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Show "Did Doctor Marden have on his mask the first time he came into the kitchen?" Patrick asked. "Yes," Sylvia answered. "How did you know it was Doctor Marden then?" "Oh, when he putted his finger to his lips and said, 'Sh sh sh he lifted his mask way up - and he winked at me." Patrick sat motionless for a tiny interval. Suddenly, but with utmost ut-most gentleness he put Sylvia down. "I think Sylvia will want to go out and see Sarah Darbe," he signaled to me. He took the buckle from Sylvia's reluctant fingers and dropped it into his pocket Then he hurried swiftly across the room to the telephone, called up the station. sta-tion. "Get two men over here at once!" he ordered. "Put them on the Marden house. Don't let Doctor Doc-tor Marden leave the house until he hears from me. I'm phoning him to come to Mrs. Avery's house. See that he comes I" Then he took up the telephone again and called a number. "I'd like to talk with Doctor Marden, please ... Oh good morning, Doctor Doc-tor Marden. This is Patrick O'Brien O'Bri-en speaking. I'm talking from Mrs. Avery's house. I'd like to see you here at once. I have some further fur-ther questions to ask you in regard to the Blaikie case." It seemed to me that my "life had reduced itself to waiting waiting wait-ing for people to come in cars. Waiting and trying not to tremble; trem-ble; for I was always poignantly troubled about some friend or other. oth-er. I remember that while I waited wait-ed for Myron Marden, moods chased each other through my mind. One was a kind of despairing despair-ing impatience. How long was this ghastly suspense to last? Could it be possible that the mystery would never be solved; that we would all go down to death never knowing who had killed Ace Blaikie? The other was more desperate. I kept reminding myself, that after all, I really knew of my own knowledge knowl-edge nothing about Myron Marden and his granddaughter. I had accepted ac-cepted them on their face value. I had accepted them on the ac- lng to what Mrs.. Avery calls the Spinney." "Did you see anybody on the place or on the road?" "Nobody." "Go on!" "I walked into the Spinney. As I entered I heard voices." He paused politely. "Does this interest you, Mr. O'Brien?" "Very much. Whose voices were they?" "There were two voices. One was a woman's. I did not recognize recog-nize it The other was a man's Doctor Blaikie's." "Did you hear what they said?" "I heard nothing!" "But as you got nearer " "When I realized that there was a tete-a-tete going on in the Spinney, I stopped, started to turn back but the voices stopped and I heard footsteps retreating. I waited a minute and kept on until I came across Doctor Blaikie." "You did not see the lady at all?" "No." "You spoke with Doctor Blaikie of course." "Yes for several minutes." "And then you went on?" "Yes." "Was your conversation a long one?" "A very brief one." "What was the nature of your talk?" "It's one of those talkt that you can't reproduce because really nothing was said. I knew that a lady had Just left the Spinney. I think he knew I knew that I don't know whether he was embarrassed or not. I was a little conscious of the situation. I think I told him that I'd come out because the house was so warm and that I wanted to smoke " "Had you lighted a cigar yet?" "No. But I told Doctor Blaikie that I was going back to the house and I asked him to join me in a smoke." "What did he say to that?" "He said no; that he was returning re-turning at once to the dance." "Did you go after that?" "As I remember, that was my last remark." "You left Doctor Blaikie in the Spinney?" "Yes." "Had he turned had he started to leave the Spinney?" "No." "By what path did you go out from the Spinney?" "I continued along the path that runs beside Mrs. Avery's Little House; then up onto the road and then back to the Stows'." "Did you smoke on the way back?" "Yes one cigarette." "Did you meet anybody else on the way back?" "No." "How did you enter the house?" "By the garage door as I left It." "Did you leave your cape and cap there?" "Yes." "Did anybody see you rome In?" "I think nobody noticed it; for the reason that the kitchen was full of masks. They had come out, I think, for water. "You were there then at the unmasking?" un-masking?" "Yes." "And what time did you say you went home?" "About half-past twelve.' "You walked home? "Yes. "Did you go straight up the Head? "Yes exactly the way I came. "When you were in the Spinney, did you hear any noise In the bushes, let us say, or among the trees? "I heard nothing." "Don't you yourself think. Doctor Doc-tor Marden, that it's a little strange that you did not volunteer this information the first time I talked with you." Doctor Marden smiled. "I think it might seem so. But what would you have done, Mr. OBrien? There was a woman involved. I didn't know what sort of trouble I might get her into." "Well, of course you realize," Patrick advanced, "that some peo-pb peo-pb might say that you invented the woman to save yourself." Doctor Marden bowed In a polite acquiescence. He made no comment com-ment "What to your best knowledge and belief was Doctor Blaikie's frame of mind while you talked with him? Did you get any impression?" im-pression?" "He gave me the impression that he was extremely happy triumphant trium-phant definitely triumphant I might say, he breathed, he emanated triumph." tri-umph." Patricks thick - lashed eyelids dropped. He seemed to reflect deeply deep-ly "Well, I guess that will be all," he said. "Wait a moment though. I'm the poorest hand in the world at remembering figures." He reached into his waistcoat pock-e. pock-e. brought out the little red leather leath-er notebook. "I'd like to take down the hours as you remember them of your arrival and departures from the Stow house." (TO BE CONTIXVED) suggestion, alien in manner and clothes, which expatriates so often acquire unconsciously; his deep dark coloring; his distinguished, irregular ir-regular aquilinity; Patrick with his Perfect athlete's figure, so light in pose, so perfect in poise and balance, bal-ance, his sun-shot Irish coloring his regular Celtic features. Patrick explained, "I want to ask you some questions, Doctor Marden. Mar-den. I ventured to suggest that you come here as I have been using us-ing Mrs. Avery's home as a sort of annex to the police station. It makes the whole business a little less unpleasant and we have no kibitzers. You realize that more evidence in this Blaikie case comes in from time to time. Then we have to go over what everybody else has said and check up. I wanted to ask you a few more questions in regard to Mrs. Stow's masquerade." "Quite!" Doctor Marden assented. assent-ed. He sat down. I arose. "I think I'll ask you to excuse me," I said. Both Doctor Marden and Patrick raised restraining hands. "I would very much prefer to have you stay, Mrs. Avery," Doctor Marden declared de-clared courteously. I looked toward Patrick. "It's what the doctor wants, as far as I'm concerned," he said with a gesture ges-ture of the shoulders typically Irish and amusingly like the French shrug. "I must tell you. Doctor Marden," Mar-den," Patrick added, thrusting his keenest glance across the space between them, "that in case of suspicion sus-picion being turned upon you, anything any-thing you say here may be held against you and that there is a witness present" Doctor Marden made a deprecatory depreca-tory gesture outward of his long, slender hands. "Ask me anything you want, Mr. O'Brien. I shall avail myself of your suggestion and answer only the questions I wish to answer." I became conscious of mounting excitement. Everybody else who had submitted to Patrick's interrogatories inter-rogatories under my roof Sarah Darbe, Bessie Williams, Molly Eames, Walter Treadway, Margaret Marga-ret Fairweather had said in effect: "Ask me anything you want I shall tell the whole truth." Perhaps Doctor Marden felt thai he had made a false step; for he immediately added, "I have no anticipation an-ticipation that you will ask me any question that I shall not prefer to answer fully." "Doctor Marden," Patrick began, "at what time did you go to the masquerade?" "Somewhere between half-past nine and ten," Doctor Marden answered. an-swered. "How did you get there? By car?" "No. It was such a beautiful night and as there is only concrete road between our house and the Stow house, my granddaughter suggested that we walk. Besides she thought that there might be some difficulty in parking." "What time did you get home?" "I left earlier than my granddaughter. grand-daughter. Half-past twelve I should say." "Doctor Marden, between the time you arrived and the time you went home, did you leave the Stow house?" Doctor Marden answered instantly, instant-ly, "Yes." "Why did you leave it?'? "Well, for no reason or several Just as you choose. I am not much of a dancing man, Mr. O'Brien, and after I'd been there about an hour, I began to find it very hot and also I wanted a smoke." He smiled and Patrick met his charming candid amusement with a warm Irish appreciation. "What time was this?" "I should say about half-past ten certainly not much before and certainly not much later." "By what door did you go out?" "Through the kitchen and out the little door in Mrs. Stow's garage' "Why did you go out so secretly?" "In order to be alone. My head was buzzing a little with the warm air and I didn't want anybody to come with me." "Did you put on your outer clothes?" "Yes. I retrieved my long cape and beret from the garage where I left them when I came in." "Did anybody see you go out7 "No! Yes!" Doctor Marden reconsidered; re-considered; smiled reminiscently; smiled with that tender gentleness which I might describe as my favorite fa-vorite of his many charming ex-pressions. ex-pressions. "Mrs. Avery's httle niece. Sylvia. She had gone out into the kitchen. For some reason, none of the maids was there. "Did she recognize you? "Yes. I lifted my mask. . "Did she speak?" "Before she could say anything I put my finger to my lips and she Httle stroll." Doctor Marden answered, "through the SIS which stretches be ween Mrs. Stow's and Mrs. Avery s h0You were in costume Doctor Marden. Did your walk tofcre tt-l tt-l mean, dew, vines, tce There's a very pleasant htue paufbetween the two places." Doc for Marden informed Patrick po- Utie had a feeling that I was watch-taj, watch-taj, t preliminaries to a duel of Sr gardens and onto the path lead- fjtf Continued rK" sylvia an tor Marden wore it Itrick went on, "did Cody o out of to ie night of the mas-Ln mas-Ln anybody besides and Walter Treadled Tread-led now that Patrick ivla a similar ques-re. ques-re. However, he had the reply and I had important ied her head back k's chest She looked ce, smiling her most "Yes," she 'an-ctor 'an-ctor Marden." you see him go?" I in a friendly way. ,or did he go out of?" ggled close against lee," she went on in lfidential manner, "I the kitchen. Nobody II the girls had gone to the cellar to I for-, for-, I know, they wanted ice cream." ide big eyes at her. j?" he asked in an Ice. of them!" Sylvia reality. re-ality. i that there wasn't a the girls there?" Pat-up. Pat-up. "Not Sarah, nor !lddie, nor Jessie, nor n't anybody but me," d. at wonderful?" Patrick d tell me about Doc-he Doc-he said, ttor Marden came out hen." See you?" I he say?" say anything. He put-r put-r on bis lips just like l'i tiny forefinger and h upwards to press her it the hps pouted out-ley out-ley emitted a gentle, r I't you say anything?" res grew sparkly with o, I didn't say a word, lis." She put her fore-r fore-r lips and emitted what did Doctor Ma-went Ma-went out through tre .into the garage anc I tpen that little door In 111 of the garage." Jot us! Suddenly I re-f re-f that little door I Of fck had posted no poire. po-ire. It was extreaely I any guests wouVS en-F, en-F, would even rer tem-pnee-if Indeed they fown of it Mattir her-ised her-ised it have thought Pctor iid have got all firty at way," Patrick com- rlvia explained, "he long dark cape. It was It" ru know he put it on?" ' back to the door of Mid he said, 'Sh sh Putted his finger to his And I said, 'Sh sh Med my finger to my J garment very welL ! dark cape that the 'anta wear. Doctor Mar-figure Mar-figure in that dark dark blue beret ? tt was an accepted 'Second Head roads. ; Km see Doctor Marden ! the party?" Patrick :e back soon?" f hog time like this?" I JJaata about, yard f UK time like this?" Ml hands towards Rent6 SPaCe f00t LSe like this." i t ?ier sUm "rown puatb, nine fach" j there?" J lot. and lots of t C Mr- Stow', j ey tasked. Syl- !l?ylvia said. R!ut?d 8gain Patri p;estlonfily. Again I" JrA "Oh I Know Now," Sylvia Announced. An-nounced. ceptance of Ace Blaikie and Bruce Hexson. But now I recalled to myself my-self how easily friendships were made between men who were in the World war ... out of nothing . . out of anything . . . fleeting as a whisper . . . strong as iron cables . . . Yet every instinct I had, every ev-ery intuition, every ounce of that judgment which comes from experience experi-ence of the world kept telling me, kept shouting to me that these two were everything I thought they were. That last feeling arose so strongly strong-ly In me when Myron Marden soon entered the room that again the tears pricked for a salty instant in my eyes. He came immediately over to my chair, bowed in his courtly court-ly continental way over my hand, turned with a "Good morning, Mr. O'Brien I" to Patrick. I had not seen him since the fu-neraL fu-neraL I noted how pale and tired he was then. This day he looked ravaged. "Won't you sit down?" I asked. Doctor Marden did not sit down. He stood his whole graceful easy length subtly emanating question-and question-and looked at Patrick. Patrick, who had risen as he entered en-tered and was still standing, steadily steadi-ly returned that gaze. Rarely have I seen a greater contrast in men. Marden exuded that unanalyzable |