Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-11-28

wouldn't rattle. might never
have found them myself except
that the jar broke.
Mary Helen Crane gave a high
pitched laugh.
"You gone crazy, Mary Helen
jefferson Mrs. Labare de-
manded sharply. Her black eyes
swerved round.
"TNDEED she hasn't Mrs. La
Il bare" Todd said. He gave one
of his silent chuckles. Quite
lille rash of conspiracy broke out
when we came to town, it seems.
You probably didn't know that
the jewels were still around some
where, until Mary Helen told you
yesterday afternoon. You wouldn't
have warned Mrs. Peabody about
the lights in the attic; you'd have
been up there yourself, looking.
I'll hand Mary Helen this much:
she was ready to give up the
search if her grandfather had
been willing to finance her Holly
wood venture, but since he wasn't,
she turned to you as last resort.
What did she do, offer to split the
proceeds? What wouldn't you
have done for a share in twelve
or fifteen thousand dollars, Mrs.
Labare?" He leaned toward her
across the table, and his eyes
were ugly and formidable. IT hope |
you've enough of your capital to
live on, because l can't imagine
anyone's giving you another job
now-when they hear that you
threatened to kill a small child in
the course of your search"
TITS all imagination" Mary
Il Helen said quietly. Hes only
guessing, that's what he's done
about all of this"
"How'm I doing with my guess
work ?" Todd asked the doctor.
John Cranes long face looked
haggard with distaste. "All too
well, I'm afraid. There are things
never mind, this is something l
can deal with. And now, there are
patients waiting for me, and l
must get back. If there's anything
more, Mr.. McKinnon-"
"Just a minute, doctor, please. {
Nella may still need your help. S
Now, this document" He lifted $
the yellow sheet from the top of
the pile and tapped it with fore
finger. "You must decide, all of
you, what's to be done with it. {
Should the guilty party be asked ]
to sign it, and end all uncertain
ty?"
why Motif he'll do it,? Hor-
ace inquired. He had been sitting |
in a straight chair beside the {
table, his eyes moving from one '
face to another, somberly inter- |
ested. mot that it'd be of much
value"
Every lille; only let him know {
that people are sure of his guilt. f
He can choose, after that, what
course to pursue. What do you all i
think ?"
In his turn he searched every
face. you're agreed, I see," Todd
said, and drew a heavy breath. t
Every WE'LL" h
He put down the sheet of paper r
and slid it gently across the table.
"You sign it," he said, and raised
stony eyes to meet Horace Till /
sits. s.s Y
"Me?" Horace said, startled.
Man, are you off your rocker?
Sign that stuff about the stu
do"
He glanced down at the typed n
sheet, and his sentence died in S
mid-air. There was no start of l.
Horace lad his body we'll g
lnoer control; but the blood came E
crimson to his neck and ears. Il
Mary Helen looked over his :
shoulder incredulously. More of =
lis fiction?" she said in a high, q
clear voice, and began to read y y
aloud. AS she read, the hooking =
ntonation faded gradually from r
he words. "
Il had prepared a single capsule f.
containing ten grains or more of f.
uminal, intending to give it to "
Hiss Tillsit during the first stages G
IT my grandfather's illness. was c
Unable to find the opportunity 81
hen, but on the afternoon of June G.
}, healu, on the party line, a call d,
o Gilbert Peabody which in c.
ormed him that Judge Tillsit had a,
lad a relapse and was sinking,
nd wished to see him at once.
rom the rear window of the
'harmacy could check on Gil
ert's movements. When he had
one, l caught the cat and shut
up in the prescription room,
that it would move about
n the shelves and clink the bot
les and sound as if were there.
he cat scratched me. If Martin
Inter and Rose Bacon had no.
iced my twenty-minutes' absence,
had another story to explain it;
ut this was not necessary. My
reat-aunt had no suspicious of
lie when l came into the room,
earring, to make her laugh, the
urses cap which I had taken
rom the clean laundry at the foot
the stairs. She took the capsule
on my telling her that
WAS q new tNpa of notant N cd;