Show api glaff hafk bj glenn ct is CHAPTER XIII THE STORY THUS FA it returning from fisit with dako Alel mckannon tinnon hl lila anele todd makinnon georgina and small daughter barby topped stopped to CHAPTER XIII then georgine Georg lne did scream over and 0 ver over with the full power of her lungs she was beside tile the door ending the wall switch and clicking I 1 it it up and down without result there were no lights anywhere there was however an answering stir bair from the other rooms startled voices were raised in response other light switches were jiggled with the s same am e futility doors opened she saw todd first holding up the tiny hame 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 top of the stairs and horace came cama plunging into the hall just as the light reached him ashes gone barbas not in her bed georgine Georg lne said hall half choking there any lights I 1 i 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 Gc Go orgine 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 rather someone coming out of your room just now you get that torch todd inquired holding his lighter close to mary helens hand horace had vanished into the attic entry the hall was full of voices all crying out at once as the bedroom lights flashed on horace came out remarking competently main fuse was loosened just as mary helen gave a bewildered inspection spec tion to the flashlight in her hand and answered why I 1 fell over it in my room it was I 1 lying ng on it was barbas treasured possession over the babble her own small voice sounded from across the hall mamma mamma where are you there was a noise im cold mamma she was on an the tha chaise lounge in mary helens room trying to sit up 1 I called and called when that noise came but I 1 make you hear for the longest time mamma I 1 make any noise myself at all 1 I dont wonder georgine said maternal calm falling on her like a clo cloak ak youre hoarse as a hoo my poor lamb come back into your 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 because she was half asleep again its happened before you hear her come in mary helen she must have thought 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 thud somewhere in my dreams hiie 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 crib ill yell louder said georgine tartly if ashes in for another bout of asthmatic croup after getting chilled this afternoon 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 we ask what did you say nell about seeing someone he stopped and turned his eyes away georganes Geor gines giries lips h had ad parted to cry out cut yes there was someone in my room it must have been one of you what did he want but the words held themselves back she let her eyes travel from face to face meeting each look knowing br puzzled one of these three had been not ten minutes before whispering from the darkness of her room mamma barby said hoarsely 19 1 I cant breathe right she is going to be ill said G georgine e 0 r g 1 n e despondently and turned into her bedroom todd who without waiting to dress fully had gone out with horace in tow now appeared with a load of supplies from the drugstore tle the croup croud kettle was set up es escde de barbas Barby scot cot and john crane said ft fix you up in no time young un you keep the young lady quiet mrs wyeth and in bed all day tomorrow ow and ill come in once or twice to make sure ashes all right he picked up h his Is medical bag and looked vaguely around as if to make sure he left anything todd who had been exercising his gift for keeping out of the way when not wanted seemed to ma ait mrs peabody bin airs peabody told them linn about if alio death of bliss they decided to lay and in fatigate t cati gate they albed lalli eil w with th many different persons and decided that most of the evidence penalize ten teri alize out of the shadows can you talk now georgine he murmured todd perched on the edge of the slipper chair inside her half 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 conce ined eyes now my dear what really happened his questions were injected so quietly as scarcely to break the flow of her murmured narrative you hear barby get up yes probably what disturbed your sleep in the beginning it was some min minutes utes maybe twenty after I 1 heard her when the other sounds began and 11 five lve or ten more before I 1 heard you 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 it was todd said softly his jaw tightening 1 I shant leave you upstairs alone from now until the ml minute I 1 nute 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 mangled you for giving me the tip about her and then going oil off about whom nella how could you todd maybe you thought she t dare do anything ope openly aly but im sure she tried to drug me tonight she thought I 1 was fathoms under how she could dare come into my room openly probably s she he saw barby go out and wander into mary helens room and stay there and that was her chance ia 1 7 1 4 11 71 6 ei 11 please tell me how much wait a minute todd s said aid 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 fied 1 I read the others you mean to say he seemed to be struggling with amusement 1 I iad to include her georgine but it if only read a bit farther have seen that mary helen or horace or susie or the doctor might amigh t 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 you were down getting getling her breakfast seemed as if she might be loi lonely lely As i if id been gone for hours georgine t thought h 0 u g h t indignantly bishes quite happy alone she remarked in a swe sweet et tone right now ashes sitting up reading the alice that dyke gave her oh that reminds me if you dont mind my asking said nella diffidently was there any interesting news from the sergeant pointed I 1 t d t to 0 gilbert bort tin mrs peabodys ys hoi has b bund d nw now 1 la t alio h a ry army ilow IIo ever never T todd 0 dd pointed ou out atiat any one ol 01 the A relative would lime uve lind had the cl cliance to baa 8 ie a cured and give elica wat news I 1 h avent heard from him nella gave her a look of bewilderment you find your letter letter it came by special delivery last night about nine I 1 want to wake you so I 1 just tiptoed in and laid it on the desk why no nella said georgine slowly 1 I happen to find it she could not afford to meet todds dodds eyes nor oh dear do you suppose that in the dark I 1 laid it down under something or missed the desk entirely tl rely you might have done ill look she gazed at her prate 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 tha t 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 thosa photograph albums theres one ona in the drawing room that ought to do he was beautifully casual finished georgine we might have a look dooh to see it if it would interest her georgine went with ill him m obediently there was meth method od in this irrelevance she thought for one ona thing the folding doors cut kofl ones view of the stairs and any of the family could slip up to the tha second floor within the next few minutes he wanted them to have hav the opportunity these are fine specimens todd said turning the pages of the th plush album on the marble topped table he swung toward the dool booi as if to make sure his voice would be audible will you look at the th gentleman in the tie and heres a family group on the front porch of this house lord kind of uncanny seeing the th old place when it was new and those trees were small look real this must be miss till sit seems to me mrs labare had a larger copy of this same picture 1 there was no answer to these thes comments and todd glanced ai georgine then he strolled over tc a corner whatnot and picked up a small reading glass from one on of its shelves see it if you can find out what those pieces of jewelry were he murmured 1 I say mary helen said todd into the hall barbas Bar bys going tc t drive us crazy asking what 4 these rings and pendants pennants pend ants and what wha not were that your great aunt had in her headey was that ring an am amethyst mary helen on her wa way into th sitting room turned and came cam across the hall no topaz she sh said interestedly bending avei the album A great big one she sh must paid dollars it and those six stones on that 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 cared fox foi them at all myself unless they the were deep colored and these were pale I 1 hate this kind of jewelry anyway it worth a thing but they seemed to like it in the th nineties did anyone come up to see you darling while you were finishing your lunch 1 I heard a compla go the bathroom said barby with frankness but I 1 see who Nob odys been even to this md end e ol 01 the hall mam mamma ma and im kind of tired of reading georgine closed the doors to the th hall and opened the connecting connect in one from her room to the room she heard todd beginning a story about the gentleman it the frock k coat as she hurried ovel to the desk the manuscript a ad she had expected was untouched it was just possible that the letter had fallen down behind the th bed to be caught on a ledge of the th headboard but it had not SN sh felt perfectly sure what the mid night intruder had wanted tin the letter in answer to hers in which she had asked that innocent question which might have been in by any one of three ox 01 four persons as an on ominous linous one and when the intruder had failed to find it had he attempted to do her bodily harm before she could read it and here it was how very simple and how natural it looked the top drawer of the desk was open halt half an inch and the letter stood upright against its front panel W a it if it had bad been brushed off the top toll of the desk TO BE |