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Show CHAPTER XI THE STOUT THl'S WARi Returning (rom visit with Dyke McKlnnoo, till inclf, Todd McKlnnon, Ceorjlna Wyetn and small daughter, Barby, flopped to CHAPTER XI Horace leaned far over the table. "Look," he said quietly, "suppose, Nell, you tell the assembled company com-pany just what was In that diary that made Gilbert bury the thing." Nella Lace Peabody let them wait for a moment. Two fingers dent to the V of her dress, where the silver disk was hidden. Then she raised her head with an answering an-swering smile, the pink flags flying In her cheeks. "Why Gilbert should have wanted want-ed to burn it is as much of a mystery mys-tery to me as It is to you," she said smoothly. "He was very strong for the honor of the family, of course, Just as you and your grandfather are. He may have felt that I'd been Indiscreet to put down even Innocent little notes in black and white, where someone else could possibly have got hold of them." Horace remarked softly, "Didn't you put down any of your hopes and dreams, in your little line-a-day?" "Plenty of them." She turned to him, and now the glint of something some-thing like deep triumph was clearly clear-ly visible in her eyes. "I wasn't always al-ways as patient as I should have been. I used to wish and wish that the time would come when Gilbert and I could be married and have our own home; but I usually got over it. After all, there was always your example before me." "My" "Waiting so patiently for that Mrs. Hurst down in Vallejo. I do bo sympathize with you, Horace. It may be years before her children are near enough grown up so that 6he'll feel It's right to get her divorce." di-vorce." . Something besides the sunset light made Horace's neck and ears glow crimson. Half laughing, he said, "Beats me how you got hold of a story like that, Nell. Mean to Bay you put that in the diary?' "I'm afraid so. Was it horribly Indiscreet of me? But then, everyone every-one in town has known about that for at least five years, dear. Things do get around so, and naturally people would wonder why you went down there two or three times a week. We've rather admired your "faithfulness; but then you always were good at waiting until things broke just right for you." Nella's voice was all loving kindness. "As long as you're sure of getting them in the end, you can wait almost forever, isn't that so? I used to remember that, and tell myself to be patient. But you know, it's more than likely that I shouldn't have put that down In pen and ink. Gilbert Gil-bert may have felt that I shouldn't. He might have wanted to protect his family." The air In the dining room felt sultry, as if a thunderstorm were threatening; yet the evening was .a fairly cool one. Georgine felt the skin of her hands tingling uncomfortably. uncom-fortably. "How far did the diary go?" said Mary Helen, her curiosity not yet ated. i "Oh right up to the day your aunt died, I believe. Yes, it must have done," said Nella dreamily, "because I can remember writing In it while supper was cooking that night, before I knew that she was sinking. Just a few words about the Jessup girl's trousseau, and how I'd seen Gilbert that noon" There was a little stir at the back door, but the cousins ignored it. Both of them looked at Nella with peculiar intensity. "You mean after he'd been in to see Aunt Adeline Ade-line that morning?" Mary Helen said gently. "Did you happen to cote what his manner was?" "Why, I don't believe I did, so it must have been the same as usual. He just said he'd been on an errand er-rand to the safety deposit, and brought his aunt something she wanted." The cousins looked at each other swiftly, again with that effect of complicity. "Something she want' ed," Horace said, and smiled and shook his head. "What're you all talkin' about?" said Susie Labare from the kitchen door. "I come over to bring you a pie, Nell, but I declare you was all talkin' so fast you didn t hear a thine out there." "Susie, how good of you. Would anyone have a piece of pie right row?" "No, great God, Nell: we're all stuffed to the gills. How long have you been out there, Susie?" Horace Hor-ace sounded more nearly irritable than he had at any former time. "Few minutes. Talkin' about the . morning Gilbert come to see old Miss Tillsit. wasn't you?" Susie ioined the party with aplomb, must say. Nell Lace, it's a comfort to be able to talk free in front of you; many's the time I've nearly bit my tongue out tryin' not to mention something I thought 'ud hurt your feelings. Now, here's something I've wondered about, many's the time. Was Gilbert ever hanzin' round your kitchen when you made eny of that almond paste of yours? t-rdy, Horace, needn't mOkOasfMofkM u3 ignore yienn, W.U,KV1(, visit Mrs. Peabody. Mrs. Feabody told them about tha deatn ( Adeline Tillsit. They decided to stay and get married and Investigate the death of Mlaa Tillsit. After talking with many different rela jerk your head that way. I seen you pick up that piece of candy, and you and Johnny Crane put your heads together over it." Nella looked round the table in swift bewilderment. Then she seemed to grasp the Implication, and a queer light grew in her eyes. "No, Susie, Gilbert hadn't been in my kitchen for a month. Could I ask, did you find any box or paper, or anything of the kind, in which he could have brought her candy that morning? I don't believe he did." "Didn't find a thing," said Susie with a snap of her jaws. "Except you count that old cardboard box, hardly bigger'n a pillbox it was, in the wastebasket. Cheap cardboard, too. Had sealin' wax on it once." From the gathering shadows Todd spoke, with an oddly startling start-ling effect. "Wa3 there any indication indica-tion of what had been in the box?" "Wisp or two of cotton battin', that's all." The last of the light played across that candid-seeming brow of hers, across the angle of Nella's cheek; it glinted on Horace's spectacles. spec-tacles. There was nothing, nothing you could put your finger on: only four women and two men, sitting quietly around the disorder of a dinner table, speaking in low, passionless pas-sionless voices, smiling often ; yet Georgine Wyeth felt suddenly almost al-most suffocated. Murmuring southing about Barby's bedtime, she got up and made her escape, calling for her daughter in a firm maternal tone. Todd waited in the upper hall until Barby had been shooed into the bathroom and the splashing had begun. When Georgine rejoined re-joined him, "It's beautiful," he said, "to see her fetching out those motives, after she's been goaded to it. You notice how she wouldn't tell us about the cousins until she could do it to their faces? They had every chance to deny those stories but they knew it was no use." He had the mouth organ in his hand, gently hitting it. "I've got to get to work tomorrow. There's something alluring about the lady in Vallejo, Nell, you're a damn fool wom an, and always were!" marking time until " "Hush, Todd!" Georgine looked round swiftly at the closed doors. "Georgine," Todd said, with his intent look, "do you want to go home, right now?" She glanced at his still face. To morrow why, tomorrow would be their wedding day. When you got this near, a postponement even of three days more seemed like an eternity. Two things in which he can be entirely adequate, she thought. "Don't let me fly off Into hys teria," she said, and smiled at him. "Of course we 11 wait over. After all, the box with my clothes should arrive in the morning. I don't want to pass it on the way!" Todd took hold of her arms and shook it gently in affection. Todd met her in the hall as she was trying to slip down early to breakfast; she thought that coffee might restore her and cure her headache before anyone noted the dark circles under her eyes. She had not slept. He clicked his tongue. "You didn't sleep after all; disobeying my express orders! "Orders, indeed. We're not mar ried yet my good man. "Did you hear something after all? His eyes were narrow. "You might call it that. Todd' She drew him to the landing, where she could look both up and down for a possible listener. "We may have been wrong about anybody's going up attic by night. The the 0$ tive! and frlenda of Hra, Peabody, they decided that moat ovldenc pointed to Gilbert, lira. Peabody'a hnsband, aa the) murderer of Mlaa Tillsit. Judge) TUlilt called to lee them. rat-noises, that mean somebody's walking around up there, and the tapping I heard those; but I didn't hear anyone on the stairs." "So," Todd said thoughtfully. '1 wish I weren't such a good sleeper, or that I'd had the sense to stay awake deliberately." She remembered, long after- ward, her vicarious pleasure at the sight of Nella s radiant face over the breakfast table. Early as it was, the mail had come, and at last there were letters from Gilbert Peabody, four of them In a bunch. He s well," Nella whispered to herself, "or at least he doesn't say he's not." Horace and Mary Helen, again unexpectedly at table, smiled at her with what seemed simple pleasure. "And an answer to mine about the furniture," Nella said, becoming becom-ing businesslike. "He says to sell it, just as I hoped." Todd disappeared and Horace went off to work, but Mary Helen loitered leisurely. -"I'm taking a few days of my vacation now," she volunteered with an agreeable smile. "Why not, after all?" Recalled from thought, Georgine gave young Mrs. Crane a startled look. Why not, indeed? Except that late March was a curious time for an unscheduled holiday. Todd came downstairs and started outdoors with a portable typewriter which he had managed to borrow somewhere. He was headed for the old summer-house. Georgine followed him, hesitating over how to begin her speech. "Something's bothering you. he said, turning to face her. "What is it, the clothes?" I I hate to think of postpon- ng our wedding, Todd dear, but my dress is in that box. She flushed a trifle, meeting his eyes. "Informal "Inform-al or not, I want this to be something some-thing we can both remember as being well, dignified and lovely. If the box doesn't get here, all I've got is year-bef ore-last's silk jersey that I ve been wearing for five days straight already. It just isn't suitable. And I'd like you to be proud of me." - His agate eyes were attentive. "We'll skip the remarks about 'I should be proud no matter what you wore. Let s figure this. II we wait for the dress, it means a one-day one-day postponement at most. Right? And if we go home to Berkeley for yet another dress, which is one moro alternative, we take out a fresh license and wait three days more." "Yes," she said hesitantly, all at once perceiving the dilemma. Another night deliberately spent in this house, as against the dis appointing wait, the formalities all to be gone through again. "II I'm to choose," Todd said. "I'll take the lesser evil. Is it to morrow, then, instead of today?" "You know," said Georgine ir relevantly, "part of why I love you Is the way you understand feminine femin-ine reasons for things." His eyes glinted with sudden laughter. "That'll do until some thing better turns up. She would have to spend another night In the Tillsit house. Georgine went out to the sum mer-house and found her intended in the midst of sheets of yellow paper. He was grinning as he beat out half a dozen lines and ripped the paper from the typewriter. Todd s eyes went to the house, and dwelt considerably on its fan tastic rear. "A painless death. D'you know, I've thought a good deal about the poison that was used. It's easy to see why luminal was chosen, not only because no one hated the old lady, but i cause presumably the whow lot had access to it." "Look at 'em. Horace in th drugstore, Mary Helen acting as the doctor s secretary and renew ing the supplies in his bag, the) doctor himself, Susie Labare car ing for a number of patients who might have had it prescribed if she d wanted a stock of luminal she might easily have held out on those patients a few times, given 'em a sugar pill instead. The Judge might have had It himself, at some time. Both Gilbert and Nella had been near Serena during her illness. ill-ness. It was rather clever," said Todd pensively, "to pick out one that gave lots of latitude, when it would have been so easy to turn suspicion toward just one person and that would have been so much more dangerous." How do you mean?" "Look at the possible poisons, look at the choice this murderer had. Strychnine for pests and ar senic sprays in constant use on a ranch, cyanide in a photographer's studio, the whole pharmacopoeia in the drugstore and the doctor's bag. It a almost an embarrassment of poisons. You could look around and choose, slowly and carefully rather like that charming gal In the Browning poem, how does it go?" (TO BB CONTINUED) THE LEIII SUN, LEW. UTAH . ' Wo World man s Renovate Your If You Can't Purchase New Ones $a rlta A FRIEND of mine who operates on a very limited clothes budget tells me that she spends very little on things such as gloves, purses and belts. Looking at her, however, one finds It hard to believe. be-lieve. What, then, Is the secret? 'There's no secret to it at all. she goes on to explain. "I simply make my own or renovate the things I have, copying the new fash-Ions fash-Ions faithfully. You see I like td buy good basic clothes and add new, fashionable touches to them." Actually it's a very simple matter to do this, particularly If you are a bit thrifty and fashionwise. And, what's more, it takes less time to whip up a belt out of an old piece of felt or grosgrain or a bag, than it does to make a dress. One of the things I always re member about this particular friend of mine is that her white bags and gloves always appear immaculate even in the warmest, sultriest weather. Her trick? "Well," she ex plains, "I have one Inexpensive pouch bag for which there are three or four covers. I make these at home they take less than half an hour to sew together, and then I always have a fresh one to slip over the bag itself." This might suggest that you could make "slipover" covers for some of your other bags as the material or leather on them becomes too frayed to look attractive. Use contrasting colored-woolens, for example and have both gloves and bag to match. Bags May be Remodeled In Different Ways In addition to sewing different kind of covers tor the bags, there are other ways of freshening them. If you have a basically good, bag Save on your clothing budget , , , In which the leather or fabric is not worn, then it may need just a little repairing to make it perfect again. Linings have' a way of wearing out, but these usually are easily replaced. Select a good type of fabric, fab-ric, one that is dark but matching to the outer covering, one that is closely woven and will not snag easily. It's easy to change coin purses and mirrors when linings and zippers zip-pers are changed. They add a note of freshness to the bag. Perhaps you are one of those lucky women who have a good bag with the material worn and shabby. If the frame is good, save it and discard the rest. Then cut new material ma-terial to fit the frame, using canvas or buckram, and lighter fabric for lining. Stitch these together before attaching them to the frame. Add a smart new touch to the bag with bright new Initials, pin or flowers, and you will have an entirely new bag. Belts Add Much To your Costume Have you been watching the latest fashions? One of the most important style cotes is the belt They may be wide or narrow, but they art definitely planned to give glamour to the costume. Sometimes It is wise to have several different belts for a dress to give It different moods. Or, perhaps a dress you now have lacks that By nuking own accessories. certain finishing touch because the belt, somehow, Just does not go with It, or do snyuiins fr It-Some It-Some dresses are better with colorful belts that tie and swoop. Fashion Several colors are being empha-ilzed empha-ilzed for new clothes. One designer itresses all gradations of beige. She tikes to use with It yellow and green (or contrast. Another leading designer likes to make use of a misty sea green and i coral red. dear, vivid shades of these colors ars also very popular currenuy. Old Accessories J4afeu All-Purpose Purse Jenny has designed this bag for every type of woman from college col-lege girl to young sophisticate. Made of brown or black plastic patent, it has a tipper opening which is large enough to permit roomy items to go in easily. A gold disk adds a touch of glamour. glam-our. Others are still better If they hav belts that buckle, either wide or narrow; depending upon the effect you want to create. Old belts, particularly old leather belts, can be recovered with decorative decora-tive fabrics to match your dress. Or, if you have material from which the dress was made, consider making a belt from it by covering a strip of buckram. It's also possible to make the most of your belts by changing buckles on them. Look over old buckles first, and then investigate the possibilities at the stores. Items such as this are inexpensive but often mean the difference between success and failure in your clothes. Gloves are becoming Increasingly Important in the wardrobe, and there is much a woman can do to make them outstanding just by little sewing tricks. All manner and means of trimmings may be sewed on the cuffs of worn gloves of fabric to make them new and fashionable. Much is being made of puffs at the wrists of gloves. If, for example, ex-ample, you have taffeta trimming on your dress, you might buy extra taffeta and trim the cuffs of your gloves with it. Small pins and ornaments orna-ments also -may be used. Be Smart! That breezy Western look Is cropping op in the new season handbags ... not only In rich, brown tooled leather but also in the modern version of buckskin so creamy rich In color. They're Ideal matchmates for tweeds and spectator sports. From the Sewing Bag Reinforce weak spots on toes, heels and tops of stockings and elbows of shirts and sweaters before be-fore the hole actually appears. This will make the garment wear longer as well as enabling you to do a better job. Rubber and oiled silk garments gar-ments often are easily mended with adhesive tape. Buttons stay on better If they are sewed with a thread shank. Never sew buttons on too tight If you really want them to stay on. Slips that wear out under the arm are easily patched. It also helps to wear shields to prevent rapid wear. Flashes Better plan to have a straw hat if you want to be In good fashion. There are smooth lacy affairs for dressy occasions, or smooth, or rough ones for general daytiire wear. Look for gay plaid trimmine. on some of the perky ones. Feathered trims of yellow, or-ange. or-ange. salmon, gray. red. white and natural are extremely important. ? "'rft&tlQiili ; L Vv rV)Ji Released by Weatern Newspaper Union. By VIRGINIA VALE AFTER seeing talented A Deborah Kerr's fine performance per-formance in the thrilling "The Adventuress" it is easily understandable un-derstandable why Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast her opposite op-posite Clark Gable in ''The Hucksters". Garbo. Dietrich, Berg-in Berg-in now Kerr, who already rates right along with them. "The Adven-turess," Adven-turess," a J. Arthur Rank production produc-tion released by Eagle-Lion, Is delightful de-lightful Sometimes it's a thriller worthy of Hitchcock, sometimes It's wonderful comedy. The cast, af course, is excellent; the scenery DEBORAH KERR -Ireland, the Isle of Man is beau-afuL beau-afuL And Miss Kerr, who has the :ourage to look plain as well as very beautiful, gives a performance to be enjoyed, and better, to be remembered. Jean Hersholt, the kindly "Dr. Dhristian" of the CBS Wednesday aight show, got his first movie job n Hollywood In 1915 not because le could acjt, but because he owned t dress suit, tuxedo, spats, derby ind cane. He received all of $15 a week. ", The cast of "This Is Hollywood," lumbering close to 30 of the film :apitol's top people, converged on Salt Lake City for the recent premiere pre-miere of "Ramrod" via all modern methods of transporation. Some went by plane, some by train, jthers by automobile. The reason for splitting the group was to make :ertain that a" talent nucleus would )e on hand no matter what the weather happened to be. Bryan Foy will personally super-rise super-rise "Red Stallion," which may ont-slass ont-slass "Smokey" and "Thunder-iiead," "Thunder-iiead," produced under his supervision super-vision at 20th Century-Fox. There'll l)e animal battle scenes that have lever before been attempted In X picture. Richard Benedict, who plays the bouncer in Columbia's "The Guilt &f Janet Ames," is really Joseph Sciurba, an Italian. He got his start ky hanging around East Coast stu Jios as a youngster. One day Al Christie, looking over a crowd of prospective extras, singled him out and asked if he spoke Spanish. "SL ouono," said Richard, in his best Italian, and they gave him the part. Michael Woulfe, fashion creator under contract to William Caenev. says he's rapidly going nuts. At RKO he s designing clothes for Laraine Day and Judith Anderson for 'Tycoon"; at Eagle-Lion he's flressing Sylvia Sidney and Ann Richards for "Love From a Stran. er," and at U-I he's whipping up Crocks for Ava Gardner for "Sinsa. pore." Ran up a taxi bill of $107.15 In no time at all. dashine from on itudio to another. So he decided to learn to drive, and on his first day as a motorist was hauled in by a cop ror improper parking. Radio announcer Don Wilsnn ha. been signed as narrator for In Columbia's "The Corpse Came C.O.D." George Brent, Joan Blond- ell and Adele Jerrens have th ia.j big roles tn the thriller about a series of murders with a Hollywood iiuojo Dacagronnd. Seven years Isn't too long to wait for a honeymoon, according to Robert Mitchum and his wife. They ueciaea wnen they were married wan tin he was a star, and then oneymoon in New York, where h grew up. She'd never been there His movie career was well under way when the war lntprri,rtj u. 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