Browning chief., 1947-02-28

She sought his eyes again, ana
the queer secret duel that they had
all the while been fighting under
meath the smooth surface was ended
suddenly and completely.
Adelaide Bigelow was giving in.
McCale could tell. It was in her
eyes, all the pent-up gnawing worry
Of something horrible and unclean.
She wasn't going to hold out on
him any more, and now maybe he
could help.
II will tell you," she said simply.
"Veronica's father, my brother"
she began, motionihg him to sit,
was a hard man, I suppose, but
not unusual for his time, I think.
He believed that women have no
heads for business-cannot handle
money. He was heir to my fathers
business and fortune of about twelve
million dollars. With real estate
and clever investing, he more than
doubled that fortune. There was no
male heir to whom he could leave
1t, you see."
"There was his adopted son,
Stephen" McCale put in quickly.
EYES," she hesitated, ''but not his
own flesh and blood. But there was
certainly Stephen" She edged over
to the window again."
She faced him from the recess Of
the windows bay, the high red
velour draperies dwarfing her in the
elongated shadows. Her eyes, for
a moment, seemed to play hide-and-
seek with memory.
"At one time, I think he intended
for Stephen to inherit. But Stephen,
in his eyes at least, proved himself
unworthy. Sybil always spoiled
him. He grew up precocious, ex-
travagant. He ran away once and
joined the navy. A bitter expert
ence for him. The more so when
he found that Joel could no doubt
have procured an appointment to
Annapolis for him. He did manage
NIT. by the skin of his teeth. Mar
riage to Karen has Strengthened
him out somewhat"
$50 the Bigelow fortune is held
in trust?"
eyes and no." Miss Adelaide
rushed on now as though pressed
for time. "My brother did not be-
lieve in having money standing idle
for always. He wrote a most pecu-
liar will"
She steadied herself, as If giving
information on so private a matter
required supreme effort.
II think he believed we would all
benefit eventually. II believed he
counted on Veronica's marrying
someone whose background we all
knew. You see, Sybil and I have
to agree on Veronica's choice"
Rather hard on Veronica, I
should say"
"Oh, yes" She was trying hard
to explain it as she saw it. "But he
thought"
The old voice rose now, an hys-
terical note in it. "He wished a man
to have control of it. Veronica's
husband gains control of it to do
with as he will"
"God!" McCale exploded. The
spool of his brain turned swiftly in
a convulsive unreeling. The plot it
brought to mind left him numb
by its malevolence.
It was his turn to go to the win
dow. He stood looking into the
blanket of fog, seeing nothing for a
moment. He felt lost in the stunned
silence of his own thoughts. Be-
hind him, he heard Miss Bigelow
sigh.
"Why didn't you come to me be-
fore?" was all he could say. And
his voice sounded so loud in the
stiffness that it seemed almost to
penetrate the outside. AS if he had
heard, the lettering sailor across the
way actually looked up once at the
windows. McCale laughed harshly.
''Now you are caught in a really
diabolical web. Too late to extri-
cate yourselves without scandal"
Light fled from her old eyes as
inwardly she contemplated such a
thing. He felt cruel and vicious and
hard, but at least rational, and
was not quite able to comprehend
her attitude.