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' " CUM CHAPTEB CIIAl'TEB CIIAlTEB ' TEB 'tDTHE tIfTHE ' Xn 'tD tD tIf XnTHE THE STOBr STORY THUS TIIVS TUVS FAB FAR llctnraln Betntnlnl Returning Returningfrom llctnralnfrom ' from a d.1t d1t visit l . lt witli wltb with Dyke BT > " McKlnnon MeKinnon Meltinnon bl his hisundo hido * . polo undo TcdJ Tedd Todd McKlonoB lteKionon McIlinnon ] Ocorcia Georl'lne Georllne Georglne GeorglneWdyeth ' * Wytth Wyotb Wyotband Wdyeth Wytthl and aid Wdyethaid l .maU maU small . > miU dancbtot daughter < l nrh r Barb Barby B rbr , . , topped It.ppod Itppod etopP . to t CHAPTER XIIGeorglne XII XIIGeorgine I Georgine Georgme Georglne s headache did not get getbetter getbetter getbetter better A rest would help , she shethought shethought shethought thought lying on her bed In the theearly theearly theearly early afternoon and listening to tothe tothe tothe the far off strains strams of the mouth mouthorgan mouthorgan mouthorgan organ and the sound of the type type- typev.TIter typewriter typewriter - - . writer v.TIter vTIter writerThe v.TIterThe The women s voices were auell audi auellble audible audible ble downstairs downstalrS fading faellng and swell swellIng swellbig swellIng Ing big Once there was a strange VOlce voice VOlceadded voiceadded voiceadded added and afte after ! ; : a time Georgme Georglne Georgmerose Georglnerose Georginerose rose and quietly qwetIy opened the door doorof doorof doorof of her roomA roomA room roomA A little l1ttIe after three Todd tapped tappedon on the tha door She looked at the thesheaf thesheaf theoheaf sheaf of papers he leld teld and asked , 'Have Have ' Have you finished fimshed them all all7 ? 'All All ' All but one or two Todd said sald I He glanced around the dim hall hallspeakmg halltpeakmg speakmg speaking in a lowered voit-e voit e VOl\.e VOl.e VOl .e voile \ . - So Sohe Sohe Sohed he d caught the contagion contaglon too too"I too"I too"Im tooIm "I I " m stopping stoppmg work for awhile awhilegoing a .lule lule . whilegoing .lulegomg gomg going into mto the county seat to pick pickup pickup pickup up our license ltcense Do you want to tocome tocomet tocome9 come comet ? ' Georg1 Georglne Georgian thought not unless she shewas shewas shewas was needed Todd gave her a care care- careful careful careful - - ful scrutiny scrutlny , and said sald It might nught be bebetter bebetter bebetter better if it she rested"I rested"I rested rested"I "I I " may stay over in town then thenhe thenhe thenhe he said Sald ' A ille li h Ie le research is indi indi- indicated Indicated indicated - cated if I can think tlunk how to go goabout goabout goabout about it it91 it'll itll ' ? I d as soon not leave Ieave it ly lylng lylug lyIng lng lug about my room _ _ . . . The house seemed especially Still Stillafter stiuafter after he had gone Her ears sought soughtfor soughtfor soughtfor for and detected , a small clurp chirp clurpwhich chirpwhich chirpwhich which was her daughters daughter s voice voicedownstairs voicedownstairs voicedownstairs voicedownstairsGeorgine downstairs downstairsGeorgme downstairsGeorgine Georgine Georgme sat down by the win window windaw window dow daw and glanced at the typewnt typewrit typewntten typewritten typewritten ten pagesShe pagesShe pages pagesShe She thought These theories theoriesthese theoriesthese theoriesthese these classifications classificatlons are based on onbehaVior onbehavior onbehavior behaVior after the crime crlIDe , that thatshow s show sbow how bow the criminals crlIDlDals make their theircharacteristic theircharacteristic theircharacteristic characteristic patterns Suppose SupposeJust SupposeJust Supposejust Just suppose Nella NeIIa had bee b beenpulty e e n ngwIty nguilty gwIty guilty She had means motive op- op opportumty opportunity op opportunity - portunity portumty She could have been the theperson theperson . person who supped shpped slipped up to Miss Ade AdeBrie Adelines Brie e s room . . Perhaps the candy candybad candybad candybad bad , after all been the medium of ofpOlson ofpoison ofpoison pOlson poison she might ha\e ha e hae ha\ ha ha \ % e a stood there therefor therefor theretor for a time tlme and watched Miss Ade Adeline Adeline Adetine line greedily eating it up and then thenIhpped thenslipped thendipped Ihpped slipped awayAnd awayAnd away awayAnd And then she had found that by byhomble byhorrible byhorrible homble horrible ill luck Gilbert the one oneperson oneperson oneperson person she cared for on earth was wastacitly wastacitly wastacitly tacitly accused Of course she could couldDot couldnot couldcot Dot not probe for details in m person but butshe butshe butthe she wanted wallted to know how much mucht muche muchd goadall t\ t teryone e \ eryone else knew she must goad goadall goadtil all the witnesses into mto giving glvmg up uptheir uptheir uptheir their eVldence-because eVldence because evidence-because evidence evidence - - because the pre- pre prelumptlve presumptive pre presumptive - - sumptive lumptlve case against agamst Gilbert GlIbert was was.In wasIn washi .In In . reality reahty the case against agamst herselfShe herselfShe herself herselfShe She -She - must have known where she she'toad shestood shettood 'toad toad stood ' She invited mVlted trouble but she shebad shehad shehad bad had to risk It it . . Georginetold It might be the truth Georgine told herself her lower Up hp lip pushed pushedup pushedup pushedup up in m perturbation It might rmght all be becontrived becontrived becontrived contrived the rat noises in the thegarretwhy thegarretwhy thegarret garret-why garret why - why , Nella could have havemade havemade havemade made them more eas easily y than thall any anyone anyone anyone one ' Georgme Georgine stifled a shriek and andthrust andthrust andthrust thrust the papers behind behmd the long longcurtalns longcurtains longcurtains curtalns curtains of the bay window There Therehad Therehad Therehad had been a tap at her door , and andNella andNella andMella Nella Peabody s voice was saYing , "Georgme Georgme 'Georgine Georgine ' saying"Georgine sayingGeorgine " may I come in in9 ? ' ' 'Of Of ' Of course ' She was at the thedresser thedresser thedresser dresser , powdering her nose when whenthe whenthe whenthe the door opened 'No No ' No , I wasn wasntasleep t tasleep tasleep asleep Has Barby been bothering botheringyou'1 botheringyou7 you'1 you1 ' ' ' Oh no " Nella said sald sincerely "It It " sincerely"It sincerelyIt " s been the greatest pleasure to tome tome . tne me lovetittle loveUttle lovelittle having havmg her around I Just lust ] ust love Uttle little girls I d like to keep her for- for foraver forRver for-tver for tver - aver Rver if I couldWould couldWould could couldWould Would you indeed7 indeed indeed7"I ? "I I " . % was as wondering wondermg ' , said Mrs Peabody MrsPeabody 'If If ' it if a bit of fresh air airwouldn airwouldn airwouldn wouldn t help your head You have havenot havenot havenot not seen some of our prettiest 6p spots prettiestEpots prettiest6p prettiestspots ts _ there sa s a ravine raVlne on the other tide BIde 01 ot rown town that s at its very best bestnow bestnow bestnow now , with the wddflowers wildflowers W dflowers bloom Ing big bloomIng bloombig I m afraid I almost prormsed promised Barby promisedBarby prormsedBarby a sort of tea picnic She was wasWIld waswild waswild WIld ideaI with excitement at the idea I know I 1 should have asked you first youfirst , but the idea just came to tome tome tome me- me meItit - - " meItit 'It It ' , It-it It - it sounds delightful ' said Georgine Georglne saidGeorgine saidGeorglne slowlyTodd slowly lefther Todd had gone away awa.y . and left her whomight alone with Mrs Peabody , who whomight whomight might be a & murderess How could Quitelone quitealone he couldhe7 couldhe 1 ' ? And yet-she yet she yet - she he .asn asn sash . wasnt t Quite alone lone lone'Is 'Is Is ' Is Mrs Crane at home this thisafternoon thisafternoon7 thisafternoon afternoon ? ' Georgine asked . . . ' She Shemight Shemight Shemight might like to go with us WI ' "Well Well " that s a an idea As a mat ter matter of fact , It was she w who wla o men mentioned mentloned tloned tioned mentloned the ravine after you d come comeupstairs comeupstairs comeupstairs upstairs Hel HeItn Helm " Moil called calledThe The walk across tO tova town d to totheravine the ra ravine vine ravine runningahead was short . . B&rby Brby B.s-rby B.srby B.s Bs rby Barby . : & - , running ahead and returning with ques tlons tooes questions questlons questooes dooryardsto invading sirange .range range strange ! . dooryards to smell the fJ fJers flowers ewers \\ers ers \ covered the thecourse thecourse thecourse course about tMee three t < iree timesThe timesThe times timesThe The three women set down theIr theirburdens burdens of a ! food and cusluons cushions cusluonstalkmg cushionstalking cushionstalking talkmg talking with th a sort of nervous cor- cor cordiality cordiality cor cordiality - diality Barby 13arby alone was at ease She clearingswith easeShe raged r ged about the clearings clearingswith clearingswith with llummin humming hummmg g bird swiftness and andthen andthen andthen then came up flushed and alld entreat entreating entreating entreating ing " ' "Mamma Mamma 'Mamma " can Call I explore explore'Lookthere exploreLookthere ? ' ' Look Lookthere Lookthere there s I a path that goesway goes way up the thebrook thebrook thebrook brook kind of secret In the bushesRan bushescan bushes bushesan Ran can an t I walk up there9 there 1 ' ? ' , Til 'T1l T1l 'I'll Ill ' ' ' take her Mary Helen said . . vl.It vlIt d.lt dlt visit . Mrl Mrs Mr PcibodT Peabody pro pars , M " Peabody Pc body told toldtlom toldti toldticm Mill Ml . , . TiII.lt TiIIlt Tilisit TilisitThey Till.ltThey TillltThey . I Id.lt tlom ti em .bout bout abont about . tlio tbe the dciXh deatb death ot of . Tbey They decided to .t.y t.y ty stay . t . y Ind and ad , Inve.tfte Invetfte Investigate Inve.tfteTbey InvestigateThey Im-cstltiitThey Im cstltiitThey - . , , * Tbey They ttlltcd talked with wltb miny many dlfferon difteront different & rcla eels rclaI rclai rclathe eelstives rcltiTf * I the tives . and nd IrlcDdt frlondl friends of tlio tbo the T U.I&I U.II UII nstts ll . lt & Ind and nd d de- de do- do . - i Really 'Really ' I don t mind mmd I honestly honestlydo do love kiddies k1ddles Wouldn t you hke like hkethat likethat likethat that , sweetheart7 sweetheart sweetheart7Barby ? Barby s chin chm went in but she shemuttered shemuttered shemuttered muttered All right ' Georgine opened her mouth n10uth to tosay tosay tosay say Let s sail all go but Nella spoke spokefirst spokefirst spokefirst first ' Your Mamma Manuna and I will stay stayhere stayhere stayhere here where it s cool she said sald With WithdeclSlon withdecision withdecision declSlon decision 'Anyway Anyway ' four fours sa s a cro\d cro d crowd crodwhen crowdwhen crowdwhen \ , when you re e exploring " < plormg Isn isnt tit t it , Barby7 Barby ? Barby7Uh Uh hnh huh , " said Barby with a de deJected dejested dejected Jected jested look at Mary HelenThe HelenThe Helen HelenThe The moment n10ment the two women womenwere womenwere .ere ere were . alone Nella Peabody sat satdown satdown satdown down with her back against agalnst a tree treetrunk treetrunk treetrunk trunk and closed her eyes The Therellef Therelief Therelief rellef relief she said sald in m a halflusper half \\lusper lusper whisper whisper'The \ whisperThe \ lusper'The 'The The ' ' blessed relief g getting tU away from that strain stram Think Thmk ol of havmgto navmgto to escape from frOn1 the house-my house my house - - my own ownhousebefore ownhousebefore ownhouse house-before house before - - before I can breathe free freely freeIy freely ly Iy lyr r ' She was silent sl1ent for a whIle whIlethen whilethen whilethen then her voice came infinitely Infimtely sad sadWhen sadWhen sadWhen When I thought of its coming commg to toGilbert toGilbert toGilbert Gilbert I always saw the two of us usalone usalone usalone alone there It s what we planned plannedon on onGeorgme Georgme sat s silent ent stiffly on onguard onguard onguard onguardNella guard guardNella Nella spoke again as if from a adistance adistance adistance distance Sometimes I wonder if ifthose ifthose ifthose those few monthsereworth months \\ere-worth ere worth were-worth were \ were \ - - worth it itOh itOh itOh Oh . well .ell ell that s past We do what whatwe whatwe whatwe we think tlunk must be done What was she saYing saying7 saying7She " ? She turned slowly and gave gaveGeorgine gaveGeorgme'a gaveGeorgine Georgine/ Georgine Georginea Georgme'a Georgmea / ' a long steady look look"You look"You lookYou 'You You "You ' " ' re understanding understandmg I wish .lsh lsh . I Icould Icould Icould could tell you-e\erytlung you e erytlung you-everything everything you - - everything \ I Idontbelieve don t tbel1eve tbelieve bel1eve believe you youd d condemn me But I Idon Idon Idont don t quite dare There s some some- sometlung something something - - thing tlung I Ive ve ye wanted to ask you youthough youthough youthough though you may think it s a pecu pecular pecular pecular lar question questlon Nella waited Walted warted for a amoment amoment amoment moment ' . Georgme Georglne Georgine what is it that thatyou thatyou thatyou you re afraid of in my house house7 ? ' ' Her tone would not be demed denied demedDesperately deniedDesperately domedDesperately Desperately Georgine Georgme Georglne blurted out outthe outthe outthe the safest thing she could couId think of of"The ofThe , ' " The rats in the attic " y yi i t ti i a J JI Js I I 4 4"Did s , - . : - - I > - "Did Did "Old Old " you hear something , after afterall1 afterall afterall all1 all ? ' Mrs Mra Peabody s look was Intent IntentIt intentIt IntentIt It did not falter fa.lter . for a long rmnute minute minutewhile minutewhile .hlle hlle while . the creek slipped shpped by over overthe overthe overthe the pebbles and the trees rustled rustledoverhead rustledoverhead rustledoverhead overhead softlyYes Then she said sald softly , Yes thought Ithought I so You ve ye guessed guessedsomethmg guessedsomething guessedsomething somethmg something Please tell me how hown1Uch howmuch howmuch n1Uch much ' I don t know what you mean mean.Georgme meanGeorgme . . Georgine returned her look . . 'You You 'Yousaid ' You Yousaid Yousaid I said yourself that the sounds I d dhear dhear dhear hear were ratsNeUa ratsNella rats ratsNella Nella NeUa sat back shaking just per perceptibly perceptibly I Iceptlbly ceptlbly ceptibly I m asking too much of ofyou ofyou ofyou you I suppose It s meant such a alot alot alot lot to me having haVlng you people here hereas hereas hereas as if there is someone on my side sideat sideat sideat at hardlyknow last . . But after all you hardly know you7Georgine me do you you7 ? Georgine took a tight hold on herself onherself and gave Nella a creditable creditablesmile creditablesmile creditablesmile smile Nella Nella , , my dear , you ve let letyour letyour letyour your Imagination run away with withyou withyou withyou you Influenceit I Im 1m m afraid it its s my Influence , it s 8 fatal to have two cowardly wo- wo won1en women wo women - - men n1en in the same household You 11 11see 11see Usee see it U 11 Il be better when Todd and Barby andBarby and I are gone ' ' Don , t say that ' I cant can t let you leave leaveI youleave I ' don dontuwa But tuwa tuwat tuwaou you youU ou 11 have to ando and you don youdont youdon t want t to o make us sorryywe sorryywecame sorry we wecame ' ' , came Because Georgine rushed on Be- Be Be - - itseemed cause how could we feel It if it seemed andmade that we d upset you and made you lose control of your nerves yournerves7 yournerves ? It might affect your heart you heartyou know ' 'You You ' You ou |