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Show - - . - Glaff Mark MarkLenore Lenore Cdlenn w . , u , CRv tL . ' CIIAI CIM1 CHAITEB TE TEE VIrBE VITEE VI VITHE THE rBE TEE ! STOBY STORY THUS TIIUS TItUS FAB FAR Beturnln Returningfrom Ettnrnlne Returning Ettnrnlneancle from a 0'1.1 01.1 011 visit ' . * wltb with D'J.e DJ.e DJe Dyke ) ' . IIIernuon Merinnon Me rinnon , ilia his hisancle .tI tI . ancle . Todd McKlnnon IIlcKluuon McKinnon Ccortfno Georglno Georgino Wcth Wctb w3cth Wctband w3cthand Wcthnd } ) and nd amall small ( inxll dnehter daugbt.r daugbtr daughter * . Barb ISnrb3 n rl > l ) topped .topp.d topp.d toppd stopped . . to to"IaU totilit "IaU IaU " Islt JI1n Mrs Mr * Pfbodjr reabody Peabody a friend ( ricnd 01 of o Dko DSiios B ) lie * . CHAPTER VISomehow VI VISomehow Somehow that evening evemng Vlrdette Virdette Vlrdettewas Virdettewas Virdettewas was telling them again about the theafternoon theafternoon theafternoon afternoon of Miss TiUsit Tillsit s death . . . She had been sitting at the pIano pIanoall pianoall pianoall all afternoon beginning begInmng at half halfpast halfpast halfpast past one doggedly playing o.er oer over o.erand overand overand . and over the scales of every key keyand keyand keyand and the chromatic up and down downthe downthe downthe the w \ whole \ hole keyboard w \ while \ rule hale her eyes eyessearched eyessearched eyessearched searched the empty street outside ' Nobodyent Nobody w \ vent \\ent ent ent in m for a long time timesaId timesaid timesaid saId Virdette Vlrdette dreamily dreanuly I thought thoughtonce thoughtonce thoughtonce once or twice maybe old Mis La Labare Labare Labare bare was workm workin round in the thebasement thebasement thebasement basement because that side door door'ud door'ud door'ud doorud 'ud ud ' open and shut I couldnt couldn t see seebecause seebecause seebecause because the door was bet\\ bet between beteen \ een her her'n her'n hern i i'n 'n n ' me and anyhow those treesalmost trees treesalmost treesalmost almost hit lut It ft Then about three Mr MrGilbert MrGilbert MrGilbert Gilbert Peabody drove up So he hestayed hestayed hestayed stayed In there a wllle- wllle wlile- wlile wllleYou wlileYou while ) } - - You don t remember how long longI I suppose Todd said as If U ! idlyJust idlyJust idly idlyJust Just about because I got up to toget toget toget get a drink drmk and stretch but Ididn I Idldn Ididn dldn didn t dast to stop practicing for forlong forlong forlong long said Virdette with rermmsc reminisc rermmscent reminiscent renumscent ent gloom It was only onIy about ten tenminutes tenminutes ; rmnutes minutes and he was just dust comm comma commadown commdown down the front walk when I sat satdo satdown satdown do down n again agam walking walkmg slow with hIS hIShands hishands hishands hands m In his pockets and lookin lookm atthe at atthe atthe the groundDid ground Did he usually drive when he hecame hecame hecame came to see his lus aunt aunt7 ? ' Todd mur murmured murmured murinured murinuredHim7 mured muredHun Hun Him7 ? ' No he gener generly ly walked walkedhe walkedhe walkedhe he Just dust ] ust lived three four blocks blocksdown blocksdown blocksdown down the street and over one Anthen An Anthen Anthen then there wasn wasnt t a darn thmg thing thmgmore thingmore thingmore more until about ha past four and andthen andthen andthen then thenwhoo -whoo whoo - whoo ' ' said Virdette Vlrdette WIth WIthenJoyment withenjoyment withenjoyment ' " MIs MIsLabare MisLabare MisLabare enJoyment "There There 'There ' was old Labare poppm poppet her head m In andout andout and out the front room-she room she - Just tcoots scoots shes she s In a hurry-and hurry and hurry - and m in mabout inabout inabout about two seconds here comes Mr MrGilbert MrGilbert MrGilbert Gilbert back again agam an Horace Horaceover Horaceover Horaceover over from the drugstore-he drugstore he drugstore - - bedcome d dcome dcome come so fast he w \ as still pulhn pullin hIS hIS'acket hisjacket hisjacket 'acket acket jacket ' on while wlule heent he \ went \\ent ent up the thesteps thesteps thetteps steps and Mary Helen she pre- pre pretended pretended pre pretended - - tended she wasn t in a hurry , , but butshe butshe butBhe she went in the house awful fastjust fast fastjust fastlust just lust the sameAnd same ' , And a while willIe after Rose that s smy smy snay my sister , came home Where s sMom sMom sfilom7 Mom ? ' she says Horace has got gotword gotword gotword word Miss Tillsit TllISlt Tillsrt s smkin smkm sinkin I says'Ho saysRio says Ho 'Ho Rio ' I knew Jrnew that before you did did'Isays didIsays ' I [ says and I told her about it Andshe And Andshe Andshe she said she shed d been in m the drug drugstore drugstore drugttore store all afternoon-she afternoon she afternoon - she and Mar Mar- MartIn Martin Martin - tInas tin was \\as as \ awful Amshy mushy 4iushy before they theygot theygot theygot got married marned she d go in m there and andwhen andwhen andwhen when there w \ wasnt \ asn t any customers customersthey customersthey customerstheyd they d sit and hold hands and andHorace andHorace andHorace Horace used to go in m the tre prescnption prescnp prescrip prescnption prescription tion room and leave em alone aloneWell aloneWell aloneVeil Well ( she said he was in and out a acouple acouple acouple couple times that afternoon an anvered anrevered aniwered \vered vered revered ( \ the telephone once or tWIce tWIceand twiceand twiceand and then trade kind of fell off of ! and andhe andhe andhe he left em alone and then Just Justbefore justbefore justbefore before she left he answered ans\\ered ans ered \ itBgam it itagaIn itagain agaIn an it was old Mis Labare LabareSo Labare5o LabareBo So 5o we really realIy knew about it before beforeanybody beforeanybody beforeinybody anybody m In town only I knew knewErst knewfirst knewfirst Erst first Virdette Vlrdette wound up With Withieep withdeep withieep ieep deep satisfactionThey satisfaction satisfactionThey They neared the door of another.ne anotherone another anotherne .ne ne one . ne of o1 those tiny tmy frame bungaows bunga bungas } lows bungalows _ s and under the porch orch llght light llght.he lightehe lightthe .he he ehe . could read the words on the thebrass thebrass thebrass brass plate by the door ' Dr John JohnCrane JohnCrane JohnCrane Crane H Hm m McKinnon have you youno youno youno no shame7 shamel shame ' shame7Dr Dr John Crana Crane was in tor for a awonder awonder awonder wonder as he said to himself Illmself aftershooing after aftershooing aftershooing shooing the last of his office pa pabents patients patients bents tients out of the side doorThe doorThe door doorThe sampleslasted The taking ot of blood samples lasted only onIy a minute rmnute but he would wouldnot wouldnot wouldnot not hear of his patients departure immediately departureimmediately after 'I I ' I know who whoyou whoyou whoyou you are heard all about you to today to- to today today - - day he said his fatigue heavy heavyeyes heavyeyes heavyeyes eyes lighting up with a nice mce srmle smile srmle'I smile'I smileI 'I I ' ' I hope I\ella I ella Vella \ Isellas s house guests will willaccept willaccept willaccept accept a drink drink7 ? ' I could use one oneI onemyself onemyself onemyself I myself She hked lIked ' the doctor's doctors ' ' ' long Wn thin Wnface thinface thinlace face his dark eyes and graYing haIr grayinghair He U II 11 be old before his lus time timewitllln timewithin timewithin witllln within a year if this tills keeps up she shethought shethought shethought thought , the one doctor for a bIg bigfarming bIgfanmng fanmng farming community comrnumty and a town of offifteen ofQfteen offifteen fifteen Qfteen hundred people I want to toconsult toconsult toconsult consult you on something more moreDr moreDr Dr moreDr Crane ' she said at a pause inI inthe inI inthe in I | the invariablyopened war talk which invariably invariablyopened invariablyopened I opened men - - s - conversations - - - 'You You ' You " KIlOW 01 course w \ we ere e re staYIng with stayingwith Mrs Peabody7 Peabody ? ' She spoke of a aheart heart condition and-if and if and - If it Its s not prying notprying Into your patients affaIrswon affairswon affairs affairswon -won won - tohave -won won - t It be too much for her to have three extra persons quar- quar - tered quartered on her her7 ? ' She Won wont t let me help mehelp very much much'No her forher * - 'No No ' No N The ? no . Mrs Wyeth Good od tor for torgravate heart wouldn t be much by muchby itself just something that had muchI to hadto be watched but It I aggravate gravate those conditions S easy with to wor wor- ag . - ry worry and " nervousness " " vousness and uncertaintoo uncertain ty uncertainty too Not good " for "NeUatobealone NeUatobealone " Nella to be alone . too 100 much rniiph d e { vr > ti f/i f i fio / ? ' o T _ - , : you see I fondof m very fond \ of Nella Wish I could take better care ot of her Horace " " Tlllsit Tillsit itandlu.cousin itandlucousin and his I Inominally ' . cousin Cousm my staySg - uh , - ex exwifo WIfe are r , nominally her y staYIng there to keep kee the company but they don t take , Well responsibilIty responsibibty Mr very seriously uncle theuncle McKinnon so you re the ; of the famous sergeant , teems broughtMary Mary Maryaxis Heen Helen } thinks she sh sh'gain - brought back a axis axisalp scalp alp alpfrom from from fromtshe tshe tshehe the he Stage Door Canteen He smiled 'gain gain again smiledagain ' gain Ql1d and nd let his eyes rova rove con co . Mrs Mr . PMhody Pe"body Pebody Peabody " told about lion tbo the th lcntt deatb death < > 01 of 01Ade ofAdelne otAdd Ade Adelne ' no Tllltit Tillit Tilisit _ from whom wbom < > Gilbert lIbert Ie ices iceshotly leabody " body hotly Inherited tbo the ( ho Inure hou.e houe house . Todd and aDd Ccory CeorIt Ceorg Ceor It g ne no decided to .ta ta stay . t y ) ' over and fet get mar marrled martied married rled tied Todd wanted wauted to In cstleato e.tlgato etlgato estlgato . tho the thomurder themurder themurder murder or death dealb of 01 Mi AU ails . . Tllltit TillIt TWsit _ Uo Ue U flrat first Ilr t sidenngly slderIngly sideringly around the small bay bay'IlUdowed baywindowed baywindowed \'IlUdowed 'IlUdowed IlUdowed windowed \ ' parlor which wruch was lus his luswaIting hiswaiting hiswaiting waIting en9ughhfe room A narrow en9ugh enough enoughlife enoughlife hfe life tins tIllS this was for a girl he said saidunemotionally saId saIdunemotionally saidunemotionally unemotionally It only lasted SIX SIXor sixor sixor or seven months back in nmeteen nineteen nmeteenforty nineteenforty nineteenforty forty one I don t begrudge her any kInd anykind of happiness happmess she can find findnow findnow findnow findnowThe now nowThe The two men looked iooked at each eachother eachother eachother other for a moment then Todd Toddadded Toddadded Toddadded added with some deliberationWe dehberatlOn deliberation dehberatlOnWe deliberationWe We didn t come to you Dr Crane Craneto Craneto Craneto to find out anything except : the thestate thestate I state of our health I thought I II Ishould Ishould Ishould I should enjoy meeting you person personally personally personally ally That s allThe allThe all allThe The doctor relaxed slIghtly slIghtlysrml1ng slightlysmiling slightlysmiling srml1ng smiling Good Then Then-none Then none - none of thisneed trus this trusneed thisneed need be taken too seriously senously you youknow youknow youknow know perhaps you can just lust enJoy enJoyyour enjoyyour enjoyyour your VISitThe visitThe visit visitThe The background of M MrsCrane r B s BCrane sCrane Crane a s family history lustory Interests Interestsme interestsme me of course No I don t mean meanJust meandust meanjust Just dust the family farroly but the wholeregion whole wholei wholeregIOn wholeregion i regIOn Am I right m In thmkIng thinking thmkIngthat thinkingthat thinkingthat that Judge Tulsit TIllslt Tilisit has brought a agood agood agood good many benefits to this tlus town 7 ? ' 7A A great number said Dr DrCrane Drcrane DrCrane Crane both public publlc and pnvate private pnvateThe privateThe privateThe The Judge Judges S-Investments S Investments SInvestmentsere - investments \\ere ere were weremade \ weremade \ eremade made according to his rus own planhed plan planhe planhe he d help out young people who whowanted whowanted whowanted wanted a career at least to the theextent theextent theextent extent of financing financmg their thcIr traInmg training trainingA traInmgA A fine old gentleman said the thedoctor thedoctor thedoctor doctor , looking Intently at his hisglass hisglass hisglass glass 11 k'4I k'4- k'4 k4 ' I + II - II m 4 1 1ll ll 1 1 4 | ' 'I I ' 1 hope Nella Nellas s house guests guestswill guestswill guestswill will accept a drink drmk " . They started homeward walk walkmg walking walking mg ing slowly under the arching trees treesThere treesThere treesThere treesThereere There There"ere \\ere ere \"ere "ere were \ \ " street hghts lIghts only at atthe atthe atthe the corners and those were wereshrouded wereshrouded wereshrouded shrouded BO so that the dun dim glow glowof glowof glowof of lamps behind drawn shades In Inthe inthe inthe the snail sMall frame houses they theypassed theypassed theypassed passed gave the only lightA lightA light lightA A nine mne rune o 0 clock town said Todd Todddrearmly Todddreamily Todddreamily drearmly dreamily And no through trafficon traffic trafficon trafficon on those streets Tell me do you youfeel youfeel youfeel feel a strong sense of the past in inthis inthis inthis this place'l'Oh place place7 place'l placel ' 'Oh Oh ' Oh yes " ' , It s funny said Georgine slow slowly slowly slowly ly , but my sense of the past is isconcentrated isconcentrated isconcentrated concentrated in in-In in - in June 1940and 1940 1940and 1940and and right nght in the TiUsit Tillsit house The Thesettmg Thesetting Thesetting settmg setting s unchanged and I suppose supposethat that supposethat s why If I sit on that green greensofa greensofa greensofa sofa I hear voices upstairs I Ive IveI ve ye ve1 yeI -1 1 -I I - I ve ye got so that when I m down downstaIrs downstairs downstairs staIrs I find myself listening l1sterung for forthe forthe forthe the old lady moving around onthe on onthe onthe the second floorHe floorHe floor floorHe He was looking at her atten attentively attentively attenlively tively Do you mind it very verymuch verymuch verymuch7 much ? ' No o 0 she said laughing laughmg 'And And 'AndI ' And AndI AndId I d better start getting used to toyour toyour toyour your hopeit professional research I hope it stays like this thisI this'Like I ' 'Like Like ' Like what what7 what7'Oh ? ' 'Oh Oh ' Oh-Just Oh Just - just talking talkmg politely to topeople topeople topeople people and then going away and andwriting andwriting andwriting writing it up I mean on this pure ly purely mental plane it s not so bad . " , ' , I never can figure out what you youexpect youexpect youexpect expect Todd replied rephed mildly rmldly Peo PeopIe Peopie Peopie pIe chasing me with guns guns7 ? ' Anon Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous ymous letters saying Keep out of ofthis ofthis ofthis this or you will die too 7 1 ' ' , Something like llke that I suppose And supposeAnd yet there doesn doesnt t seem any harm anyharm in a conversation conversabon like the theone theone theone one onee we \\e e \ just had . . Its It s especiallygoofy especially especiallygoofy especiallygoofy goofy of me to get worried when I Ican Ican Ican can t see what you get out of these thesetalks thesetalks thesetalks thesetalksAre talks talksAre Are , ' I ' " ' you kidding7 kidcllng kidcllngI kidding said Mr McI MrMcI MrMcKirnon McKirnon rnon What the doctor told toldme toldme me aloud and between beh\een beh een \ the lineswas lineswas lines was worth five bucks a word . . " 'Oh Oh ' Oh dear I must have been halfasleep halfasleep half asleep asleep'Not |