Show THE LIFE OF T THE E PARTY PAR T Y BY ELIZABETH JORDAN S tin 0 D Ap appleon Appl ploton ton co ino ina CHAPTER V continued it 14 leaving the dead cat in my room was evidently an after inspiration hale went 0 on n thoughtfully it was the inspiration of someone who is making a determined effort to annoy me in all sorts of nasty ways whosoever is doing it want to hurt me at least not yet he may get round to that just now it looks like a fool effort to scare me off but when it comes to daisy weve got to admit that ashes been poisoned I 1 want to know why I 1 want to know who did it it would help me to understand a I 1 lot ot of things you want to understand a lot of things dont you craig asked smoothly 1 I do before I 1 get through I 1 shall their eyes met and held for a moment then craig smiled his thin upped lipped smile perhaps he said gently but you wont if you jump at conclusions the way you did this morning if I 1 were a malefactor in this household your findings on that episode would reassure me very much hale returned the smile then get what comfort out of it you can he said very delibe deliberately deliberated ratel Y he carried from the room an unpleasant memory of craigs raised eyebrows and inscrutable expression on the outer landing he stopped with a slight exclamation the mortal remains of daisy had disappeared he looked around carefully the cats body might have be been pushed off the landing and down the stairs during his brief but spirited combat with craig there was no sign of it now either on the staircase or on the floor below he tapped on the laboratory door pushed it partly open and put his head around the side craig was sitting exactly as he had left him the late lamented is no longer lying here in state hale reported what do you suppose has happened to her craig came to the door and looked around 1 I suppose someone carried her away he submitted but who did we heard no footsteps no dead march no sounds of lamentation your theory craig was again sin smiling ailing the smile irritated hale and at the same time sent a slight chill chili down his back so would that cobra have smiled if cobras cabras could smile having eight lives left I 1 suppose daisy got up and went about her business hale said curtly hale felt sore both physically and mentally as he descended the laboratory staircase and returned to his own room aunt hosanna greeted his return to the camp with hospitable warmth mrs spencer forbes was openly enthusiastic bert gave him a perfunctory nod and did not speak at all during luncheon hale was shocked by the young mans condition every muscle in his face seemed twitching and his eyes w were ere those of a tortured animal hales lips set with herbert kneeland matters were certainly ampro approaching aching a crisis crisis toan joan Kne elands manner was noncommittal but she gave rex a th thrill rill after luncheon they were on the front sun porch seated in the ha hammock in side by side smoking and nd drinking their coffee disco discovering vering that they were out of hearing by the others joan spoke in a low tone im glad youre back she said im glad youre glad hales tone was matter of fact but his heart had jumped 1 I was sorry when you went yesterday morning I 1 really hated to see you go this was rather overwhelming if mrs spencer forbes had said it rex would have made some airy reply now he merely looked into joan Kne elands eyes which had deep circles under them today and waited wailed he knew there was something coming and that it would not be sentimental you see joan went on in the same low voice 1 was afraid 0 hale held her eyes I 1 afraid joan what of 1 I dont know the worst of it I 1 suppose its merely tired nerves doctor craig keeps telling me it is anyway im afraid ol of something all the time I 1 was in a panic yesterday evening last night she stopped yes hale prompted gently y what about last night 1 I suppose I 1 had a nightmare 1 I what sort of a nightmare 1 I thought there was someone ir in my room someone horrible I 1 had hac been awfully wakeful and algid edgy I 1 it had taken me a long time to fall fal as asleep leep but I 1 finally fin ally did then I 1 seemed to wake suddenly the roo roon m was dark but there was a little just enough to show me m a figure and the face it was a horrible face she repeated and shuddered familiar in a way but awful I 1 tried to scream I 1 it vanished when I 1 sat up it was one of those dreams where you know just where you are I 1 could see clearly the furniture in my room I 1 saw the door open and close there is always a night light in the hall I 1 was sure then I 1 was awake but today im just as sure it was a dream it must have been cant you tell me who was in the dream no I 1 dont really know it had a resemblance to someone she stopped cant you even tell me who it looked like no for im not sure it have lave been 2 she broke off abruptly im talking like a fool you know know at least whether you were dreaming of a man or a woman rex persisted persist cd no I 1 dont it had on a bathrobe or r a dressing gown it was large and shapeless and shadowy all but that face which was so terrible and so close to me it was either bending over me or bending over the little table at the head of every muscle in his face seemed twitching my bed there was a line of moonlight across the room I 1 noticed that after the door had closed I 1 was certainly awake then what did you do 1 I got up and locked the door you dont mean you leave your door unlocked at night not always but I 1 must have done it last night I 1 cant remember what did you do then 1 I went back to bed what else could I 1 do her voice shook on the words at the sound hale felt his heart turn to water if you had been in the house she went on 1 11 I think id have crossed the hall and waked you she awakened young kneeland or craig or even her uncle hales heart beat faster then she spoiled the effect of it au all uncle cass said I 1 could trust you she brought out it was a douche of cold water wate it was to the amateur detective she was ap pealing appealing then and not to the man the rainbow that had arched across hales sky only a moment before faded to a dull gray he said only ill do anything I 1 can for you at any time it was a banal ending to a singularly exciting five minute chat he gave some thought to that nightmare he was sure it was only a nightmare why should anyone go into joans room at that hour what should anyone want there who would take the big risk of of being discovered there yes of course it was a nightmare but joan would keep her door locked hereafter and he himself would redouble his watchfulness he had much to think of that afternoon and evening no comment was made by anyone on dabsys tragic end banks and rose went about their work as usual to hale both seemed rather subdued lite life had soft pedaled their music he was not in a mood for mrs sp spencer en forbes chatter he went for a walk in the woods corning coming out in the clearing that held mrs nases camp he made one of his freau frequent ent informal calls on that hospitable lady today mrs nash gave hale iced tea and mentioned a barn dance she had attended the night before he told her he had seen a new comedy in new york and they talked about that then he made a casual remark 1 I suppose you know daisy is no more he said the effect of n the simple state the woman ment was surprising turned white what happened she asked almost in a whisper hale answered with matter of fact directness 1 I dont know when she died he explained she was very dead when I 1 found her in my room this noon you found her in your room mrs nash seemed unable to believe this yes she was there when I 1 got back from new york its very evident there is someone at halcyon camp who want me there ive b been een subjected to anno annoyances annoyance yanc es and even threats ts ever since I 1 came I 1 dont take them seriously but he shrugged 1 I suppose whoever is back of it all thought a poisoned cat would be an unpleasant thing to find in ones room it was she was poisoned then mrs nash thought a moment and added slowly she would be hale leaned forward mrs nash why would she be helen nash shook her head 1 I dont know anything I 1 suspect things what do you suspect 1 I speak of it I 1 have no proofs I 1 any real e evi v dence but im beginning to suspect that theres at least 0 one person eperson at halcyon camp who wont stop at anything hale nodded gloomily im considering that possibility too 30 his companion hesitated then brought out a question how about bert hales eyes dropped yes he repeated slowly how about bert erell 1 I admit im a bit in the air about bert mrs nash confessed hes a young fellow at the end of his tether theres got to be a reason for that it appear that he needs money monek rex suggested hell have all his father has he will have to wait a long iong time for it dont forget that casper cas kneeland is in the prime of life he may live to be eig eighty lity besides be ides he has the reputation reputation of being be ing very close in some wa ways y s youve noticed that and heard of it perhaps he has the oddest attacks of economy too he lives like a prince in some ways but he has most of his wet goods and groceries shipped from a bargain bar 9 ain store in new york because our local prices are too high the result of course is ia that the local tradesmen hate hale him on the other hand he gives generously to our churches and our local charities he is full of the oddest contradictions she went on he I 1 gave bert a five thousand dollar mo tor boat last year he let him spend over a thousand this year fixing up a laboratory for doctor craig yet he give the boy a decent allowance wilbur says that bert often has to borrow a few dollars from him because hes so short of cash 1 I seen uncle cass for years till I 1 turned up this summer there was nothing close about him when I 1 was a kid hale was recalling his agreement with kneeland he was getting his board his room and a hundred dollars a month james banks was probably receiving as much A hundred dol lars a month was not a liberal salary even in depression times for an experienced young civil engineer who had been earning ten thousand a year but he was not engineering now and he was glad to have that hundred dollars a month and his comfortable quarters at the camp in return for them however he was acting as secretary amateur sleuth and game leader the reflection reminded him that he had been neglecting his social duties he got up to go im supposed to lead the gaieties at halcyon camp he confessed it takes some doing there much operation cooperation co tonight I 1 must brighten the dinner table and start them off later in the evening with jerusalem or drop the hand j kerchief A man came around the side of the house and waved a panama hat at mrs nash she greeted him as a brother and introduced him to hale as doctor nicholas crosby she added that he had a camp two miles further up the shore hale sat down again for a few minutes and studied crosby with interest he had heard of him crosby dropped into a chair accepted ice tea and took rex in with a clear wide eyed glance youre with kneeland he said nephew or something arent you godson just now secretary and general utility man crosby lit a cigarette and relaxed comfortably 1 I used to know the Kne elands well he remarked in fact I 1 attended mrs kneeland in her final illness since then I 1 seen much of them but I 1 assist the poor woman out of the world as one might suspect from Kne elands manner toward me since she died in fact I 1 took pains to have several specialists on the case with me to share the responsibility it was all pretty tragic though ive no doubt the real explanation of Kne elands manner is that he want to be reminded of it by seeing me around 1 I know rex commented she died insane uncle cass told me that yes she had a case of puerperal insanity puerperal insanity rex mused aloud I 1 once knew about a case of that kind the mother of a friend of mine she died too just what does it mean doctor 1 I dont know anything aching about your friend crosby said good humored ly in poor mrs Kne elands case it meant that a middle aged woman who was passing through the menopause tried cd to have a baby the child was bor born dead unfortunate complications developed the P patient a lost her mind as you would put 11 it and eventually died TO BE CONTINUED |