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

Portable perch, hands in the peck
cts of his tweed trousers. His eye
warmed slowly.
"Then what's to stop us? We cal
drive in to the county seat thi!
very morning, and apply for the Ii
cense, and be married here on
what'll it come to, Tuesday? Wait
Georgine. You've got five or si2
objections. l can see 'em standing
in line waiting to be expressed
First, Barby. She'd be in seventh
heaven, and you know it, especial
ly if we got Mrs. Peabody to make
her that dress; she could be sole
attendant at the wedding; and as
for school,"
"She's already missed one day.
said Georgine obviously. "Still,
suppose her mothers wedding is
as good an excuse as any, though
I'd blame myself if she got behind
in her work"
"She's way ahead now, don't you
r m m b r?" Todd remarked
"Half her class has been out with
German measles, which luckily she
didn't get, and they won't be
caught up to her for weeks. Might
as well give the other lille tikes a
eak!-Second objection, clothes.
Hasn't Mrs. Dillman the key to
your cottage? Couldn't you write
her and tell her what you want
sent up by the first mail?"
'T-suppose 1 could"
Third, practical difficulties.
Well, we have our ration books"
"Ho," said Georgine.
(which you wisely insisted on
carrying with us. We'd pay our
way, naturally, since there's a
waiting list for rooms at the Inn,
and Mrs. Peabody said more than
once that she'd like to rent that
extra space on the second floor.
The cash might help her out, be-
tween you and me-"
Georgine shot to her feet. "You
mean we'd be staying there?"
He looked at her in honest per-
plexity. "Why not, Georgine? You
are not--is there something that
frightens you?"
"Why, you Junk, what do you
suppose?" said Georgine furiously.
1.-THE house where murder was
committed, and me in the very
room where it happened, and the
hostess herself scared to stay
there!"
Todd was guivering gently, but
his face showed no change. Look
Georgine," he said, were not
sure, you and 1, that there was a
murder at ALL"
"But how does Mrs. Peabody
feel?"
ooh, she thinks someone killed
Mss Tillsit, but it wasn't Gilbert"
said Todd lightly.
Lovely. That means there's a
murderer still at large"
mot necessarily. In any case,
he affair was over four years ago,
and there's been no sign of re-
peat performance. It's not danger
we'd have to contend with, it's OBJ
;cuTity. So, unless that tapping up
stairs bothered you actively"
"fIow did you know I'd heard
apping?"
Your prayerfu III look, dear
leart, when Mrs. Peabody men,
Toned the old lady's cane. Where
vas it, overhead? Must have been.
Veil, then, the ghost has moved
lD one flight, and is concerning
tself with the furniture in the
lttic, and would leave your room
lone"
Il thought of that this morn
n.y." said Georg n seriously.
Surely I'd have felt anything sim
ster-ah, my friend. Now you are
at me"
BLESS you, | am" Todd said.
What it is to look forward to
1hole life of enjoyment; all kinds
f it. Well, what do you say, Geor-
ine?"
Again she waited for moment
efore replying. The March sun
eat down on their heads, the fra
rance of new grass and Towering
ulbs was all about them; few
ards away, just out of earshot of
heir murmuring voices, the little
iris chartered happily. She looked
cross the street, but she didn't see
lie old Tillsit house at which she
as gazing. She was seeing Todd,
'oodenly inscrutable of counte-
ance, strolling about the camp be-
de his red-headed nephew. Dyke
ad shown a great deal Of tact, I'M
mentioning how much
leasure the boys got out of de-
,ctive magazines, and how popu-
r Todd's stories were for the re-
xation they so badly needed.
All at once she knew why it was
lat Dyke had suggested they
,me here. He had known, he must
ave known, something about the
Of the Tillsit family;
I'd with unusual penetration for
young man of twenty-one, he had
so known what would set up his
lcle again, after that horrible
rain on his pride and his self