Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-09-05

taIhtu WIFI STocttc, Htie girl nearby
She waited; possibly she was
hoping, Todd thought with some
conjunction, that he'd clarity
Dykes non-existent feeling for
her.
IT should never inquire into
your family's past, for reasons of
my own. It would be more than
presumptuous," said Todd, and
gave each oracular word its full
weight. "You should know that
your aunt-that Mrs. Peabody has
been very kind and hospitable. She
is helping me with some work I
have in mind. AS a sort of return
favor, she's asked me to let her
know''-he took out his cigarettes
and offered them to Mary Helen,
with deliberation-"just why it is
that anyone should suspect her
husband of murder"
Her hand paused halfway to-
ward the package; her lips I'M
closed in stupefaction. "My God,"
said Mary Helen in whisper. "She
didn't-she told you that?"
"Why not?"
"Oh-nothing. Nothing, except
that it seems like, well, giving her
self unnecessary pain"
give thought of that. shall try
to temper tiff I find out anything
at all, which l doubt, since I'm no
kind of investigator at all; 1 just
like talking to people," said Todd,
with the innocense of perfect
truth.
wells you've a right to know,
yourself" she said. "You see, I'm
being as open about it as 1 can be,
considering 1 don't know a thing
about the business at first hand. It
might be a roaring scandal, it
might not; I just know that"
She broke off and looked down,
idly tracing the lovely design of
the carpet with the point of toe
less sandal. IT want to know every
thing there is"
"You don't know at first hand?
You weren't here the day your
great-aunt died?"
"Only late in the afternoon"
She raised her eyes again. "You
know that Grandfather wasn't out
of danger yet, that they'd thought
he was dying a few days before?
Well, it suddenly struck me that
in case, you know hadn't a sin
gle thing in the way of a black
sheer; and SO" she said defantly,
II drove into Sacramento to buy
a dress to mourn in, if it so hap
pened I'd need it,"
"And, as it happened, you did,"
Todd said, family smiling. did
you get one?"
you're rather sweet, you
know" said Mary Helen irrele-
vanity, regarding him. "You don't
think I'm disgusting, do you? No,
I didn't get it. The stores were all
sold out. And then 1 drove home
and got the message about Aunt |
"Just what was Gilbert's charac-
ter?" Todd murmured.
The light eyes dilated. Nobody
told you about him? Oh, you
should have seen him to appreciate
It. Big, gawky, Lincoln type, pa
lent as a plowhorse-up to a
point. Why, didn't Nell say how
ong they'd been engaged? I can
Just see them Flooding along all
hose years wishing they could
get married but never daring to
throw their responsibilities over
BOARD and do it
"Well, you'll started to say you
couldn't blame him and Nell for
letting fed up, finally, but you'd
hardly want them to go that far!"
larry Helen's voice dropped; she
aaned forward in her chair. ''They
lad to have this house, of course.
meant everything to them, a
oof over their heads in the first
lace, but position more than any, ,
hing; they couldn't be thought of
S penniless nobodies while they =
Wned the old Tillsit house. And
o." She took a long breath and
hook her head. Give tried to tell
lyself it was out of character for
iilbert, but it wasn't"
That's bothered me consider
bly,, too," Todd said as if to him
elf.
Don't you know that it's just
lie patient people that break out,
nee in a long while, with some
hing that just horrifies you? Sud-
emily they find their endurance
as snapped. l think it was the
lme way after he'd-after Aunt
define died. Enlisting! He simply
'oke under pressure and did
drastic"
Todd" said a clear voice from
lie lawn, below the open window.
Todd, dear! Were we going to call
/ the Rector this afternoon?"
McKinnon, leaning out and look
G down, was about to signal to
aorgine when he found that Mary
ellen was close beside him. He
ade a desperate effort to grimace
it'll that side of his face which
e couldn't see.
Georgine, standing on the lawn
tn her face tipped up toward
m, looked with amaZement at