
"Soldiers or no soldiers, what
call they got to dig up what don't
concern them-nor Mary Helen,
neither? Now, you watch out for
'em, Nell; they're pleasant-spoken
enough, I'll say that for 'em, but
how's a body to tell what's behind
it,"
Mrs. Peabody broke into de-
spairing laughter, and raised her
voice. 81 keep trying to tell you,
Susie; they're staying here with
me. And they didn't ask me any
questions. told them"
There was an instant of shocked
silence. Then Susan Labare said
gruff1y, ''Nell Lace, have you lost
your mind?"
mot in the least. Come in here,
Susie, 1 think 1 heard them at the
side door. Yes, you will" She ap-
peared at the back of the hall,
pushing the gaunt figure before
her.
Mrs. Labare gave Todd and
Georgine a look, oddly compound
ed of suspicion, reluctance and a
sort of ghoulish interest; as if,
Georgine thought, we were sus-
pected murderers ourselves.
"This is the first time that Susan
has ever admitted there was any,
thing to conceal! 1t was good of
you to warn me, SUSIE" Nella add
ed with a mischievous CLINT of |
laughter. But haven't l been tell
ing you for two years that it would !
be kinder to tell the truth?"
"Well, 'twouldn't," said Susan
harshly.
Todd said, what you told me
this afternoon wasn't SO bad, Mrs.
Labare. That was accurate, wasn't
it," His voice was infinitely easy
and soothing. Georgine sent him
a mental apology. She had thought
him bit obvious with Susie. Now
she saw that his tactics had been
deliberate, and had produced tie
desired result.
Ears it went" the old woman
said. She glanced around at Mrs.
Look here, Nell Lace, if
there was anything more to tell"
(Which of course there is, Nella
put in. "And you've gone too far
now not to tell it,"
"Well, if there was, you wouldn't
want should come out with it in
'front.' of them?" She thrust out a
zig hand toward Todd and Georg-
ne.
Mrs. Peabody's chin went up,
defiant. why does every
me think it's Gilbert? You're the
me who was in the house, you
'ught to know"
"Only know what 1 saw, an }
leard, an what everybody saw 1
fterward. He was here in the \
ouse. Mean to say you wasn't
ure of that?"
"Whan was he here, Mrs. La n
are?" Todd said calmly. Besides
he morning visit, l mean. Would
gu take us through that whole n
ay?" a
"Well-all right. He come in s.
bout ha' past eleven, walked right n
pstairs the way he always done, f;
n Mis- Tillsit she looks at him
n says, You get it?' and Gilbert re
DDS. Then she sends me out of the k
,om. He was only there about fif- d.
'en minutes that time" b
=" Did anyone else come to see
er that morning ?" Todd asked. 10
Nobody come in that whole
ernal day, until after I'd went to us
Ike my nap downstairs, like l al ye
avs done, about two. l laid on it,
at sofa" She jerked her head lie.
ward a monstrous object in fad kr
olive-green plush. 81 hadn't
en- down here more n few min ly
es when l heard somebody above lei
; they must "a gone up the side wi
cps because they hadn't gone up wi
e front or I'd a seen EN-" Susie WE
We one of her sharp mods, and tn
lmped her jaw shut for a mo- ev,
mt on this incontrovertible logic. ms
hey were walkin' soft, SOS not A
disturb anybody. I heard Miss pu
leline's door open, an she sort of I
lghed, an said somethin'." wa
Todd rose and strolled over to vii
, green sofa; from this vantage ha,
int he peered through the half
IN door, and then nodded. What bal