Show 0 1 glaff D clerin I 1 W U XIII THE STORY THUS fari returning irom from i visit with dyke Aleff lanon wit lilu uncle todd mckinnon georgine wyeth and small daughter darby stopped to CHAPTER XIII then georgine Georg lne did ser scream eam over and over with the full power of her lungs she was beside the door fending the wall switch and clicking it up and down without result there were no lights anywhere there was however an answering stir from the other rooms startled voices were raised in response sponge re other light switches were jiggled with the same futility doors opened she saw todd first holding up the tiny flame of a cigarette lighter then mary helen blundering out of her room after seemingly falling over something mary helen had a flashlight and its dazzling circle swung about the upper hall nella peabody was standing at the jhb top of the stairs and horace came plunging into the hall just as the light reached him ashes gone barbas not in in her lied bed georgine Georg lne said half choking there any lights I 1 got up to I 1 find her todd was beside her supporting her with a steadying grip ashes f fallen a I 1 I 1 e n downstairs georgine said moving toward the opening no nella peabody told her 1 I was coming up slowly but I 1 thought I 1 saw or felt rither rather someone coming out of your room just now you get that torch todd inquired holding his lignier close to mary helens hand horace had vanished into the attic entry the hall was wa full of voices all crying out at once as the bedroom lights flashed on oil horace came out remarking competently main fuse was loosened just as maryhelen maryhelen gave a bewildered inspection spec tion to the flashily flashlight in her hand and answered why I 1 fen fell over it in my room it was lying on the floor it was barbas treasured possession over the babble her own small voice sounded fr from 0 m across the hall mamma 1 mam mamma m a where are you there was a noise im cold mamma she was on oh the chaise lounge in mary helens room trying to sit up 1 III I called and called when that noise came but I 1 make you hear for the e 1 longest onge st time mammal I 1 make any noise myself at all 1 I dont wonder georgine Georg lne said maternal calm falling on her like a cloak youre hoarse as a hoo my poor lamb come back into your dour own own bed todd put her in and tucked the blankets tightly about her she was wheezing and flushed 1 I know what happened georgine said in a low voice she got up by herself and then find her way back to her room b because e cause sh she e was half asleep again Ws its happened before you hear her come in mary helen she must have the thought aught your couch was her cot and just dropped onto it hear her good lord no mary helen said 1 I did think there was a kind of shuf somewhere in my dreams she giggled pleasantly but that must have been when the flashlight went down youre certainly a tender mother mrs wyeth imagine yelling like that because your kiddie in her crabl ill yell louder said georgine tartly if ashes in for another bout of asthmatic croup after getting chilled this afternoon after poon and again tonight but my dear said nella with an intent glance was that all that frightened you horaces voice covered hers damned queer about that fuse it was okay when we went to bed Is something going on or wo we ask what did you say nell about seeing someone P ho he stopped and turned his eyes away geor georginis Georgin gines cs lips had parted to c cry r out 44 yest there here was someone in my room it must have been one of you what did he want abut the words held themselves I 1 back she let her eyes travel from face to face meeting each look knowing or puzzled one of these three had been not ten minutes before whispering from the darkness of her room mamma barby said hoarsely 1 01 I cant breathe right she is going to be ill 11 said georgine despondently and turned into her bedroom todd who without waiting to dress fully had gone out with hor ace acce in tow now appeared with a load of supplies from the drugstore the te croup kettle was set up reside barbas cot and john crane said fix you up lip in no time young lun un you keep the young lady quiet mrs wyeth and in bed all day tomorrow I 1 and ill come in once or twice to make sure ashes all right he picked up hig is medical bag and looked vaguely around as it if to make sure he left anything todd who had been exercising his is gift for keeping out of the way when not wanted seemed to ma visit bin airs peabody Ie mrs airs peabody told them about the death ot of MID bliss Till sit they decided deviled to stay and they tallied talked with many different persons persona and decided that imort of the evidence serialize teri alize out of the shadows can you talk now georgine he murmured todd perched on the edge of the slipper chair inside herhalt open door hands in the pockets of his dark robe how like him georgine thought to be sleek and im maculate looking at three in the morning and looked at her with intent concerned eyes now my dear what really happened his questions were injected so quietly as scarcely to break the flow of her murmured mur muied narrative you hear barby get up yes probably what disturbed your sleep in the beginning it was some minutes maybe twenty after I 1 heard her when the other ocher sounds began and fideor five or ten more before I 1 heard Y you ou scream someone who made you think he was I 1 he repeated thoughtfully under his breath georgine drew her hand across her eyes it may not have been someone who meant harm to me I 1 dont know it just felt dangerous 11 it was I 1 todd said softly his jaw tightening 1 I shant leave you upstairs alone from now until the minute we can go I 1 leave you at all if I 1 had my way A bit difficult to manage dont you think but it was this afternoon that I 1 could really have mantled mangled I 1 you for giving me the tip about her and then going off about whom nella how could you todd maybe you thought she dare do anything openly but im sure shedrie sh she etrie tried d to drug me tonight she thought I 1 was fathoms under how she could dare come into my room openly probably she saw barby go out and wander into mary helens room and stay there and that was her chance 0 R 1 please tell me how much wait a minute minu tel todd said levelly what made you pick on nella not the case I 1 made out against her but dear heart hers was no more convincing than any of the others georgine gazed at him fled 1 I read the others you acanto mean to say he seemed to be struggling with amusement 1 I had to include udd her G georgine cor gine but if only read a bit farther havo have seen been that mary helen or horce horace or susie or the doctor might just as easily have been a murderer you should be flattered said nella at the luncheon table that the children are home for all their meals while youre here we are flattered indeed said todd expansively everyone smiled at everyone else and georgine fought down a wild impulse to laugh it funny she was sure of that there was a purpose in the continued presence of mary helen and horace and hows the kiddie mary helen inquired horace and I 1 were in to see her this morning and she looked so much brighter 1 I thought so too mrs peabody said when did you two find time to pay a call georgine asked casually oh while W hue you were down getting her breakfast seemed as if she might be lonely As if id been gone for hours georgine e thought fi 0 ia g h indignantly ashes quite happy alone she remarked markezin mark edin in a sweet tone right now ashes sitting up reading the alice that dyke gave her 1 1 oh that reminds me it if you dont mind illy my asking said nella diffidently w althere as there any interesting news from the sergeant pointed to gilbert airs peabodys ys hoi bus band now in the army however todd pointed out that any one ol of the relatives relative would have had find tho the chance to time haie aa e cured and given bliss po lyou news I 1 heard from him ne lla gave her a look of f bewilderment you find your letter letter it came by special delivery lost last night about nine I 1 aldna want to wake you so I 1 just tiptoed in and laid it on the desk why no nella said georgine Gc orgine slowly 1 I happen to find and it she could not anord afford to meet todds dodds eyes nor an y ones oh dear do you suppose that in the dark I 1 laid it down under something or missed the desk entirely you might have done ill look she gazed at her plate and ate steadily the letter could not have fallen to the floor for she had been all around those baseboards this morning tapping them A letter from dyke in her minds eye she saw a page in her own handwriting lying face upward on the carpet near the door it had borne the words how much did mary helen tell you barbas Bar bys going to get tired spelling out that story todd remarked 1 I wish we had something to give her for a change you any illustrated books nella or some old pictures that might have a story connected with them no im afraid not said mrs peabody unless you count those photograph albums theres one in the drawing room that ought to do he was waa beautifully c casual a s u a I 1 finished georgine we might have a look to see if it would interest her georgine went with him obediently there was method in this irrelevance she thought for one thing the folding doors cut kofl ones view of the stairs and any of the family could slip up to the sewood floor within the next few lew minutes he wanted them to have the opportunity these are fing fine specimens todd said turning the he pages of the plush album on the marble topped table he swung toward the door as it if to make sure his voice would be audible will you look at tho tb gentleman in the hand painted tiel tie and heres a family group on oil the front porch of this house lord kindol uncanny seeing the th old plaice place when it was gewand new and those trees were sell look real this must be miss till sit seems to me mrs labare had a larger copy of this same picture there was no answer to thes comments and todd glanced at al georgine then he strolled over tc a corner whatnot and picked up a small reading glass from one of its shelves see if you can find out what those pieces of jewelry were he murmured 1 I say mary helen said todd I 1 into the hall barbas Bar bya bys going tc drive us crazy asking what at all these rings and pendants pennants pend ants and whal whai not were that your great aunt had in her hei headey was that ring as ar amethyst mary helen on her way into lato th sitting room turned and came across t the he hall no topaz sh said interestedly bending over avei the album A great big one sh must have paid fifty dollars for it afi and those six stones on thal thai chin chain its a lile incongruous to see that one plain piece among all the baroque those were amethysts mary helen said 1 I never cared toi for them at alap all myself unless they were deep colored and these wera pale I 1 hate this kind of jewelry anyway it worth a tiling but they them seemed to like it in thili the nineties did anyone come coma up to see you dar darling lind while you were finishing your lunch I 1 1 I heard a compla people go into the bathroom said barby with frankness but I 1 see who Nob odys been even to this end ot of the hall mamma and im kind of tired of reading georgine closed the doors to the hall and opened the connect connecting ini one from her room to the sewing room she heard todd beginning a story about the gentleman fill the frock coat as she hurried over to the desk the manuscript lu aj she had expected was untouched it was just possible that the letter had fallen down behind tha th bed to be caught on a ledge avedge of thi th headboard but it had not shi felt perfectly sure what the mid night intruder had wanted thill the letter in answer to hers in which she had asked that innocent question which might have been interpreted by any one of three or 01 four persons as an ominous one and when the intruder had failed to find it had he attempted to do her bodily harm before she could read W it and here it ft was how very simple and how natural it looked the top drawer of the desk was open half an inch and the letter stood upright rIght against its front panel ap E if it had been bru brushed off the tor of the desk TOBB coNTo CONT nm roro |