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Show f , rF rFI rF.wY7s gclirGiaff , I t / .wY7s wY7s . .wY7st t kir 1 Yr + ' . t Letore ) Glenn . fl F 6y 6yLetore vie e.fW efW [ ft A yu"uu yuuu " ' " " . , . . . . . CUAPT'B CUAPTB CUAPTFB ' vrn YIR vrn2'JIB YIRTUE : SSK-a SSK a TIIUS TRUS FAR Betufll.lnC BetuflllnC getnrfIDt Betufll.lnCfrom getnrfIDtfrom - . 2'JIB 2JIB TUE ' sTORY % " AloJ'nnon AloJnnon McEIneoo { , ' bl hi . , with Dyke from a . vlI .II II . t Wyeth Wyethend 1lahlnnen ! loJ > lnnon Ceorcine Ceorgine .010 010 uncle . Todd .topped topped . t to torill . IIlrby Itarby . d.uebtor duebtor daughter . "d d end Im.U ImU amen . " l.bod lbod 1eebodJ . , mlt rill with Drs JI1r . 1 e.bOdy ebOdy Icabodl . In Din ) CHAPTER CHAPTEIl V11I VIII VIIIGeorgine V11IGeorgine Georgine Wyeth had indeed lIeen"as been"as been lIeen "as as " as mad as hell for the few mm- mm rmn- rmn mmutes rmnutes min minutes - - fromthe fromthe from fromA utes after she turned away the wmdow window Rescue rum hum that thatgreat thatgreat galoot gatoot ? ' Save hIm from the great . ' rnfemallIttIe infernal little prancmg prancing nymph nymphe nymphA e " McKm- McKm McKui- McKui McKuinon McKmlion McKm-Bon McKm Bon - A fat lot of rescuing rescwng Todd lion non would ever need ' Georgine Georgme turned down the street streettoward streettoward streettoward toward the center of the VIllage VIllageShe villageShe villageShe She swung along at a fastoff fast dip clIp , her hertemper hertemper ta tafast temper givingsparks giving off almost palpable palpable.parks palpableiparks palpableiparksSlight .parks parks sparks . .parksItlght sparksMight Slight Itlght Might ! as well patronize the fam famUy famby famUys Uy by s business busmess enterprises the gold goldletters goldletters goldletters letters on the window read 'Bumham Bumham ' Burn Burnham Burnham ham Tillsit T111Slt Georgine Georgme Georgnie paused a amoment aper amoment door her bad tem tem- temper temper - moment at the per per forgotten forgotten m ma in a nostalgic deUght de- de delight de delight - - light Ught On either e1ther side slde was a glass glassglobe glassglobe glassglob globe & filled with colored water , , one onegreen onegreen onegreen green one purple , , m In this tlus age as asrare asrare asrare store In Indian Indian Indian rare a sight as a cigar dian The interior intenor of the shop was , ' period ' too no soda fountam fountain or flashlights or maga- maga - tines tinesIt rines fdnes -It It - it was that almost forgotten forgottenestabllshment forgottenestablishment forgonenestablishment establlshment establishment a real pharmacy pharmacyA A dark haired young man in m a awhIte awhite awhite whIte coat was at a wall telephone telephoneIn telephoneto In to the rear , and she waited naIted for rus his ruseonversation hisconversation hisconversation eonversation conversation to finish timsh lookIngabout lookingabout looking about bout In pleasureShe pleasureShe pleasure pleasureShe She turned slowly to look be- be behind behind be behind - - hind the old mahogany counter counteron on her right nght , and met her own gaze gazeIn gazein gazeIn In a mirror It gave her a slight slightIhock slightChock slightthock Ihock Chock Dear me Georgine Georgme thought thoughtI'm thoughtIm , , rm mm ' really looking very healthy healthythis healthythis healthythis this spring spnng , , 1 I Ive ve ye gained a little littlewe1ght littleweight littleweight we1ght weight , , must be loveLo loveLose love loveLoe Lo Lo\e Lo e Lose \ e , , Bhe she thought and began beganto beganto beganto to spark with fury agam agaIn , , . but tlus this tlustime thistime thistime time there was laughter nuxed mixed nuxedwith mixedwith mixedwith with itTl itTI it itTl Tl TI e a dark young man finished firushed his histelephonmg histelephoning histelephoning telephonmg telephoning with a promise promrse to tobring tobring tobring bring something somethmg or other over just justthe justthe justthe the minute mmute Horace got in yes yesMa } ) es esM"a esMaam M"a Ma " am , and slammed up the re- re receIver receiver re receiver - - ceiver He kept glancing glancmg at the thetelephone thetelephone thetelephone telephone as he waited on her , andwas and andwas andwas was so distrait d1straIt as to get down the thewrong thewrong thewrong wrong brand of toothpaste tWIce tWIcebefore twicebefore twicebefore before he hit rut on the correct oneGeorgine oneGeorgine one oneGeorgine Georgine could identify identlfy theqo the theyou theyoung qo you u n g man Virdette V1rdette Bacon Baconsbrother s sbrother sbrother brother In law , , the one who was wasexpectmg wasexpecting wasexpecting expectmg expecting twins twms any time this thisweek thisweek thisweek thisweekThe week weekThe The door from the prescnption prescription prescnptionroom prescriptionroom prescriptionroom room was flung open and Horace HoraceTL11sIt HoraceTillsit HoraceTulsit TL11sIt Tillsit came m in bnsMy bnskly briskly He was but but- buttomng buttoning buttoning - toning tomng a white wlute coat of his Ius own ownthough , though so much more fully clothed clothedthan clothedthan clothedthan than when she d seen him lum bun in tbe the tbehall thehall thehall hall he was at once recognIZable recognIZable"Any recognizable"Any recognizable"Any recognizableAny "Any Any " news ne\\s ne s \ Mart Mart7 Mart'1 Mart1 ' " he said grin gnn- gnn grin- gnnning grinning grinning - ning 'Not Not ' Not yet yet7 " ' Ohell Oh \ well \\ell ell sell it its s al always always always ways slow the first-don first don first - - don t hit lut me me'Go meGo ' Go on , get out of here and stay at atthe atthe atthe the hospital Go Goon on you don t need needl needa a hat hatAs As he talked he had been push Ing lug pushIng pushlug Martin Kinter Kmter toward the door doorThe doorThe doorThe The prospective prospecbve father wobbled wobbledblmdly wobbledblindly wobbledblindly blmdly blindly out Horace turned around aroundmet aroundmet aroundmet met Georgine Georgme Georgne s ey eyes s and burst burstInto burstinto burstInto Into laughter He had Mary Helen c 5 ; 5gray sgray gray eyes behind belund spectacles wluch which wluchmagnrfied whichmagnified whichmagnified magnrfied magnified them to a startling size sizeand sizeand sizeand and the blond hair which had been beenbOYishly beenboyishly beenboyishly Georgmeflrst Georgme1lrst Georgmefirst bOYishly tousled " , when hen Georgme 1lrst first saw him lum now was sleeked back backI backWIth backwith backwith WIth water There was a notable notableeonfidence notableconfidence notableconfidence I eonfidence confidence in himHis him lum himHis His gaze took Georgine Georgme m in frank frankIy frankly frankly Iy ly nearlyto and he seem seemed d approving approvmg nearly to the point pomt of boldness ' Excuse Excusethe Excusethe Excusethe the flurry ' , he said sald with another anothersmrle anothersmile anothertnule smrle smile this tlus thus one was more accus accustomed accustomed accustomed tomed professional"We professionalWe professlOnal"We professional'We h heartily ear e a r t II 11 y professlOnal professional "We We 'We ' " ve ye been having a sort of cnsis crisis cnsishere crisishere crisishere here ' He spoke rapidly rapully , and the thebreathy thebreathy thebreathy breathy softness of his voice made madeGeorgme madeGeorgme madeGeorgme Georgme wish half irritably irntably , , that thathe thathe thathe he d put some tone mto into it it'I ' 'I I ' I know about It ' ' she mur mur- murmured murmured murmured - mured picking up her parcel . . ' Expect you do said Horace HoraceTillsit HoraceTills1t Tills1t Tillsit ladyIn . . , ' ' That 'That Is it if you are the lady in the hall- hall halleU hall-Dells hall Dells haU - r < eU ells s guest guest7 " ' Therearen Therearea There aren area rent t many secrets in this town " ahe She turned to go and he took a aatep astep asteptowazi atep step toward her 'Do Do ' . Do wait , Mrs MrsWi MrsW MrsWy W Wy waiton ) eth ethDldMartinmanage eth . . , Did Martin manage - t to ' . " wait wan wanOh on you properly7 properly ' Oh yes indeed ' She turned turnedback back irresolutely irresolutelv myselfthat . . ' WeU-could WeU could Well-coul Well coul Well-could - - - I say for myself that I m sorry not to ve ye been home homefor for the past few " ' days days7 You can ean see why seewhy visitors-oneol visitors oneol vls1torsoneof visitorsoneof J7u seeJ7u Here Neu Nell has vls1tors-one vls1tors one visitors-one visitors - of the most charming charmrng guests she s ever sever ver had it If I 1 may say so-and so and so - - and the I only theonly ofan introduction I 1 get is kind of an embarrassing embarrassmg one in the up- up UD- UD - - UDta upata.rs upata ata.rs atars ata . ta < fair7We rs halL . Well is that fair fair7 ? ' We did rather wonder where whereour whereour wherecur our - fellow lodger was all n1l this time thistime 'Keeping KeepIng W Working orldng "Horace Horace " . Horace said 'Keep Keep 'Keep- ' ' Keep- Keep - - ing store anyway We have our busmess business ourbusiness ourbusmess in spells there U II it be a duU dull duUEpot dullspot dulltpot Epot spot and a.nd . then a crowd-but crowd but crowd - but some some- - . body somebody s got to be here hereI I ' He had hadmaneuvered hadmaneuvered hadmaneuvered maneuvered her toward a hIgh legged highlegged chair and she sat down in- in inwardly inwardly in inwardly - wardly amused Anytl Anything ng for com corn company cornparry cornpany pany parry in m one of those dull duU spots she thought thoughtGeorgrne thoughtGeorgine shethought shethoughtGeorgme quicklyHoraca quicklyHorace Georgme Georgrne Georgine looked up quickly Horace smile'Sure smileSure gave her hia hIs bright bnght slIl11e smile ' , Labaredesnt Labaredesn Labaredean S111'e S111e Sure ' he said Old Susie Labare desn dean t buy many drugs , , but she sheWas shewas shewas Was In here last night to stock upand upand up upand -and and - and accidently on purpose men mentloned mentloned tioned tloned mentioned likethat I1kethat It It . . . Why , , don dont t look I1ke like that . , , ' ffyou d'you dyou ' tuppose suppose I mind mind7 " ' I can doth death of t Adeline AdelineTlllslI AdelineTinU AdcllnS'lil.it AdcllnSlil.it AdcllnSlilit * them thom .bon bon about . bout the th told tolc ' ! I lI.b.nd lIb.nd lIbnd uaband . b . Dd t ( Hlbert Jlbert llbert JlbertInhor llbertInher TIUlit TlllslI TinU HlbertTIUlit , . , , , . from whom wbom w wf lor I cr er n decIded deeldad to tostay o o.I.Y led tcd Iholr their horn home . TI ey Inhor Inher .nd nd end . get ' married Todd wanted wantedto " .nted nted . .I.Y I.Y IY stay . . over . . .r r . ce Adelin Adeline Adefno Tlll.lt Tllllt TUJ.II TUJII TUliit . . . . dfth death ot 01 of * f to . tntt.tift tntttift In.Ue.te InUe.te InUete investigate . . . . * the th see spe how you d want to know Imow some some- sometlung something something - - thing tlung about the family your neph nephew nephew nephew ew might be joining jommg joiningI I 1 haven t a nephew And that thatfsn thatisn thatIsn fsn isn t really the reason You can t tthink tthink tthink think how embarrassing embarrassmg it is Mr Mr.Tillsit MrTillsit . . 'I'111SIt I111SIt Tillsit ' to feel as if you re getting gettingpeople gettingpeople gettingpeople people to talk on-false on false on - false pretenses pretensesNot pretensesNot pretensesNot Not that Todd s been in the least leastuntruthful leastuntruthful leastuntruthful untruthful about it they just seem seemto seemto seemto to open up for him rum but- but but'Well but'Well but - ' "Well Well 'Well " ' why not not7 " ' said Horace Horacereasonably Horacereasonably Horacereasonably reasonably No use pretending pretendmg it itdum itdidn itdidn dum didn t happen you ve ye got to face facefacts facefacts facefacts facts It was damned interestmg interesting Interestingand , and poor Gilbert G1lbert s made up for lusIus hishis his lus hishis -Ius Ius -his his - his slip sl1p , , would ould you call can it ] it7 t " ' Kmd Kind Kmdof Kindof Kindof of the way that knights kroghts of old used usedto usedto usedto after afterthey afterthey afterthey to go on pious pilgrimages pIlgnmages they d sinned smned sinned'That That 'That ' Thats s one way of looking at atit atit atit it ' ' Georgme Georgine said sard still uncom uncom- uncomfortably uncomfortably uncomfortably - - fortably fortablySo So why should we get mad if ifthis ifthis llthis this brother or cousin cousm or what whatever whatever whatever ts the de- de de - - ever he is 1S of yours gets g taIls tailsT tailsT'Todd ' 'Todd Todd ' , you mean mean7 " ' He Hes s my myfiance myfiance fiance ' There was a moments moment s sIlence sIlenceHorace silenceHorace silenceHorace Horace almost gasped at her be- be before before be before - - fore he said ' You mean that thIn thIndeadpan thindeadpan thindeadpan deadpan guy-you guy you guy - you mean you are aregomg aregoing aregoing gomg going to marry rum him him7 him7"And 1 ' 1"And ' "And And 'And " why not not7 " ' said sa1d Georgine Georgineher , her eyes e es snapping snappmg She kept for for- forgettmg forgetting forgetting - getting gettmg that too many people , . on onfIrst onfirst onfirst fIrst sight thought Todd appeared appearedneglIgIblp appearednegligbb appearednegligible appearednegligibleHorace neglIgIblp negligbb ) ' neglIgIblpHorace Horace actually wanted to talk talkI talkabout talkabout talkabout about his great aunt s murder . , , he hehad hehad hehad I had brought the conversation conversatlon back backto backto backto to it himself Georgine Georgme looked at atlum athim athim lum him in m wonderI wonder I ' ' Dock hook ok here Mr Tillsit T1llslt Tllisit what I Ican Ican Ican can t see is why everyone s so sure sureMISS sureMiss sureMiss MISS Adeline didn dldn t die che the naturally naturally'And naturallyAnd ' And if there was a doubt , wluch which wluchthere whichthere whichthere there seemed to behy be \ why \\hy hy Itasn it wasnt wasntall \ wasn \\asn asn t tall tall all hushed up and forgotten ' ' Couldn t be ' said Horace sit sittlng sitthug sitting tlng thug down again agam and fiddling fiddlmg with withGeorgine , 1 e,11t e11t , 'r r ' SI V 1V 1 . k 1 rr4.b rr4b . ) % % < i i . ) , 1 1J J , I IGeorgine Georgine knew at once the she had hadseen hadseen hadseen seen th girl before beforea a jar of ointment omtment ' "Thanks Thanks 'Thanks " ' to toJohnny toJohnny toJohnny Johnny Crane and Grandfather Grandfathers Grandfathershousemaid Grandfathershousemaid s shousemald housemald housemaid that heard the remarks remarksabout remarksabout remarksabout about the autopsy , it got all over overtown overtown overtown town It s lust Just the fact that it was wasnever wasnever wasnever never proveddont proved couldnt couldn t be proved . , , mysterythat don t you see see7 " ' It Its s the mystery mysterythat that gets us all " " ' ' But it 1t s all so vagueI vague I ' ' Nella said saideveryone saideveryone saideveryone everyone suspected there was poi pol poison polson polson son but-what but what but - what pOIson poison7 ' ' , ' Easy ' ' Horace flashed his hissmrle hissmile hissmile smrle smile indulgently mdulgently 'One One ' One of the thebarbIturates thebarbiturates thebarbiturates barbIturates I thought some some- somethmg something something - - thing thmg to simulate coma until she shewas shewas shewas was too far gone to be revIved revIvedLummal revivedLuminal revivedLuminal Lummal Luminal I 1 make It No obvious obvioussIgns obvioussigns obvioussigns sIgns so that it left a loophole for forthe forthe forthe the loc ! doctor or s c certificate-oh certificate oh certificate rtlficate- rtlficate rtlficateh - < > - oh h he was I justified in that thatsince , . smce since there was a doubt and the thenext thenext thenext next of at km Ian Icin wouldn t allow a p m . m . . m.but mbut but-we but we - we an nad road our ideasI Ideas'You ideas ideas'You 'You You ' You mean you think tiunk thuik he left her herl hera hera hera a |