| Show THE LIVE LIFE OF THE HE PARTY BY ELIZABETH JORDAN 0 D apilton Appl ton co inc V continued i 14 leaving the dead cat in my room was evidently an alter after inspiration E hale went on thoughtfully it was the inspiration of someone who is am S aking a determined determined effort to an ily r me in all sorts of nasty ways is doing it want to hurt me at least not yet he may get round to that just now it looks me like a tool 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 lot 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 V shall their eyes met and held for a moment then craig smiled his thin lipped smile perhaps he be said gently but you wont if you jump at conclusions the way you did this morn cwg g if I 1 were a malefactor male fictor m in this household no your findings on that episode would reassure me very much hale returned the smile 9 then get what comfort out of it you can he said very delibera deliberately teli he carried from the room an unpleasant memory ot of craigs raised eyebrows and inscrutable expression on the outer landing he stopped with a slight exclamation the mortal remains of daisy had bad disappeared he looked around carefully the cats body might have been pushed off the landing and down the stairs during his brief but spirited combat with craig there was na 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 lamen tedis is no longer lying here in state hale reported r what do you suppose has happened to berv 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 whits your theory craig was again smiling the smile irritated hale and at the same time sent a slight chill down his bis back so would that cobra have smiled it if cobras cabras could smile having eight lives left I 1 suppose dalsy daisy got up and went about her business hale said curtly hale felt sore both physically and mentally as he be descended the laboratory staircase and returned to his own room J F j aunt hosanna greeted his return kyto k ao 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 were those of a tortured animal hales lips set with herbert kneeland matters were certainly approaching a crisis joan Kne elands manner maer was noncommittal but she gave rex a thrill after luncheon they were on the front sun porch seated in the hammock side by side smoking and drinking their coffee discovering that they were out of hearing bearing by the others joan spoke in a low tone im glad youre back she said fa im glad youre glad haws hales 6 one was matter of fact but his bis heart had jumped 1 I was sorry when you went yesterday morning I 1 really hated to see iee you hougo go 11 this was rather overwhelming it 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 he knew there was something coming and that it would not be sentimental you see 11 joan went on in the same low voice 1 I was afraid hale held held her eyes 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 of something all th etyne I 1 was was in i a panic yesterday evening last night she flopped yes hale prompted gently what about last night 1 I suppose I 1 had a nightmare what sort of a nightmare 1 I thought there was was someone li la my room someone horrible I 1 had bad been awfully wakeful and edgy it had taken me a long time to fall asleep but I 1 finally did then I 1 seemed to wake suddenly the room was dark but there was a little moonlight just enough to show me a figure and the face it was a horrible face she repeated and shuddered familiar in a way but awful 1 I tried to scream I 1 it vanished when I 1 sat up etwas 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 A I 1 was awake but today im just as sure it was is it a dream it must have been cant you tell me who WM la the dream no I 1 dont really know cant you even tell nie who it looked like no for im not sure 11 ll have hav ebee been she broke on off abruptly im talking like a fool you know at least whether you were dreaming of a man or a woman rex persisted no I 1 dont donl it had on a bathrobe or a dressing gown it was large and shapeless blitch and nd sinewy shadowy allbut that face which was so terrible and so close to me it was either b ending bending over me or tending bending over the little table at the head oi of my bed there was a line of moan 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 landlocked 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 bis heart turn to water it you had been in inthe the house the she went on 1 I think rd id have crossed the hall ball and waked you to she awakened young kneeland or craig or even her uncle hates hales heart beat faster then she spoiled the effect of it all uncle cass said I 1 could trust you she brought out it was a douche of cold water it was to the amateur detective she was appealing then and not to the man the rainbow that had bad arched across hales sky only a moment before faded to a dull gray he said only ru ill do anything I 1 can tor for you at any time it was a banal ending to a singularly exciting five minute chat he give gave some thought to that nightmare lie 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 daisy dabsys IS trag tragic c 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 spencer forbes chatter he went tor for a walk in the woods coming out in the clearing that held mrs nases camp he made one of his frequent informal calls on that hospitable lady today mrs nash gave hale iced tea and mentioned a barn dance hes hei a young fellow at theand the end of his tether theres got to be a reason forthan for that 7 biao it e nt appear 0 thalba that he i needs s money rex suggested hell have all his father has hai he will have to wait a long time kinle for it dont forget tha t ca casper s kneeland d is in tse the prime of life he may live to be eighty besides he has the reputation of being very close in some ways 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 store in new york because our local prices are too high the result of course is that the local tradesmen hate bate 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 ahe he A F 4 every muscle indis in his face seemed eer ea twitching i ng she had attended the night before he told her he bad seen a cw cew comedy in new york and they talked about that then he made a casual remark 1 I suppose you know daisy is no more hebald he said sald the effect odthe simple statement was surprising the woman turned white I 1 I 1 what happened she asked almost in ai 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 herin in myroon my room this noon you found her in your 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 been subjected to annoyances and even threats ever since I 1 came I dont take them seriously but ap pp 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 addea 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 sa suspect things what do you suspect 1 I speak of it I 1 have no proofs I 1 any real evidence but im beginning to suspect that theres at least one personae pers person at halcyon camp who wont stop at anything biale hale nodded gloomily im considering that possibility too his companion hesitated then brought out a question how about bert i hales eyes dropped yes be he repeated slowly how about bert 1 I admit im a bit in the air about bert mrs nash confessed riBert a five thousand dollar I 1 i ar mo tar boat last year he let him spend abend dver a thousand this year fixing upa upa laboratory for doctor craig yet bedew the boy ade i cent allowance allo wante wilbur says that bert often has hasto to borrow afew dollars from him because lits hes so short of cash 1 I seen uncle cass for or years till 1 I turned up this summer there was nothing close about hini him when I 1 was abid 11 hal haie was re calling his agreement with kneeland and he was getting his boar board chis his room and a hundred dollars dollar a month james banks was probably recel receiving vini as much A hundred dol lars larsa month was wag not net a liberal salary everk even depression times for foi an experienced I 1 p civil engineer hzel who V 0 had been bien earning ten thousand a year but he was not engineering ato now r and he was glad to have that hundred dollars a month and his comfortable quarters at the camp In return for themi them however heowener ho weNer pe he was acting as secretary amateur sleuth andi and gar game e leader iader the reflection reminded him that he be had been neglecting his social duties he got up to go im supposed to lead the gaieties gaies tie S at ai halcyon camp he confessed fessel it takes some doing there much operation cooperation co tonight I 1 must brighten the dinner table and start them off od later in the he evening with jerusalem or drop the handkerchief A man came around tiie the side of the house and waved wa ved a panama hat at mrs nash she gree greeted tad him ai as a brother and introduced him to hale as doctor docto r nicho nicholas las crosby she added that he had a camp two miles further up the share hale hald sat down again tor for a few minutes and studied crosby with interest he had heard crosby dropped into il a chair accepted ice tea and took rex a cleara eyed grance glance I 1 I 1 youre with kneeland he be said nephew or something arent you 1 godson just now secretary and general utility man crosby lit a cigarette and relaxed related comfortably ii used to know the Kne kne elands well he remarked in tact fact I 1 attended mrs kneeland in cef he final nal illness ill nessi since ohp then n I 1 seen much of them butt but did nt assist the poor woman out of t the e world as one suspect s i u sect isiom from manner toward me since since she died 1 in iii fact I 1 look pains tb lb have bev several erl s the caia case with me I 1 to shafe i e the responsibility it w asali pretty trag though ive no doubt the rea real explanation of kneela ads manner is that he be want tobe to be reminded of it by seeing roe me around 1 I 1 I know rex commented she died insane 1 uncle cass told roe me that thal I 1 i yes she hada case puerperal of insanity puerperal insanity 4 rex mused aloud 1 I once oace knew abouna that kind the mother of a 4 friend af pf mine she died too y just what does it janean i doctor 1 1 I 1 dant adow know anything 1 about your friend crosby said ly in poor mrs kneeland s case case it meant that a middle aged aman woman who was passing gassing through the meno menopause tried tried to hive have a baby the child was born dead unfortunate complications r s developed the patient lost her mind as you would put it and eventually died TO BE CONTINUED |
