Show 12 n 1 amu cr I 1 lan IDS 4 L cl loa ah copyright by den amu ame bg b g aen zen ames williams illiams lU lal L SYNOPSIS at a gathering in the tha village of ft lib orty arty maine jim saladine Salad lne listens to the history of 0 tho the neighboring hostile valley and the mysterious en ing elul huldy tic wife of will ferrin interested he be drives to the valley for or a days fishing and to see the glamorous clamorous huldy ferrin old marm alarm pierce and her nineteen year old granddaughter jenny live in the valley since childhood jenny has deeply loved young will ferrin older than she and mho ho regards her as still a child will vill leaves to take employment in augusta ills his fathers death brings him back to tile valley but he returns to augusta still unconscious of jennys womanhood and love bart carey something of 0 a neer dowell do well Is attracted by jenny the SM girl repulses him definitely learning that will Is coming home jenny exulting sets his long empty house to rights and hits has dinner read ready for him lie ho comes bringing his wife wife huldy hudy the girls world collapses huldy be comas the subject of unfavorable gossip in the valley entering g his home unlooked unlocked for will finds seemingly damning evidence of his cifes unfaithfulness as a man lie he knows Is seth humphreys Il breaks from tile the house will overtakes him and chokes choke I 1 him to death although humphreys shatters antt e ra his leg ice with a bullet at marm pierces Pl erces house the leg leff Is amputated jenny goes to bieak the tha news to huldy huldy tic de dares she has no use for half a man and nd leaves will Is legally exonerated and with a homemade home made artificial leg lee carries on hiring a helper zeko zeke dace months later huldy comes mes back will accepts her presence acor as a her right two years so go by saladine ladine Si comes to the valley bad roads cause him to t top it at ferrina farm where he meets meet huldy saladine Salad lne caught in heavy rain refuge at marm alarm pierces Pl erces hart bart carey arrives carrying huldy whom he be claims had fallen from a ledge and seemingly Is dead marm alarm pierce declares her dead but while huldy and jenny are alone the woman with her last breath asserts will killed her jenny decides to tell no one on of the accusation she goes to notify will with him jenny returns to marm alarm pierces Pl erces she has told him of huldis death and be to Is bewildered CHAPTER VIII continued 15 she went into tile the room that had been moving warily as abou though I 1 balf expecting to meet the other woman I 1 there i she selected what she required and then on impulse she made huldis bed nightgown she put away and aind when she was done the I 1 room was in immaculate order orde it pleased her to leave all things as huldy hulay would have hare wished to leave them when she had packed the suitcase sp she came back to the kitchen and called callol up the attle attic stairs im ready will lie he answered her after a moment aim im coming jenny when they were in Sa ladInes car will said the th road looked to in me like xe e could get through doar to Ca carels careys Car reys evs jenny wed save a lot of time that way she made no comment trusting such matters to his big jil lid dament and hp he turned tile the car down the hill and drove on across the oradge past harts barts out to the valley road and thus in toward mam sia m pierces farm in the yard they stopped and will took the su sutorse terse from the back of the ear car Ril Salad ladine lne and bart were on the porch to meet them hut but it if will had known a passing doubt of saladine Salad lne it was forgotten now ile he said to the other man jenny told me you was wag over herp here I 1 know as mind if we delv your car over glad you did jim agreed and bart grippe nills hand guess you know will how I 1 feel about this he said guess I 1 do will agreed they all came indoors set down here by tile the stove will said jenny softly your 11 lianda inda are bound to be cold take off your coat and dry 1 I went out to find you will bart explained put you want there 1 I was out hunting bunting them will as tented seated and be looked at she come hack after she went t with you he said when it come 5 on to rain I 1 went to find her thilda was foolish about rain kind of shed stay out in it claimed to like it ile he added but I 1 find the them now lieres wheres Wh ereg zeke hart bart asked r 1 I dunno will confessed 1 I aint seen him sence bence jenny took the suitcase into the din ing room where huldy was wa and closed the door between marm pierce was waa y there she said crisply back be you fetch will hes in the y kitchen jenny assent ed 1 I 1 want to get her dressed first y make her look as nice as we can bea fore ore he be sees her k marm pierce nodded watching the 6 girl and she saw that jennys jennya colln lr cenance was illumined and by much more than mere happiness much more than the selfish happiness which if she loved will she might find in the fact that now ne me was free to love her too it was a as though she were committed to a task in which ahe lie found peace and pride while they were busy here the rain was pitiless outside the after afternoon hoon though it was not yet late was already in a sort of dusk when jenny vt at list last to bid will come in wl fol followed loved I 1 liei hot into the dining room where huldy lay anil and he stood looking down at his cifes body his shoulders bowed jenny was close clos embe beside him almost touching him her head bead nodded faintly once or twice it was as though slie she spoke words of comfort nod and of heartening yet her lips did not moe then lie he went ent back into the kitchen and the three bart and will and saladine stayed there huddling near the stove will had the dull demeanor of a man numbed by shook shock lie he muttered ruefully got huldy all dressed nice its a comfort to tile me for women to handle her der stead of a min man and after a moment fretfully 1 I cant make out where zeke ling got cot to lie ile want one to go off a day like today zeke like rain and still later lie said ill want her to lie at home ile he added humbly dunno as shed blied want it so but id want it that nv way ai ill have to get wort word to toe joe matthews over ellb er erty t y ba bart rt sugg ested helpfully 1 I can go over to my place will and telephone saladine here can drive me over saladine Sal adloe was nag quick to assent to this suggestion and for a definite reason ile he himself had been wishing he had access s just now to a telephone so lie he and bart set out and when jenny heard the car depart she came into tile kitchen and found will alone and asked where they had gore will to told id her and she stayed with him harm alarm pierce when her task in the dining room was done left them alone im going up and change my dress she decided id feel more otten in in something decent jenny smiled at her in grateful understanding der standing g but will vill sat silent and jenny came beside beilke him huldis ac I 1 N 4 1 and he stood looking down at his cifes body causation cus cusa atlon tion had begun to lose in the eirls girls mind its shocking force she was prepared to let this secret of huldis last word remain forever hidden to let huldis death pass as accident she herself could forget and none other need ever know they still sat here in halt half darkness when bart and Sal saladine Salad ailine lne returned jenny went to the door to meet them will viii ached bart nid did you get et holl hold of joe dart bart nodded coming tonight Is he what he get here you figure slight might be an hour or two jenny heard a step in the dining room and heard the blinds drawn down don and then the door opened and marna marm pierce emerged she had changed into black jenny said softly yore all dressed up Gran granny 1 the old woman spoke apologetically well vell I 1 know jenny she admitted there want no real sense in putting or on my best a night like this and me not going she looked at will but I 1 got to thinking she declared if huldis going to stay here tonight ill be respectable to keep her comp company anys will got to his feet 1 I better go up to the farm and milk the cows find and chore up he decided wont take me ion long bart protested sho will zeke will do the chores will shook his bis head 1 I dunno as zekes aekes there lie reminded them an and d he said looking at them all his bis eyes moving as though with an effort from one to the next zeke will be upset about this hed do anything tor for H huldy uld iles going to take it almighty hard 0 O he was silent for or a moment said then again but the cows got to be milked even in this hour of death and sorrow borrow the small dally daily tasks could hold bold a man in bondage yes will jenny agreed best go ill fetch a lantern she went nto the shed anil and he began to put on his bis coat and dat bat but in the shed she donned her boots and oil skins returned all accoutered accouter ed to face the storm will looked at her and she saw something leap in hla big eye then she opened the outer door tin im going with you will she told him wills wilis head rose a little why yes jenny he said slowly with tile me it if yore a mind and they went out jenny closed the door with a sense of escape a deep relief alone with her will was secure yet if she could have read sala dines mind she would have been dismayed for saladine bad taken advantage of that trip to barts house to telephone sheriff in liberty it was increasingly clear to him film that not accident nor any sudden Imp impulse illse to self restriction had hurled burled hii ady off that high ledge and it if murder had been done then the sheriff should be here CHAPTER IX yet saladine was relieved to see will and jenny thus depart to tend the cows for he thought will might well resent ills his having summoned the sheriff sheri lT even bart had resented it a while ago 1 I dunno as wilid like it bart argued and I 1 dont aim to get will riled ailed at me Si saladine ladine said you dont have to do it ill telephone the sheriff myself and despite barts resistance he got sheriff on the wire these two were old friends and saladine spoke excitedly telling what had happened and sheriff he suggested theres a steam mill down below here you better find out if any of the men from there were up this way and se see e if win haven Is in liberty ile he stayed with bart carey last night but lie he set out to go to liberty this morning when he hung up the receiver bart predicted with a wry amusement in his eyes wins apt to climb yore frame old as he Is for setting the law on him that way Salad saladine lne made no comment and they went out to the car and so came back to the other farm but when will and jenny departed Salad saladine lne was glad that will would not be here when should arrive when the two went out marm pierce said doubtfully 1 I dunno as fittell I 1 dunno us as id fd ought to let her go no one replied and she lifted her bead but I 1 dunno as I 1 could have helped she confessed her tones jones not displeased if the glass Is out of a window the rain will come in she said if a dam breaks water flows downstream her eyes met Sa ladines waiting Is 19 a long weary business when yore young she told him and then she chuckled 1 I guess I 1 can throw that lily illy root away she said in an obscure satisfaction and then she added briskly drat that jenny I 1 ashes gone and left me to get supper and me in my best bombazine she found an apron tied it on in As she began to be busy she looked at him reflectively you aint in any hurry to get home she remarked we can put you up it if yore a mind to stay saladine hesitated why much obil obliged ged he said he thought the time to g speak peak had come ills pierce he said 1 I dunno as think I 1 did the right thing but it looked funny to me that mis alls ferrin would just fall off that ledge 1 I ead think it was she agreed sharply and there want no reason she should jump she want the kind for thail sheriff Sheri lT Is in liberty today saladine explained 1 I telephoned him from barts and told him hed best come in here silence was long jong then she asked Is he coming yes she nodded well a relief to me she decided im an old woman but I 1 can see a hole in a doughnut as far as the next she spoke to bart folks around here dont bother the sheriff much their troubles she said as though appealing pe alint ro him for confirmation but I 1 say its the fitten thing to do I 1 dont see as it can do a mite mile of harm she looked at saladine keenly you figure someone pushed her OT off of the ledge do you she asked dart bart said earnestly sure granny I 1 that ledge la Is as safe as your floor here slie she fall off unless she did it purpose a and she mar marm in pierce nodded briskly the way it looks to me she agreed so it comes down to a question of someone did it bart who do you reckon it was he shook his head 1 I say a word he declared ive took notice that just keeping your mouth shut saves a peck of trouble sometimes she bile seemed to weigh this im thinking zeke might have B bart art aint you youl 2 I ue might bart admitted but its ita not my business and im not mixing in ile he looked toward saladine slid and grinned saladine there he told the sheriff to check up on win and the steam mill men thero there wag wa mirth la in marm mann rl erces old tones it want hinl she said ile he might brn brag and blow and get big edees but it want hinal dart bart said matter hatter of fact I 1 dont think it was nas zelie zeke either hed not hurt huldy if it come right down to someone killan her lie ile hesitated then muttered huskily well if I 1 was the sheriff id look for one that had reason to marna mann pierce watched bart witti with some displeasure in her sharp old eyes presently she asked him you going home to supper dart bartl lowed you might want me here he suggested she nodded in a surface hospitality certain stay where you be rl right h t now the more folks around the better I 1 like it she bustled briskly to R and nd fro upon the business of 8 upper supper grumbling about the danger to her black bombazine then suddenly she stood still and her lead head lifted car coming she sh said softly saladine and bart stepped out on the porch and saw the flicker of headlights through the woods toward the road the old woman came to join them and they watched together while a light truck with a long body pulled into the yard two men alighted and saladine saw the big form of the dip sheriff sherl fr and another who carried a black bag in his hand saladine and the sheriff nodded to one another joe matthews spoke to marm pierce stripping oft off his coat tile the roads real bad maam he be said sheriff unbuttoned hla big overcoat but did not remove it best to keep mis ferrin here tonight it if possible the undertaker advised 1 I can take her home in tile the morning marm pierce alerce nodded she can stay she said she opened the door into the dining room they went in together and she closed the door the sheriff looked at saladine and at bart he said to saladine Salad lne evening jim this Is bart carey jim explained bart here he found her sheriff Sheri lT looked inquiringly at the other man and cart bart explained 1 I was fishing down brook down back of wills barn theres a ledge and a steep drop below it IL I 1 heard a screech and a sort of thump like a patr ld e when you nail him climbed up there and found her marm marin pierce Is good at doctoring doctorin I 1 lowed maybe she could do something want dead As good as it turned out bart replied she never come to at all nodded and saladine said slowly 1 I see her this morning sheriff I 1 left my car at wills and she showed me the path down to the brook come as far as the ledge with me theres nothing slippery there no way she could trip and she want the lind kind to ull lill herself ile he added 1 I was here when dart bart brou brought bt her the sheriff |