Show THE GARLAND TIMES TORT THCI TAR TBS “Alicia has booa murdered The all aver Pleaiant Grave la Late la Ihe afternoon Tom mlaatee topeeLby te jet milk aad they talked death Meg ebontrkUcla’a ai apaet ead taivelaa tartly Tom pot hie armi areoad her aad called her '‘darUaf aad her father cat That evening Meg looking at each ether each remember-tn- f that the ether war oat late the eight MDld yea do ItT” eho hefere Really aiked "No —did yooT" She ai ateoeed Jim MaeTavIsh loggeeted they make a targala: "Too forget that I was oat of Ihe houie — I'D forget yoa were trystlng with Tom ralloa" hot Udo of covered Meg RefMiM Story u CHAPTER XI She caught her breath and could pot believe she had spoken though the words seemed to quiver In letHer faters of fire between them ther stiffened with a little Jerk His face was white and hard and his eyes were veiled so that she could not guess his thoughts For moment that seemed a century long his eyes met hers and then he said very softly "No my dear — did you?" "Father I” It was a shocked incredulous gasp that came scarcely "How —how can above her breath you even — think—” Her father lifted his shoulders in gesture that was not quite a shrug drawled coolly "Why not? You seemed perfectly willing to believe I had I” “Oh no Dad" In that breathless moment the endearing diminutive "I came easily from her tongue didn’t think you had— I couldn’t ever believe you had—’’ "Yet you put the question very easily” he reminded her dryly "It — it was only that I heard you come in last night — a little after one — ” "A few minutes after you came In if I remember” said her father calmly his eyes never leaving her white ravaged face "Suppose we make a bargain my dear Megan” Her father’s voice came softly scarcely above a whisper in the tone of one conspirator to another “A — a bargain Father?” she managed faintly He nodded "You forget that I was out of the house— I’ll forget that you were — er — trystlng with Tom Fallon on the Ridge” he said in that gentle yet somehow terrifying drawl A hot tide of crimson poured over her face and reached from the collar of her neat cotton print frock to the very roots of her hair “I wasn’t — trystlng with Tom Fallon!” Her mouth twisted with distaste at the thought and the impl- "But that’i perjury” ahe faintly Her lather! face darkened an"Don’t be an idlotl grily You did not kill her Neither did L So what possible difference can It make —if nobody knows that we went for a walk? I’m absolutely positive that I wasn't seen I feel equally aura you were not So where’a the harm if we protect ourselves in a situation that could easily become very unpleasant?” She hesitated end he said quietly "Because If it become Megan known that you and I were not In bed and asleep — that you were out on the Ridge with Fallon —It’s not only going to be extremely unpleasant for you but it's going to finish him one and for alL He’ll never be able to get another Job at a teacher no matter how Innocent and accidental your meeting was Peolittle Alicia’s ple will remember thrust about' your spending ‘hours on the Ridge’ and people together are good at adding two and two and getting six or seven" "Where were Megan said quietly you Father?” ication "But you did meet him there —” "Purely by accident!" she flashed "I beHer father smiled thinly lieve you my dear— though I am a little doubtful as to whether other necif ever it would became people essary for other people to know of that — er — accidental meeting” She put her face in her hands for a moment and her father watched her with a curious tensity "But of course I can see no reason why anyone save the two of us should know anything about it” he if my went on smoothly "Surely daughter and I wish to go for a walk In the fresh night air it is nobody’s business but our own Unfortunately in a murder investigation a great many seemingly unrelated facts come out Of course there’s no likelihood that we should be In any way connected with this terrible affair Neither of us had any motive to want Alicia out of the way — that is I had none I hoped to marry her!” She stared at him caught by some And after a odd note in his voice moment he answered the look in her eyes “Of course if it should become known that you were violently opposed to me marrying her that you resented the thought of having her here In the house and had been unable to persuade me to give up my plana to marry her— well — ” Once again he lifted his shoulders in that gesture that was not quite a shrug but that was an effective dismissal Megan drew a long hard breath "You know I couldn’t possibly have — ” She set her breath against the sob that clutched at her throat “Of course my dear— I know that you are completely incapable of any such deed of violence!’’ her father assured her and there was a warmth that was very close to tenderness in his voice "But it wont be what I know that will count Mega — it will be what we can prove —or disprove!” He let her sit huddled in a heap for a moment as though to think that over And then he said quietly ‘That’s why I say there is no reason why anyone should be told that you and I were out of the house not togeth—though unfortunately er—for several hours last night!” "Whom did you think I’d be likely to tell?" she asked him huskily after a moment in which she fought so that to pull herself together speech was at all possible of "There will be an Inquest course" he reminded her "Undoubtedly we as heT closest neighbors — and I suppose her closest actestiquaintances— will be called to And if we simply say that we fy want to bed a little after ten—” 1 But Megan did not hav to call Laurence for at about four o’clock ha cams down th road and turned In at the gate grinning at her warmly and happily "I came over with the coroner and soma of the county officers” he told her cheerfully dropping down on the teps at her feet and baring his head to the soft wind “Pleasant Grove’ certainly getting her name in the There was a newspaper papers for one of the Atlanta correspondent papers at the Inquest” Megan asked after a moment “What— what did the inquest find — ” "Death by means of a sharp instrument at the hands of a party or parties unknown” answered Laurence looking up at her white drawn face with surprise "Oh look here darling I had no idea you were such a close friend of hers" — "I wasn’t really” admitted Me“But— I knew her and —it’a gan been a shock — ” “Of course” said Larry gently He took her hand in his and held it closely “We won’t talk about it—” “Yes!” said Megan so sharply that Laurence turned surprised eyes upon her Megan managed a faint smile and said T — I really want to know— whatever they could learn — ” “Well It wasn’t much" aald Laurence “No trace of the weapon a knife or a dagger of some sort No trace of robbery or anything of that kind The girl at the bank said ah inhad cashed her usual monthly come check for fifty dollars a few days ago and her purse was found with more than thirty dollars in tt They feel sure that if ahe had surprised a burglar at work he would not have left th purse They believe that she was killed by someone he knew— or at least someone aha was not afraid of There were no signs of a struggle In the place” Megan sat very still her hands locked tightly in her lap Killed by someone she knewl Someone she was not afraid of! “There was one sensation” said Laurence after a moment not looking at Megan Hia eyes were on the garden where despite th fact that it was almost Christmas a few late zinnias and marigolds were still In bloom and the chrysanthemums were great shaggy things of glowing “That was when the telebeauty gram from her husband arrived — ’’ "Her — husband?” she repeated In- talk He eat very still for a moment his eyes clinging to hers and ahe to ha scarcely seemed thought breathe And then he said casually “I went for a walk” And as proof that he had had hia say on the subject and no intention he got up and of speaking again left the room that her faShe couldn’t oeliev It ther had killed Alicia Stevenson was an Incredible thought but be had been out of the house end be was very anxious that no one should And she thought know about that of herself and Tom Fallon on the Ridge And then she remembered hie face tonight and the tone of his voice when that little word "darling” had slipped out — the look in his Wisconsin aad IndMore than FARMERS TAKE TO AIR Michigan flying farmer from Illinois to fly to Lafayette Ind to attend the first annual flying farmers’ iana left their tractors and combines field day at Purdue university and to prove that the airplane will play an Important part In Midwest The new group which han 1056 members watched demonstrations agriculture price decontrol BOARD Future price control will rest with a DECONTROL board Recently named to the board by President Truman are left to right: Daniel W Bell WashingNew Orleans Federal Land Bank of the treasury Roy L Thompson ton D C former undersecretary chairman and George H Mend Dayton Ohio former chairman of the industrial advisory president board under the NBA and member of advisory board of Office of War Mobilization credulously eyes naked and poignant and unthe warmth and tenderashamed ness in his shaken voice that had been like a shining garment wrapped about her chilled body "Oh no—no—I won’t 'hav it like that! I won’t be in love with him— I she wailed won’tl” deep in her stricken mind But her frightened heart went relentlessly on "You You can’t atop can’t help it! You didn’t ask for it— but you can never deny it! He knows It too— he feels as you do— you saw It in his eyes heard it in his voice tonight You love him and he love you— end he hat a wife who has a greeter claim on him than if there were Your love can never nevchildren er mean anything except heartbreak You know that— and but you can’t atop loving him! Any more than you can atop breathing! " The Inquest was held the following afternoon in the rickety nondescript little frame building where th Draft Board met and it seemed that except for the tew bedridden In the town everybody wa there that Is except Megan Everybody For contrary to and her father Jlm’a uneasy fear neither he nor Megan had been called to appear Little Betty Hendrix Bill Logan Stuart and a few of the others Mr who had been first on the scene had Megan did not quite been called know whether to be more relieved or more frightened that neither she nor her father had received orders But she had firmly to appear declined Mrs Stuart’s hearty Invitation that she go anyway Megan made herself keep busy throughout a day that seemed ageWhen Annie put midday dinlong ner beside Megan and asked a faint uneasiness in her voice ’’Miss U Mist’ Larry cornin’ tomorrow Laurence nodded ‘That seemed as much of a shock to everybody there as it Is to you” he told her a “But it seems that when the were going through her papers yesterday they found that aha had a husband and that ha was the one who was sending her fifty dollars a month They wired him and the answer was brought to the inquest is The husband this afternoon In the west but he’s somewhere east to claim tha body Should ba here tomorrow or next day they it thought” "But she was a widow!” Megan protested dazedly "Apparently not" aald Laurence Annie appeared belooking up hind the screen door that led Into the balL "Hello Annie— how about putting another plate on th table and letting me stay for supper?” Mist Larry— us abo be "Yessuh glad to” she assured him beaming " ’Scuse and then asked uneasily me suh — but could I talk to yo’ —fo’ a few minutes?” Laurence looked surprised but got to his feet "Of course Annie— don’t tell me you want to divorce Amos after all excusing these years!” he laughed himself to Megan as he moved towards the screen door which Annie held open for him "I ain’t suah Mist Larr dat I ain’t gwlne git rid o’ dat ahlTless no’ count nigger aho’ nuff!” aha asahe led the way sured him darkly to tha kitchen got up from the chair Megan taere ahe had been sitting for more In the late afterthan an hour noon th sunlight had been warm and pleasant here but with the coming of dusk a chill little wind got up and tiptoed through the tfeea and ahe went into the living room where she built up th fire making tt brisk and cheerfuL night?” ”1 suppose so Annie” Megan answered and quivered a little inside et te thought of facing Laurence UTAH with the thing that was in her heart the thing that had been there — who could lay bow long?— but whose presence she bad not discovered until under th shock of Alicia’ death T like to talk to him Miss Meggie —ef yo’ think he aln’ cornin’ anyhow how ’bout yo’ calling him up and askin’ him to? So I could talk and to him?” Annie was portentous Megan Jerked out of her unhappy abstraction by Annie’s tone looked up at her curiously "Why Annie what’s wrong? Why do you want to talk to Mr Larry?" aha asked puzzled Annie drew herself up a little and there was a gentle yet Implacable dignity about her as she said firmly "It’s a private matteh Miss Meggie —but it’a powahful important Yo’ call him fo’ me?” ‘Tee of course Annie’’ Megan answered and Annie thanked her and went out of the room padding softly in the heelless felt slippers that aha wore to “ease” her feet and " ’Scuse me sub — but could te yo’— fo’ a few minutes?" GARLAND j (TO RC CONTINUID) i n When Richard AND NOW EYE CROPPER Doctors fighting to was born in 1943 he weighed Just 24 ounces as shown save the life of the tiny mite fed him with an at left He was kept In an incubator Today Richard Is a strapping muscles young man of 40 pounds of sturdy body and Full war on ragweed BAITING FOR HAY FEVER SUFFERERS was which la blamed for most of the miseries of hay fever victims opened in Brooklyn as a campaign got underway to eradicate the weed In vacant lota Photo shows city employees spraying a luxurious growth In six to of the petty weeds with a herbicide dlchlorophenoxyacetlc eight weeks treated plants die from a 01 per cent solution of spraying Complete control of ragweed U now possible REGAINED MEMORY AND RIGHTS Rajah Kumar Roy of India Narayan who was believed to have died and been burned on funeral pyre 12 years later regained hia memory and wan awarded his property rights He reported that rain had put out the fire and brought him out of coma and that for beggar years he wandered an over India The Lord Privy council now has ruled that ho Is the rightful owner of a huge estate with a yearly Income t TOTATO BLOSSOM QUEEN Van Boren Miss Yvette Gagne was who Me chosen from tome 15 qneen candidates and Maine potato blossom crowned qneen by Gev Horaee Hildreth during festival at Boulton Maine |