Show he 31 29 ore RELEASE ald TUB THE STOUT STORY THUS FAIL alicia steenson gt St evenson venson hai bas been murde redl the it atory ry was wai al all over pleasant grove in minutes late in the afternoon tom topped stopped by to iet get milk and they talked about alician All clai death meg was wai upset and nd involuntarily ily tom put his arms aroun around her er a and d called her darling bahat at evening meg and her lather father sat wn oki X at ea each r h otter other each remembering that the ho other was wai out late the night 11 before to re did you do it she finally liked asked no did you youa she was wai stunned itu nned jim al suggested they make a bargain you forget that I 1 was out ol of the hous eIll ill forget you were trysting with tom fallon A hot tide of oram son on c covered meg CHAPTER XI she caught her breath and could riot not believe she had spoken though the words cords seemed to quiver in letters of fire between them her father stiffened with a little jerk his face ace was white and hard and his eyes were veiled so that she c could 0 uld not guess his thoughts for a moment that seemed a cen baury tury long his eyes met hers and ve bhea ar he said very softly no my dear did you eatherl Fa therl it was a shocked incredulous gasp that come came scarcely bove above her breath how how can you even think her father lifted his shoulders in a gesture that was not quite a shrug and drawled coolly why not you seemed perfectly willing to believe I 1 hadl oh no dad in that breathless moment the endearing diminutive came easily from her tongue 1 I think you had I 1 ever believe you had yet you put the question very easily he reminded her dryly it it was only that I 1 heard you come in last night a little after one A few minutes after you came in n if I 1 remember said her father ather calmly his eyes never leaving her white ravaged face suppose we make a bargain my lear ear megan her fathers voice softly low pitched scarcely above a whisper in the tone of one conspirator to another A a bargain father 11 she managed faintly he nodded you forget that I 1 was out of the house ill forget that you were er trysting with tom fallon fallen on the ridge he said in that gentle gentie yet somehow terrifying drawl A hot tide of crimson poured over her face ace and reached from the collar of her neat cotton print frock to the very roots of her hair 1 I trysting with tom fal her mouth twisted with distaste at the thought and the implication but you did meet him there purely by accident she flashed bashed her father smiled thinly 1 I belleve you my dear though I 1 am a V atle doubtful as to whether other people would if it ever became necessary tor for other people to know of that er accidental meeting she put her face in her hands tor for a moment and her father watched her with a curious but of course I 1 can see no rea son on why anyone save the two of us should know anything about it he went on smoothly surely if my daughter and I 1 wish to go for a walk in the fresh night air it Is ia no blodys business but our own unfortunately in a murder investigation a great many seemingly unrelated facts come out of 0 course theres no likelihood that we should be in any way connected with this terrible affair neither of us had bad any motive to want alicia out of the way that Is I 1 had none I 1 hoped to marry her berl she stared at him caught by some odd note in his voice and after a moment he answered the look in her eyes of course if it should become known that you were violently oppi posed to me m marrying her that you resented presented the thought ol of having her here in the house and had been unable to persuade me to give up my plans to tol marry her well P once again he lifted his shoulders gho ulden in that thai gesture that was not quite a shrug but that was an effective dismissal megan drew a long hard bard breath you know I 1 possibly have she set her breath agal against ast the sob that clutched at her throat ot of course my dear I 1 know that you are completely incapable of 0 any tuch such deed of vio lencel her father assured her and there w was 3 a r warmth that was very close to tenderness in his voice but it wont be what I 1 know that will count megan lt it will be what we can prove or dis disprove I 1 adfor he let her sit elt huddled in a heap for a mome moment nt as though to think thi that stover over and then he said quietly why I 1 say there Is no reason why anyone should be told that you and I 1 were out of the house though unfortunately not together tor for several hours lost last night whom did you think id be likely to tell she asked him huskily after a moment in which she fought to pull herself together go 10 that speech was at all possible there will be an inquest cinques I 1 ot of course be he reminded her undoubtedly live AS her hei closest neighbors and I 1 suppose her closest ac swill arwill be called to testily and it we simply limply say that we went to bed a little after ten but perjury she sha whispered faintly her fathers lace face darkened angrily dont be an idiot you did no not t km kill her neither did 1 I so what possible difference can it make if 11 nobody knows that we WB went for or a walk im absolutely positive that I 1 seen I 1 feel eel L qually equally sure sura you were not so wheres where the harm if we protect our ourselves selve s in a situation that could e easily become b e coin e very un unpleasant pleasant she hesitated and he said quietly because megan if it becomes known that you and I 1 were not in bed and aslee asleep P that you were out on an the ridge with fallon fallen its not only going to be extremely unpleasant for you but its going to finish him once and for or all heu hell never be able to get another lob job as a teacher no matter how innocent and accidental ace your meeting was people will remember alician Ali clag cias little thrust I 1 about your spending hours hou ra together on the ridge and people are good at adding two and two and rid getting six ot or seven megan said quietly qu etly where were you father me suh sub but could I 1 talk to yo fo a few minutes he sat at very still for or a moment his hl eyes clinging to hers and the one thought he scarcely seemed to breathe and then he said casually 1 I went for or a walk and as aa proof that he had had his say on the subject and no intention of 0 speaking again he got up and left the room she ii elleve that her father had killed alicia allala stevenson it was an incredible thought but he had been out of the house and he was very anxious that no one should know about that and she thought of herself and tom fallon fallen on tho the ridge and then she remembered his face ace tonight and the tone of 0 his voice when that little word darling had slipped out the look in his eyes naked and poignant and unashamed the warmth and tenderness in his shaken voice that had been like a shining garment wrapped about her chilled body oh no no noi I 1 wont hav it like that I 1 I 1 wont be in love with him I 1 she walled wailed deep in her frightened stricken mind but her heart went relentlessly on you cant help itt it you cant stop it you ask for it but you can never deny he knows it too loo he feels as you do you saw it in his eyes heard it in his voice tonight you love him and he loves you and he has a wife who has a greater claim on him than if 11 there were children your love can never never mean anything except heartbreak and sell self denial you know that but you cant stop loving himl any more than you can stop breathing the inquest was held the following afternoon in the rickety nondescript little frame building where the draft board met and it seemed that except for the few bedridden in the town everybody was there everybody that Is except megan and her father for contrary to jims uneasy tear fear neither he nor megan had bad been called to appear little betty hendrix bill logan mrs stuart and a few of the others who had been first on the scene had been called megan did not quite know whether to be more relieved or more frightened that neither she nor her father had received orders to appear but she had firmly declined mrs stuarts hearty invitation that she go anyway megan made herself keep busy throughout a day that seemed when annie put midday dinner beside megan and asked a faint uneasiness in her voice miss meg gle Is mist larry comin tomorrow night 1 I suppose so annie megan answered and quivered a little inside at me thought of facing laurence with the thing that was in her h heart t the thing that had bad been the there e w who ho could say how long but w whose he e presence she had not disc discovered overe d until under the shock of alician All Ali clas cias d eath death 17 1 I like to talk to him miss heggle el ef yo think he aln cornin comin anyhow how bout yo calling h him im up and askin him to so I 1 could t talk al k to him annie was grave eyed and portentous megan jerked out ol of her unhappy abstraction by annies tone looked up at her curiously why annie wrong why do you want to talk to mr larr larry Y she asked puzzled A annie ruile drew herself up a little and there was a gentle yet implacable dignity about her as she said firmly its a private batteh miss heggle but its pow ahful important YO vo call a I 1 I 1 him to me yes of 0 course annie megan answered d and annie thanked her and went out of the room padding so softly atly in the heelless felt slippers that she wore to ease her feet but megan did not ha have ve to call laurence tor for at about our he came down the road and turned in at the gate grinning at her warmly and happily 1 I came over with the coroner and so some me of the county officers he told her cheerfully dropping down on the steps at her feet and baring his head to the soft wind pleasant groves certainly getting her name in the papers there was a newspaper correspondent for or one ot of the atlanta papers at the inquest megan asked after a moment what what did the inquest find death by means ot of a sharp instrument ment at the hands ot of a party or parties unknown answered laurence looking up at her white drawn face with surprise oh look here darling I 1 had no idea you were such a close friend of hers 1 I really admitted megan but I 1 knew her and its been a shock of course said larry gently he took her hand in his and held it closely we wont talk about it yest said megan so sharply that laurence turned surprised eyes upon her megan managed a taint faint smile and said il 1 I I 1 really want to know whatever they could learn well it much said laurence no trace of the weapon a knife or a dagger of some sort no trace of robbery or anything ot of that kind the girl at the bank said she had h ad cashed her usual monthly in come check for fifty dollars a few days ago and her purse was found with more than thirty dollars in it they feel sure that it if she had surprised a burglar at work he would not let have left the purse they believe that she was killed by someone she knew or at least someone she was not afraid of there were no signs 0 of a struggle in the place megan sat very still her hands locked tightly in her lap killed by someone she knewl someone she was not afraid kofl there was one sensation said laurence after a moment not looking at megan his eyes were on th the e garden where despite the tact fact that it was almost christmas a tew few late zinnias kinnias and marigolds were still in n bloom and the chrysanthemums were great shaggy things of glowing be beauty luty that was when the telegram from her husband arrived her husband hus batill she repeated incredulously laurence nodded that seemed as much of a shock to everybody there as it is to you he told her but it seems that when the detectives were going through her papers yesterday they found that she had bad a husband and that he be was the one who was sending her fifty dollars a month they wired him and the answer was brought to the inquest this afternoon the husband Is ii somewhere in the west weft but hes fly ning east to claim the body she should id be here tomorrow or next day they thought i but the she was wag a megan protested dazedly apparently not said laurence looking up its as annie appeared behind the screen door that led into the hall hello annie how about putting another plate on the table and letting me stay for supper Yes suh mist larry us sho be glad to she assured him beaming and then asked uneasily me sun suh but could I 1 talk to yo to fo a few ew minutes laurence looked surprised but got to his bis feet ot of course annie dont tell me you want to divorce amos after all these bearol years 1 he laughed excusing himself to megan as he moved towards we the screen door which annie held open for or him 1 I aint mist larr larra dat I 1 aint gwine git rid 0 dat ilesa no count sho nuffy she assured him darkly as she led the way to the kitchen megan got up from rom the chair where the she had been sitting for or more than an hour in the late afternoon the sunlight had been warm and pleasant here but with the coming of dusk a chill tittle little wind got up and tiptoed through the trees and she went into the living room where she built up the fire making it brisk and cheerful TO BE am |