Show 5 0 THREE SHUTTERED HOUSES By BEN AMES WILLIAMS SERVICE SYNOPSIS Driving home through a torrential rain oung young well well-to-do to do Clint picks up a girl scantily clad dad running in terror stricken flight down the road She rides a short ways leaves the car carand carand carand and runs Into the woods He decides to tot t talk lk to his de dear r friends Inspector Tope and Miss Moss about his adventure Clint still thinks of her as ns Miss Moss his former guardian though she and the Inspector arc married Clint having settled down now manages the JervIes estate himself In three shuttered houses all gloomy and forbidding on Kenesaw Hill near where Clint picked up the frightened girl lived three families In one house lived old Denman Hurder his r- r wife wiCe who had been Ella Eila Kenesaw and his daughter Kitty Leaford and her daughter June Living In a t second house was Aunt Evie Tame Uncle Justus and brothers Rab flab and lOd Asa The third held old Matthew Bowdon and his wife wiCe Living Liv ing on the estate was a n man known only to June as Uncle Jim Following their usual custom the three f families gathered In the Hurder home Saturday night Kitty Junes June's mother retired early with witha a headache She was given warm milk mU and Insisted on taking two sleeping tablets tablets tab tab- lets Jets one more than usuaL Strangely upset June slept fitfully and In the mIddle middle middle mid mId- dle of the night went In to see her moth moth- er Cr Her uncomfortable position warned June that her mother was not sleeping She was dead Panic stricken June ran from the room out the unlocked door and Into the storm to get Doctor Cabler It was here that Clint Jervies picked her up Clint tells his story to the Inspector Inspector In In- and Mrs Tope They communicate communicate cate with the police who arc are told by bythe bythe bythe the family doctor that Kitty Leaford died of an overdose of sleeping powders Clint and the Inspector are arc not satisfied and feel further investigation Is necessary sary When Clint and Tope drive back to Kenesaw hull Hill they find Inspector Heale Ch CHAPTER APTER V Continued V 5 Someone knocked on the door and he called an invitation Hello Doc he exclaimed then rising to tomake tomake tomake make introductions Tope this is Doctor Derrie our medical examiner examiner examiner exam exam- iner out here And this is Mr J Jervies Doc He gave Miss Leaford Leaford Lea- Lea ford lord a lift lifty on her way v to get Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- tor Cabler last night Doctor Derrie looked at Clint with witha a sidelong eye Ive just been talking talking talk talk- ing to Miss 1 Leaford he remarked He was not much older than Clint Where Clint asked on his feet instantly At the house the Medical Examiner Examiner Examiner Ex Ex- Ex- Ex explained I went up with Doctor Cabler She was the last one oneto oneto oneto to see her mother alive and she was the one to find Mrs Leaford dead So I had to talk to her The others nodded and Inspector Heale asked Find out anything Doc What do you think Doctor Derrie replied a little pompously Mrs Le Leaford ford had a headache when she went to bed and took some tablets he explained One of the acids he added like one who must be discreet discreet discreet dis dis- creet to protect his hearers Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc tor Cabler had furnished them to her herfor herfor herfor for a number of years Once before before before be be- fore she took three and was very ill Last night the he ne took two Miss Leaford prepared them for tor her Mrs Leaford was afraid of thunder and Doctor Cabler thinks that when she didn't go to sleep as quickly as she expected even with a double dose she got up and took the rest of her store of the tablets Certainly Certain Certain- ly the bottle they were in is gone They listened soberly and Inspector tor Heale asked Then you say it was an accident her own doing Doctor berrie Derrie hesitated and he lowered his eyelid wisely Accident Accident Accident Acci dent yes he said then I shall agree with Doctor Cabler that it was an accidental overdose He Hec c Oi added She had been dead for tor some time before her daughter found her Miss Leaford Clint prompted and Doctor Derrie explained Yes He smiled condescending condescending- ly When the storm broke she went in to make sure her mother was asleep and found her dead She tried to telephone and couldn't raise anyone and then the lights went ofT off and she lost her head ran down the road to get Cabler That was foolish and unnecessary of ot course as long as her mother was already dead but she claims she didn't stop to think of tha that t. t Maybe she didn't know Mrs Leaford was dead Tope suggested suggest suggest- ed but Derrie confidently shook his head She knew all right he ex ex- That was the first thing she said to Doctor Cabler that her mother was dead He and Mrs t Cabler got some clothes on her gave her some whisky took her home in the car He snapped his fingers Angers in a sort of amazement Mr and Mrs Hurder hadn't even waked up he explained When Cabler got there the front door was open the hall flooded with rain I 1 saw the light in the hall as I passed Clint remembered Doctor Derrie assented Miss Leaford said the front door blew open and the light went out while she was trying to telephone The light must have come on again after sh she left the house He rose Ill give them an accident verdict he said a little complacently Even if she meant it it an accident verdict verdict verdict ver ver- dict will be easier on ton Mr and Mrs Hurder Clint came to his feet impatiently Id like to see Miss Leaford he said Is she up there now to Doctor Derrie shook his head hend She went out before 1 I left ne nt told them Not a bad looking ig girl I saw her walking off oft through the woods behind the house as I came away Inspector Heale volunteered She does a lot of that walking around alone Then theres there's a man lives in there by the pond and she's pretty friendly with him Tope asked quickly Where By what pond Who is this man Why theres there's a sized good-sized pond on the Kenesaw land Heale explained ex ex- Its pretty in there There was some talk tails awhile back of opening opening opening open open- ing it up for tor house lots but they wont won't sell the land This fellow- fellow names name's has has built himself a cabin in in there How do we get to his place i Tope asked Heale explained You go back toward town till you jou come to mayers mayer's may Thay- ers er's garage garnge about two miles from here here Theres There's a path just this side Jt the garage goes right into the pond Thayer will show it to you He moved with them toward the Y I I H Mothers l dead she said simply door and he asked he-asked asked uneasily What are you after Tope It all aU looks plain enough to me Tope answered mildly Well I dont don't like questions unless I know the answers to them For instance did something happen to the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone circuit over the hill last night Did something happen to the electric current Did the most generally bolt their front door doer when they went to bed And why do folks like those people on the hill let some one squat on their land the way you say this does And how does it happen hes he's so friendly with Miss Leaford when she hasn't got any other othe friends And where did that bottle go Heale grinned and scratched his head and Doctor Derrie said in a sardonic anger I If youre you're trying to make a murder murder murder mur mur- der out of this I 1 can tell you where whereto to start Miss Leaford put her ber mother to bed gave her the dose She was the last one to see Mrs Leaford alive and the first to see her dead Begin with the girl That's the place to begin CHAPTER VI June Leaford loved her mother patiently and tenderly but there was something more an intangible Kitty Leaford whose latter days were such sad and dreary ones I had once been gay once she had known romance once for the sake I of love she had dared greatly Even June had seen sometimes the glint glinto o of shining armor in her eyes A single valorous action though it may fail and be punished endlessly does nevertheless in degree ennoble the soul end and Kitty Leaford had once done valiantly I But now Kitty Leaford Lenford was dead and June moved like a person in a nightmare Doctor Cabler had brought her home wrapped in hi his greatcoat bu but drenched and shivering shiver ing still and they found the door open the hall half halt They crept up the stairs like conspirators and so came into the room where the pitiless illumination of an electric bulb revealed this upon the bed Dr Cabler made his brief examination tion She Is la dead yes he said But ButI I dont don't think well we'll wake the old people people people peo peo- just now The middle of the night is a cruel time for bad news Ill I'll go next door and get Rab or Asa Asato to help me me- me But June said In a cool voice Mother wouldn't like that And without weakness or wavering wavering waver waver- ing mg she helped Doctor Cabler do what was required not till this was done would she permit him to sum summon moo mon anyone She did not know how long it was Defore Asa came to herGo herGo her Go to bed June he said Theres nothing to do here I 1 can cando cando cando do that nothing as well as 35 you I 1 wont won't sleep she told him Go along he Insisted To Tobed Tobed Tobed bed And she obeyed hi in n a silent sub- sub mission In her own room she realized realized real real- iz-cd iz that she was still drenched wet cold She changed into a dry nightgown and lay down She expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to stay sleepless till dawn da and in fact she did lie long enough awake to hear the Doctor return and hear Aunt Evie EWe In the hall Then she fell asleep and when she woke the sun was shining She opened her door and saw a strange man In a black coat go quietly into her mothers mother's room and shut thedoor the thedoor thedoor door behind him stairs Below-stairs when she descended all these kin of hers were gathered together Grandma Hurder was crying crying crying cry cry- ing quietly tears glistening g on her gray cheeks checks She sat er erectly in her chair June as she came downstairs downstairs down down- stairs heard Grandma Bowdon sayin sayin say sayin in a heavy anger Utterly inconsiderate incon incon- No other word describes it it And as June entered the room Aunt Evie remarked in hi her gentle whispering voice I was concerned about Kitty last night You remember she had a headache I know what it is to have headaches I have suffered myself and Kitty was sick with them really sick sometimes She continued In her pitiless soft tones Kitty resented life Ute so deep deep- ly And there was al always ays a rebel in her She would never be happy I am not surprised June stopped in hi the doorway incredulous incredulous incredulous in in- credulous and bewildered trying to understand the implication in hi their words Rab and Asa were in the room but they did not see June Grandpa Hurder was here in hi the hall walking ceaselessly up and down Then Uncle Justus came in through the kitchen and said something something something some some- thing about breakfast in hi the hollow voice of the deaf and Grandpa Hurder Hurder Hurder Hur Hur- der shouted into his ear Kittys dead Eh Eli said Uncle Justus Aunt Evie came swiftly past June and went to silence him and Grandma Grand Grand- ma Bowdon repeated in a grim anger anger anger an an- ger She was always selfish No consideration con con- June cried in passionate stifled anger Oh she strode swiftly into the room What do you mean she demanded What do you mean June said Grandma Bowdon severely Mind how you speak to me But Grandpa Hurder said sternly sternly stern stern- ly in the doorway Kitty was crucified crucified cruci cruci- fied fled There was the dignity of anger anger anger an an- ger in him In hi this moment Crucified Crucified Cruci Cruel fied fled he said Long ago June pressed her hands to her lips understanding what it was they thought She didn't She didn't she cried She turned to escape she went out through the front door But there was a garland of ribbons ribbons ribbons rib rib- bons on the doorknob so she returned returned returned re re- re- re turned indoors again Later she slipped out of the house this time by the side door so as not to see I that garland she moved directly away from the house into the tract of wooded land behind Here she could be alone There was a soi so sound nd d at some distance distance dis dis- dis tance and she raised her head without other movement to see what it was She saw Asa go quietly past a little way of oil among the trees and without seeing her alon alona along alonga a path that led to the bluff above the pond where Uncle Jim had his cabin it passed beyond down m to the highway near Thayer's filling And of course this was the way she took when she went to see Uncle Uncle Jim He would know how to comfort her She was deeply fond of Uncle Jim He was a big chuckling man with an amusing eye He lived alone in the cabin by the pond stayed there sometimes for months on end disappeared sometimes for as long He wrote absurdly poems When she came to the top of the knoll he was still asleep His cabin door was open and he woke when she darkened the doorway woke doorway woke and looked up and md said H Hullo ull 0 there youngster Hello Uncle Jim she said He sat up in yellow pajamas and rubbed his eyes You caught me napping he chuckled I was awake till dawn Writing a poem about a thunder sh She stood beside the cabin door her back against the logs looking down toward the pond while he dressed hurriedly in the cabin behind behind behind be be- hind her He talked steadily cheerfully cheerfully cheerfully cheer cheer- fully but she spoke not at all until Uncle Jim remarking her long si silence silence silence si- si lence said behind her Tongue tied this morning June What's the matter Mothers dead she said sim- sim ply Something dropped to the floor Inthe In hi hithe inthe the cabin and silence trembled there Then Uncle Jim cleared his throat Dead he whispered Yes she told him He came close to her shoulder Kitty Leaford dead he repeated in hi an incredulous tone She turned her head alertly There was a sound in hi the wood the sound of voices then footsteps coming she said He started to speak then stood silently sl- sl si silently beside her in the doorway and thus they faced the two men who climbed the trail A young man came In hi front and now the color flowed across Junes June's cheek and burned there for she she- knew him She looked past him quickly at his companion This was wasa a plump white haired old man who walked with a surprisingly alert step his hands swinging at his sides Uncle I Jim passed her and interposed interposed interposed inter inter- inter inter- posed himself between her and these newcomers and he said casually Hullo The young man extended his hand Im Clint Jervies he ex ex- ex- ex This is Mr Tope He turned to the girl Youre Miss Leaford arent aren't you She nodded slowly without words She was trembling Uncle Jim asked with narrowing eyes All right What of it And Clint said in swift friendly fashion Why you see I happened happened happened hap hap- i to be passing last night in time timeto to give Miss Leaford a lift And AndI I wanted to to-to to to make sure she was all right this morning I heard about your mother he added turning turning turning turn turn- ing toward June Im awfully sor sor- ry June felt the strength go out of her There was a bench built against the cabin front and she sat down as though her knees gave way Uncle Jim turned to her with a quick solicitude June Are you ill he whispered Are you all allright allright allright right Quite she said and tried to smile Let me rest a minute Her cheeks were drained white she seemed to droop forward He held her and Tope said fainting Mr Gl vere Put her head down |