Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-08-29
CHAPTER vi

IT was telling them again about tt
u afternoon of Miss Tillsit's death
J. She had been sitting at the plan
all afternoon, beginning at hal
past one; doggedly playing owe
). and over the scales of every Ike
a and the chromatic, up and dow
n the whole keyboard, while her eye
j. searched the empty street outside
y Nobody went in for a long time,
!. said Virdette dreamily. IT though
1 once or twice maybe old Mis- La
. bare was workin' round in tn
? basement, because that side doc
'ud open and shut. 1 couldn't SCI
because the door was between hel
n me, and anyhow, those tree!
almost hit it. Then about three MIR
Gilbert Peabody drove up. So he
stayed in there a while"
"You don't remember how long.
I suppose" Todd said as if idly.
"Just about, because 1 got up to
get a drink and stretch, but l
didn't dast to stop practicing for
long," said Virdette with reminisc-
ent gloom. ut was only about ten
minutes, and he was just comm
down the front walk when sat
down again, walking slow with his
hands in his pockets and lookin' at
the ground"
did he usually drive when he
came to see his aunt ?" Todd muir
INJURED.
Him? No, he gener'ly walked,
he just lived three-four blocks
down the street and over one. An
then there wasn't a darn thing
more until about ha'past four, and
then who'd" said Virdette with
enjoyment. There was old Mis-
Labare poppin' her head in and
out the front room-she just
scoots, she's in hurry-and in
about two seconds here comes Mr..
Gilbert back again, an Horace
over from the drugstore-he'd
come so fast he was still pullin' his
jacket on while he went up the
steps; and Mary Helen, she pre-
tended she wasn't in a hurry, but
she went in the house awful fast
just the same.
"And a while after, Rose, that's
ny sister, came home. Where's |
Mom?' she says. Horace has got
word Miss Tillsit's sinkin'.' l says, |
Ho, I knew that before you did,
says, and told her about it. And
The said she'd been in the drug
store all afternoon-she and Mar
in was awful mushy before they
rot married, she'd 60 in there and
When there wasn't any customers
hey'd sit and hold hands, and
Horace used to go in the prescrip-
ion room and leave 'em alone.
Veil, she said he was in and out a
ouple times that afternoon, an
wered the telephone once or twice,
nd then trade kind of fell off and
e left 'em alone; and then just
efore she left he answered it
gain an it was old Mis- Labare.
o we really knew about it before
nybody in town, only I knew
rst," Virdette wound up with
eep satisfaction.
They neared the door of another
ne of those tiny frame bunga-
WIS; and under the porch light
ne could read the words on the
rass plate by the door. 'Dr. John
rane. HIM. McKinnon, have you !
. shame?" i,
DR.. John Crane was in; for a
onder, as he said to himself, after
looing the last of his Office pa =
ents out of the side door. :
The taking of blood samples +
sted only minute, but he would
IT hear of his patients departure
1mediately after. II know who !
~ are, heard all about you to- {
w." he said, his fatigue-heavy :
es lighting up with a nice smile. $
hope Nella's house guests will +
cept a drink? 1 could use one $
yself."
She liked the doctors long thin s
ce, his dark eyes and CRAVING +
ir. He'll be old before his time I
thin a year, if this keeps up, she
ought; the one doctor for a big +
rming community and town of !
teen hundred people. IT want to
INSULT you on something more, !
:. Crane" she said at a pause in ,
e war talk which invariably
ened mems conversations. "You
ow, of course, that we're staying
tn Mrs. Peabody?.She spoke of a
art condition, and-if it's not ,
ying into your patients affairs
won't it be too much for her to
We three extra persons quar- .
red on her? She won't let me
Up very much"
mo, no, Mrs. Wyeth. Good for
r. The heart wouldn't be much
itself, just something that had
be watched; but it's easy to ag- !
avate those conditions with wor- ,
and nervousness and uncertain :
. Not good for Nella to be alone
O much, d'you see? Pm very fond :
Nella. Wish could take better
re of her. Horace Tillsit and his
usin, my - uh - ex-wife, are \
staying there to keep /
n company, but they don't take V
e responsibility very seriously.
ell, Mr.. McKinnon, so you're the a
lcle of the famous sergeant;
ems Mary Helen thinks she u