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

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broad daylight, an Horace seer
him out the description room win
dow"
Horace took it upon himself tt
go over and dig up what Gilber1
had buried, on his own property?'
Nella inquired with ominous mild
ness. "Well, be that as it may-Mr
McKinnon, Mrs. Wyeth, do you see
anything in all that to condemn {
man? Why, it could be twice as
baG, and it would still seem incon.
elusive to me-"
1t was after five when Todd ap-
peared, strolling bareheaded
around the corner of the house. He
sat down beside Georgine in a
rickety little summer house at the
rear corner of the big lot, and
looked about him appreciatively.
"Picket fence, all along the back
property lin e." he remarked.
"Would that be California, do you
suppose, or did they bring that
idea from New England, too?"
Georgine didn't know. Rested
and warmed by his presence, as
always, she only smiled at him and
looked idly at the orchards which
stretched in unbroken line on the
far side of the fence. There was an
unpaved lane, just wide enough for
one car, beyond the pickets; and
then the lines and lines of trees,
some of them beginning to flower
Whitley. Todd said, with seeming
irrelevance, "You could walk down
that lane, almost all the way to
town, without being seen. The
other houses have solid board
fences Tillsit, Peabody: good
old Eastern names, those. They
brought some other reminders of
home with them, too. Did you no.
tice that balcony that runs clear
round the third f1oor?" He looked
up at it, and at the crazy lattice
work that dripped from it like a.
hem torn from a bedraggled lace
dress.
eyes, 1 noticed it," she replied.
SIS that New England?"
Modification of what they used
to call Widows Walk"
He continued to gaze out over
the garden, his eyes slightly mar
rowed. 81 paid a few more calls
after Susie left; went to see the
editor of the lille newspaper, and
introduced myself at the police
station, and called on the rector of
that church down on Elm Street.
He asked if he mightn't meet you,
too, before the wedding"
"Of course. That really begins to
sound like business"
Begins to sound, Woman, what
10 you call a license and a ring?"
"Corroborative detail" said
Ieorgine. Il still can't quite be-
ieVe it. But what did you find out,
Todd?"
mot much; not SO very much;
md yeti all begins to shape up.
Odd how freely people talk, there's
10 doubt OF what they think even
vhep it's not put into direct words.
Gilbert Peabody cleared his slate
When he enlisted and went over
cas-; that's the CONSENSUS. And
here's no argument about Miss
If she was murdered, it
1as for gain, in money or property.
he was not a tyrant, she brought
o pressure to bear on her family
, do what she wanted. Just fine
Id lady, lille crotchety; that's
hat they all say. If anybody
'anted his own way, it would be
er brother, Judge Tillsit."
Todd, it really looks to me as
you'd be stynlied."
ooh, no." His smooth sandy
cad moved deliberately from side
, side. Pm challenged, Georgine.
0 begin with, there's no proof
lat a murder ever took place.
mere was no eXhumation of the
,dy, and worst of all, no one ques-
oned at the time. Anything in
e nature of trail must have
me stone cold more than two
ars ago."
II hope to goodness you're not
wing to warm it up.
"We-el," said Todd, chuckling
emily, mot so it gets red hot. l
lst say, though, l miss the tips
Used to get from reporters, and
w and then the police. l knew |
ed 'em lot, but it takes case
e this to show me how much."
"On the other hand, the prin-
'als seem to be opening their
arts to you. All, that old Nc
men charm" said Georgine
.liciously.
I'll let you handle the men,"
d Todd with imperturbable
"As for the women,
y needn't be telling the truth,
/ know. Nobody need be-"
seorgine got up to collect her
Id; he rose with her, but got out
mouth-organ again, as if he
ant to stay while in commun-
with it. There was one thing
lie said, at the last" he re-
rked, that meant nothing to
nor seemingly to Mrs. Pea
y; but Susie brought it out
and looked as if she
expected it to be clinching
lment. I asked her if she'd
I'd what Miss Adeline said to
first visitor. She said yes, she