Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-04-04
WIN. U. EEATUR 6

get them for me. Why won't you
work for me? I said I'd pay you
well. I've got enough money" Her
eyes were bright.
"What good would that do?"
She got up, turned her back to
the window, and made a quick,
pleading gesture.
"Shari Lynn has them. She must.
You limited at it the other night.
You can act as intermediary-get
your cut-anything. Only I've got
to have them"
"Why?"
She was impatient in her anxiety,
boldly took another task.
"See here"-she came close to
him, dropping her voice conspira-
torily-"you're' working all out for
Veronica, aren't you? Now listen.
II those letters come out, it will
put her in a worse spot than she's
in now"
I'm sorry, but don't follow
you"
"Oh, Lord, I thought you said
you were detective. Look. Veron-
lea found out, somehow, that had
known Curt rather well. Don't ask
me how. I don't know that. We
had a whale of a row over it, but
denied it. Do you see? Now, if
they get her for his-his death, and
the letters are found, it will prove
she was right. Don't you get it?
1t will give them motive. If I can
get them back, I can destroy
them"
He chuckled cynically, striking
his hands together with a muttered
exclamation. NO." he barked, mot
reallyl Don't tell me, in all seri-
business, that you want to protect
Veronica?"
"Of course. Why?"
Because it just occurred to me,
being detective, that if you had
those letters you might just posi-
bly, not destroy them. They make
such swell motive"
He bowed. Mot only that, my
loyal young lady, but you seem to
think-as a matter of fact, you're
practically convinced yourself that
Shari Lynn has possession of those
letters. Suppose I tell you that the
police have them safe under lock
and key. Evidence, you know"
"It's a lie!"
EYES," he said, $50 far as know,
it is lie, but how did you know"
She shut her lips together and
just glared at him.
"You may CO." he said uncon-
cernedly. "I'll talk to your sister,
in-law next. See you at the in
quest"
A few minutes later, the sound of
the piano playing stopped abruptly.
Shortly afterward, the door opened
and Karen Bigelow came in.
II think" he observed, "that of
all the Bigelows, you belong least
of all to this house."
"You mean, perhaps, that I am
an acquisition-let us say-an Or
nament?"
Exactly. You can tell me more
about them than anyone"
"Oh, but I couldn't" She made
slow, somnolent motion, not so
much in horror or disloyalty as of
deadly Indifference.
II think you can," he persisted.
LET me tell you what know to be
true. You all were acquainted with
Curt Vallaincourt in Chicago-at
about the same time Stephen Bige-
low was, shall I say, rushing you
into matrimony? You knew his
wife, too, Sarah Linsky, wasn't it
the present Shari Lynn"
She was watching him covertly
from under her long lashes.
The Ugly Plot
Begins to Sho,v
II know you finally consented to
marry Stephen" he continued.
"I'n confess, I've wondered why"
She shifted her position impercep-
tibly, placing her long white hands
on her knees.
II had suffered all winter with a
pain here" She touched her arm.
"a nervous ailment. I thought then
that I would never play again. I
thought" She had thought, of
course, that she could forget her
music in the bosom of a rich So
cial life. How wrong she had been.
She found herself embroiled be-
tween jealous mother-in-law and
a jealous husband. She had with
drawn, therefore, to her Nordic
hauteur, until boredom and unhap-
piness had driven her back to the
keyboard to find that sheer neces-
sity enabled her to overcome her
illness, forced her to play again.
McCale stood very straight and
still before the glacial Karen Bige-
low. Her hauteur and boredom and
complete Indifference was beginning
to get him.
Look, Mrs. Bigelow," he said
very quietly, 81 know that Victoria
knew Vallaincourt and that was
still going on even after his en-
gagement to Veronica, and that he
still saw Shari Lynn as well. I
know, too, that you once had some
connection with him, because you
went to the White Abbey the night
before last to buy back some let
tiers from Miss Lynn. They must
Laa- o1l Iat&ar.