Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-08-15

| truth if I saw it; but I'm not so bad
as a male gossip"
Really, Todd dear, you are a
ghoul," Georgine said.
"What 1 still don't see is this
people will learn soon enough that
we're staying with Mrs. Peabody.
What makes you think, if they
won't talk to her, that they'll open
up to your"
"I'll do it by implication, said
Todd. Shamelessly chuckling, he
tapped himself on the chest. "I'd
like your support while 1 make my
first call. Mrs. Peabody suggested
it herself, for a starting point !;
we're going to see Susan Labare."
"Susan-Oh, the practical nurse.
Yes, she sounds promising. She
still keeps tabs on the household,
it seems; Mrs. Peabody said last
night that the attic skylight is visi-
BILE from Susan's house, and she's
always worrying for fear some
body's up there that shouldn't be.
They convinced her that all she
saw was the moon on the sky
light"
'Is that so?" said Todd with in
terest. He was silent, digesting this
meager piece of information, for
most of the nine-mile drive back
to Valleyville.
Zone of the most enchanting
things about this town." said
Georgine as he helped her out of
the car, "is its compactness. 1t
probably wouldn't take more than
twenty minutes to walk the whole
length of it.
Mrs. Labare's cottage was of
the one-story type; it shone with
aggressive cleanliness, not a picket
was out of place in the white fence,
and the garden was kept under
control with a rigid hand.
Susan was tall and gaunt, with
long arms and poWerful-looking
hands; dark eyes were sharp under
her shock of white hair. "Howdy
do?" said Mrs. Labare interroga-
lively. Her voice issued fatty from
the nutcracker conformation of
her nose and jaw; somehow it
sounded very rural.
"My names McKinnon," said
Todd with his usual ease" and this
is Mrs. Wyeth. Have you by chance
heard Mrs. Crane speak of my
nephew, Dyke?"
ooh, him." Mrs. Labare said
with interest. "Yeah, sure I have.
Up to camp at Sacramento, amt
he?"
eve were passing through, and
it seemed a good time to get &C.
quainted with some of Mary Hell
ems friends. I understand that
you've been almost a second moth
err to her, Mrs. Labare."
1t was as easy as that, Georgine
thought. Not word of untruth, a
considerable edmixture of charm,
and here they were chattering with
Susie; Todd was, at least; all she
herself had to do was sit and look
about her with a pleasant express
sion. She had never seen so many
photographs.
In a place of honor, on the CEN
ter table, was picture which must
have been taken in the early years
of the century: Junoesque wom-
an of about forty in a low-cut eve
ming dress which offered an ex-
panse of neck and shoulders ad-
calculated for the display
If jewelry. There was plenty of it,
TOO: a pearl dog collar, earrings,
rings on the hand that
vas poised across the ample bos-
)m, and one or two extra necklaces
and chains with pendant jewels.
Georgine found it difficult to
AXE her eyes off this exhibit, and
1t a pause in the conversation she
moved her chair for a better view.
Mrs. Labare viewed this with ap- 6
That's old lady Tillsit,"
he remarked. "Tooken a long
ime ago, of course. She wasn't c
% good lookin' as that, time l =
.ome to nurse her.
MAY | see?" Todd picked up the
photograph. This is the famous
Hiss Adeline, is it? l understand
'ou were her mainstay for years,
"Only about four" Susie said.
81 see. She was very old, wasn't
he?"
mot for here. Healthy place,
7alleyville is"
"So?" Todd said, smiling. What
arried Miss Adeline off SO young,
nen?"
"Stroke," said Mrs. Labare
romptly. 'Lawsy, when one O
1em comes, there's not much you
an do about it. She'd had one al
eady, you know, an it was to be
expected. Peaceful a deathbed as
gu ever was at, children all round
mot hers, of course, but the
off she went to sleep.
list like baby.
81 tooken my nap just as usual,
in down on the couch in the
tim room, round two that after
BON. When l went upstairs later
lie was havin' her nap out, or SO
fought. Come about five, l went to
lake her, and seen it wasn't no
,tural sleep; more like coma.
les had her second,'I thought"
Isles head jerked up and down