Show gy BV beai WILLIAMS lerv seeking to sober ober up 8 W 1 lioyd on the way 11 him and at sla slaps iv party P policeman 0 of a 11 ks down As s he ar r knocks enoc brace of If harvard arvard sand lofessor acue and drives 13 carbara arbara they see barbaras away way of his ats hrom the direction from h ho home hut but when he ha gets and that he hea t s 1113 U a bridge it at the club next ports h is onice has haa been former te tern m as wines iriss w ng killed the everil evening y yee confirm the story and r it hard mary elder with nell kell ROY ray young lo 10 ov hospital where she works work ner at gus cus lorans lorana sen with wr Loril lorana ns brother mr and mrs sentry call ent entry and nar barbara bars alo alone no fisher rig er reporter wh who a ad fo to talk phil ph sentry son eon disturbed at the possible nd suspicion of miss wines her rooms for three d day 0 Ys t lie he goes home to he help lp ested and booked for mur sher explains ill the e e evidence 1 that the robbe robbery ry was a B opened by one who knew tion changed since miss ament there that a back duplicate of Sent rys was girls girl s purse and that sen sell been ten away those three days day race calls and backs up ier er denial that sentry could because of the discrepancy ten the tie slaying and their i on the road phil show e over the house finds his reed open and his gun ill his father knew new of g gone one the he police ind find the stolen ed in the furnace mrs her husband nd w who ho swears e and t tells ila her he had e robbery and murder the but failed to call the feama me home at 1230 mary th nell ray hay and runs away i endle to the caribbean 13 ened through broke and lied led upon the hearth phil m back into place again Iscra bly its funny to everybody wo we know is out us right now while rig ing here ild id be surprised ean even the newspapers will know a reporter named e C asked barb says hes joes joels a princeton man 1 I ok her head no I 1 so and she said quick I 1 t reporters awfully clev nes es maybe ho he could help id out new evidence or 11 I 1 guess theres too much aready 11 ou I 1 dont bo be father did it phil no lat hot they say someone t have and she said in ss is urance you and B bar ar mr air fisher and I 1 will all a it er r and see what we can stoutly no lin not elps aps a lot to talk t to 0 you t let you got get mixed d up in ready eady in it phill im in youre oure in I 1 always have ays ys will be e d a at her and suddenly hat he saw in her eyes im going to take you said he chuckled bet realizing just how big a i are to be I 1 dont have to go yes you do and he ha im sort of like a nick alck I 1 well I 1 want to be deded assenting under she had walked over home not tar far away he ack with her through the night a halt moon bright he 0 almost naked branches ees ces she huddled in her rm ti coat the collar high in her deep pockets and i beside her at a swinging that at their blood ran taster faster air drenched their lungs e to her home without ind and he be stopped at the toot foot pa P hl his head bare dolight night lin he said w r cc coming ing her eyes brimming poor 8 0 whispered 1 I wish I 1 D bavel avell more ore I 1 in morel orel she whis miling hag through her tears no 0 o idea phill I 1 want to a cl close ose like ababa a baby and you youre such ta little n h a dear boy 01 tin ned 1 youre not ot so big lin I 1 grenough NR enough she promised ly hearts awful big its 9 me ane 1 the best fril rland nd a fellow d than that 11 ae lisl s t love you sweet kid I 1 love you tool too s ed ja her a as s he might have arbar 1 and she d he clung B to sald therel I ive ve got v t M mother and barbara are arc back with you she of buckled jc klel that t could go on an i he pointed 0 out ut alta and she antly S you did I 1 knew ew 0 night leht phil all home straight arid y g how sweet she was wag just a kid no older than barbara when ho he approached tho the house he taw saw a light still in ills his mothers mo illers bedroom and upstairs he went quietly in to speak to her As he opened the bedroom door she signed to him tor for silence and he saw barbara asleep in his fathers bed her check tear stained her soft hair loose around her hend head looking very young like a child lie ile bent to whisper to his mother and mrs sentry said very softly donk wako wake her ashes worn out youre all right are you she was so furious at mary and terrified and desperate I 1 had a time with her so I 1 kept her here beside me ive been waiting to hear you come upstairs youve got a job on your hands mother taking care ot of barb and me ile he saw her eyes soft at his word gratefully and ho he thought how wise linda had been mind if I 1 leave our doors open he asked so I 1 can call to you if I 1 chave have bad dreams of course not phil call me II if you need me 1 I need you all the time mother sho she hold held him close her arms straining she surrendered for a moment to her love for him and she whispered oh phil phill and she said but philae let barbara knowl barbara stirred in her sleep murmuring and mrs sentry released her son and phil tiptoed away she thought alone in the darkness if 11 I 1 had known how bow tonight I 1 might have helped mary might have saved her and I 1 must take care of phil and barbara young young I 1 they need me so and she thought I 1 must be wise she thought like a prayer with a humility new and strange to her oh please help me be CHAPTER VI mrs sentry knew in her heart that her husband was guilty the tact fact that he had lied to her that night when she asked him what time it was might not in itself have been enough to convince her but she had a deeper certainty she remembered in retrospect so many clr cir cum curn stances meaningless in themselves at the time that now assumed a damning relevance any ally husband and wife whose days and nights for twenty odd years are spent together do corns come to be akin do come so close to one another that thoughts are shared one speaks out of silence of a certain thing the other answers 1 I was just about to say that myself how st strange rangel so looking back remembering the jewel on her birthday in september remembering his constraint these last few weeks remembering mem bering as women will in moments of distress and hurt and anger that wrong he had done her twenty years ago she knew ile he was a murderer and mary knew and made the more vulnerable by the very standards which had kept her head so high the collapse of her life was complete defiantly as a child which Is hurt whishes to wound others in turn she had cast herself away and phil knew and even grandmother sentry had refused to let her love for her son blind her to the probability of his guilt thus of those who had been closest to mr sentry there was waa left only barbara enough a child to have a childs trust and to say despite the worlds opinion no he did not do it noll nol she had seen him come home before the hour when miss wines was assumed to have been killed on this peg she hung her loyal faith it was dean hare who without intention n shook her ile he came to the aze house next morning to consult mrs sentry about plans for mr Sent rys defense you know of course he said that the grand jury voted an indictment we had to expect that so there will be a trial yes how soon well the state will want time to prepare its case he looked at her hesitantly 1 I want to talk to you about a lawyer he said 1 I thought of mr lies hes an able trial lawyer but he has never handled criminal bri minal cases nevertheless it we could have had him I 1 she asked you wont be ab able le I 1 to do it yourself there was no accusation cusa tion in her tones only regret 1 I had hoped you might you were arthurs she checked herself and changed the tense of the verb you are arthurs friend that be fair to him he ie said 1 I do very little trial work ellen allen and no criminal crim insil work at all will you speak to mr brownin shield shi eld he coughed im 30 sorry rry I 1 have I 1 done so he is too busy to take the case for a moment silent she thought mr made m ade excuses but really he refused because he be thinks arthur is guilty guilt y probably ho he told dean so and dean Is sorry for me trying to spare me pitying me strange to be pitied I 1 never needed pity before I 1 will not be pitied let me speak strongly and her tones were steady almost casual as she asked nam ing other lawyers among ther friends who then mr daven port mr air reese she knew them both bot hable able respected men oh they dont do trial work not in criminal cases you must have someone in mind 1 I thought of falkman Fal kran lies a good jury lawyer 1 I dont think I 1 ever heard of him ps she suggested with a cold politeness Ilten lit eness ess there some one of our friends ile ho said slowly well criminal law isa Is a field by itself im afraid dut but falkman has been successful in that field and ho he proposed suppose I 1 bring him to see you very well do she assented thinking tho the man Is probably a shyster of tho the worst type but dean would not recommend him it if there were any better way if mr falk ran will only believe in arthurs innocence no cence I 1 can accept himo him even if 11 I 1 dont like him if he will save j arthur she heard steps on the stairs and barbara came in hesitant for a moment then valorously valorous li cheerful oh hello mr air haret she said 1 I know you were here hows howa father tie ile sent a lot ot of messages to you all when can I 1 see blin soon now hell be in more comfortable quarters why she asked puzzled move hirn him to tho the county jail mr hare explained ohl her color faded and she confessed 1 I thought for a moment you meant he was coming home mrs sentry said not right away barbara you see hes been indicted 1 I know she assented she appealed to mr air hare does that mean he has to be tried unless the district attorney no nol presses the case her eyes lighted her tone quickened the district attorney mr flood does that mean he can let father go hare shook his head ile ho cant do that barbara unless hes sure your father Is innocent but father idill she cried and mr flood knows it I 1 told himl him I 1 you see I 1 saw father come home that night just before one and miss wines killed till after one dean hare looked quickly at mrs sentry remembering that the had told him arthur was wag at home at quarter past eleven she shook her head warning him to silence beseeching see ching him to protect barbaras faith in her father and saw his pupils dilate and thought ile he knows now that I 1 know and she closed her eyes so that he might not read them then barbara asked insistently that so hare said reluctantly well as a matter of fact barbara not sure about the time theres some evidence which suggests that she may have been shot earlier barbara paled but then she protested just the same mr floods a friend of fat fathers hersl ile he must do his duty barbara cried desperately well I 1 dont carat care I 1 her voice broke 1 I want my father to come homel dean hare rose 1 I must go he said hurriedly ill bring mr falkman to see you then mrs sentry went with him to the door leaving barbara alone in the living room and phil c amo down tile the stairs as they stood in the hall and mrs sentry said go to bar barn phil ho fie obeyed her and when tho the door was closed behind dean hare flare she stood with her shoulders against it thinking in a an n inconsequent fashion as though thi this 9 somehow typified till all tile the tragic confusion into which their lives had h ad fallen that now arthur would bo be in the jail and she did not even know where the jill jail was then wearily she turned back into the living room whatever happened the children needed her she found barbara sitting very still in a big chair there and tho the girls hands clasped the arms of 0 the chair so hard that her knuckles were white phil was beside her whispering some reassurance but barbara was like stone and phil looked at his mother appealingly helplessly helpless lyo she tried to muster a tone of cheerful confidence well sho she said its a relief to be doing some thing planning something dean barbara said Mo mother therl aro are you going to I 1 let e t M mr r I 1 hare 1 are b be 0 f fathers a th e r 8 lawyer mrs sentry began PT theres heres a mr falkman Fal kran 11 but the girl cut in because you you mother mr hare thinks father killed her I 1 know he does I 1 phil said gently now dont don t bo be that way barb youre just strung up and worried and tired mr hare nobody thinks that barbara its just what they call a prima facie facia case they have to have a trial but not oven even mr flood barbara demanded do you beneve believe he ha did it phil of course not do you mother mrs sentry even smiled barbaral barbara I 1 after all im his wife wife you know but do you dont be barbara came storming to tier her feet shaking trembling sho she cried pitifully mother you dont do you Pl please easel I 1 and mrs sentry said of course not child 1 mary didt or she havo have run away barbara cried pitifully oh tell me the truth mother philla and phil said in a great voice barb darling we know he do it he we all know tharl barbara held ills his eyes then why we all been to see him instead of just mother hell think weve deserted him mrs sentry answered mr hare advised the girl cried furiously mr harel well im going to see father right bowl so heu hell know that someone but in the end she did not go it was phil who persuaded her to stay at homo home while he and mrs sentry went that afternoon but she sent her father many messages phil and mrs sentry stayed not long with mr sentry phil was shocked to see the change in his father the older mans very voice was altered was husky and hoarse as though from long disuse and he said little he thanked them almost humbly for coming he sold said over and over ellen you know I 1 do it and she said of course arthur and she told him mr hares proposal that falkman be enlisted d as defense counsel hes a good defense lawyer mr sentry assented and after that there seemed no more to say mrs sentry was perfectly composed when she bade her husband goodby but aen when she and phil i had left the jail she trembled uncontrollably TO BE CONTINUED |