The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-23

picking up the telephone receiver
and gazing down at it earnestly,
81 don't believe I've got any
gloves except gardening gloves
nowadays! And, of course, lots Of
long evening ones put away from
the Government House days.
Gloves are rather stupid, don't
you think so?"
Their only use is to avoid fin
ger-prints in crimes" said Ed
ward, smiling.
"Now, it's very interesting that
you should say that, Edward -
Very interesting-what am l doing
with this thing?" Lady Angkatel]
looked at the telephone receiver
with faint distaste.
Were you going to ring up
someone?"
II don't think So" Lady Ang-
katen shook her head vaguely and
put the receiver back on its stand
very ginge-ly.
She looked from Edward to
Nudge.
81 "on't think, Edward, that you
ought to upset Nudge. Nudge
minds sudden deaths more than
we do"
my dear Lucy" exclaimed Ed
ward. 81 was only worrying about
this place where Nudge works. II
sounds all wrong to me-"
Edward thinks I ought to have
a delightful, sympathetic employ
err who would appreciate me-
said Nudge drily.
Dear Edward" said Lucy with
COMPLETE appreciation.
She smiled at Nudge and Went
out again.
seriously, Midge," said Ed
ward, II am worried"
She Interrupted him:
"The blamed woman pays me
four pounds a week. That's all
that matters"
She brushed past him and went
out into The garden.
Sir Henry was sitting in his
usual place on the low wall but
Nudge turned away and walked up
toward the flower walk.
Her relatives were charming but
she had no use for their charm
this morning.
David Angkatell was sitting on
the seat at the top of the path.
There was no overdone charm
about David and Nudge made
straight for him and sat down by
him, noting with malicious pleas
ure his look Of dismay.
How extraordinarily difficult il
was, thought David, to get away
from people.
He had been driven from his
BEDROOM by the brisk incursion OF
housemaids purposeful with mops
and busters.
The library (and the Encyclo-
pedia Brltannica) had not been
the sanctuary he had hoped opti-
mistically it might be. Twice Lady
Angkatell had drifted in and out,
addressing him kindly with re-
marks to which there seemed no
possible intelligent reply.
He had come out here to brood
upon his position. The mere week
end, to which he had unwillingly
committed himself, had now
heightened out, owing to the ext
gencies connected with sudden
and violent death.
David, who preferred the con-
temptation OF an Academic Past
Or the earnest discussion of a Left
Wing Future, had no aptitude Tor
dealing with a violent and reals
tic present. AS he had told Lady
Angkatell, he did not read the
News of the World. But now the
News Of the World seemed to have
come to The Hollow.
Murder! David shuddered dis
astefully. What would his friends
.hink? How did one, so to speak,
AXE murder? What was ones at
situde? Bored? Disguised? Lightly
amused?
Trying to settle these problems
in his mind, he was by no means
pleased to be disturbed by Nudge.
He looked at her uneaslly as she
sat beside him.
He was rather startled by the
defiant stare with which she re-
turned his look. A d~isagreeable
girl of no intellectual value.
She said, "How do you like your
.e%lations::"
David shrugged his shoulders.
lie said:
Does one really think about
relations?"
Nudge said:
Does n really think about
anything?"
Doubtless, David thought, she
didn't. He said almost graciously:
81 was analyzing my reactions
i to murder" .
"It is certainly odd," said
Nudge, "to be in one"
David sighed and said:
sfWearisome. :" That was
quite the best attitude. Cali the
cliches that one thought existed
only in the pages Of detective fic-
toni"
"You must be sorry you came"
said Nudge.
David sighed.
eyes, I might have been. stay
ing with a friend Of mine in Lon
dom" He added: HE keeps a Left
Wing bookshop."
ct expect it's more comfortable
here" said Nudge.
"Does one really care about be-
ING comfortable?" David asked
scornfully.
..There are times" said Nudge,
"when / feel 1 don't care about
anything else"
1.-THE pampered attitude to life,'