,,the ,,trouble ,,at ,,pinelands ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 8,i'll tote yuh to death along of me1 anyhow40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,the ,trouble at ,pinelands ,a ,detective ,story ,,by ,,ernest ,m4 ,,poate ,,chelsea ,,house #gi ,seventh ,avenue ,new ,york ,city ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,copyright1 #aibb ,by ,,chelsea ,,house --- ,the ,trouble at ,pinelands 7,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america7 ,all rights reserved1 including that of translation into foreign languages1 including the ,scandinavian4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,the ,,poltergeist #aa ,,ii4 ,,bobwhite #bc ,,iii4 ,a ,,bad ,,spell #cg ,,iv4 ,a ,,feud #dg ,v4 ,a ,,tragedy #ed ,,vi4 ,,uncertainty #fc ,,vii4 ,,investigation #gf ,,viii4 ,,the ,,inquest #hf ,,ix4 ,a ,,conflagration #ie ,x4 ,,more ,,trouble ,,threatens #ajd ,,xi4 ,,preparations ,,for ,,defense #aab ,,xii4 ,a ,,frustrated ,,lynching #aah ,,xiii4 8,a ,,little ,,relaxation0 #acb ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,poltergeist ,,again #ada ,,xv4 ,a ,,fishing ,,trip #aea ,,xvi4 ,,some ,,clews1 ,,and ,a ,,suggestion #aeh ,,xvii4 ,,an ,,unusual ,,wedding #afe ,,xviii4 ,,somers ,,disgraces ,,himself #agd ,,xix4 ,,an ,,explanation #ahc ,,xx4 ,a ,,flirtation #aij ,,xxi4 ,,an ,,illicit ,,enterprise #bjj ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,showdown #bjg ,,xxiii4 ,,anne ,,christie',s ,,story #baf ,,xxiv4 ,a ,,projected ,,excursion #bbg ,,xxv4 ,a ,,trip ,,to ,,the ,,mountains #bcc ,,xxvi4 ,,roaring ,,lafe #bdj ,,xxvii4 ,,in ,,the ,,hands ,,of ,,the ,,enemy #bej ,,xxviii4 ,,rutledge ,,talks #bef ,,xxix4 ,,the ,,return #bff ,,xxx4 ,,an ,,agitated ,,household #bga ,,xxxi4 ,a ,,borrowed ,,shotgun #bgi ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,poltergeist',s ,,last ,,visit #bhg ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,final ,,explanation #bif ,,xxxiv4 ,,mating ,,time #caj ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,the ,trouble at ,pinelands ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,poltergeist ,i could not sleep4 ,i am an old man now and of settled habit2 a 8confirmed bachelor10 the young folks call me4 ,even the smallest change of routine irks me2 and so1 on this night1 ,i found it very hard to be comfortable in a strange bed4 ,peter ,mc,gregor had gone north4 ,he was in ,baltimore to order flowers1 consult the caterer1 and make the final arrangements for the wedding breakfast4 ,only women were left in the old stone mansion2 the ,mc,gregors called it 8,fort ,house10 because it had something of the grim1 forbidding look of an old fort4 ,dorothy1 ,peter's sister1 her invalid aunt1 and the nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 were all here4 ,miss ,christie was too indifferent to care1 ,i think2 she was a very dormouse for contentment1 and she slept so determinedly that ,i used to wonder when she found time to care for her patient4 ,but ,dorothy was timid1 as most young girls are2 and her ,aunt ,mary1 who was paralyzed1 was highly nervous at the best and declared that she'd never close an eye without a man in the house4 ,and1 indeed1 ,i could not blame them much1 for ,fort ,house was a gloomy1 eerie place1 with its big1 silent rooms and long1 dark halls1 wainscoted in time-stained oak and full of unexpected nooks and corners4 ,also1 though well within the village1 it stood far back from the street in a little grove of high1 solemn pines2 leafy shrubs grew thick about its gray walls1 and honeysuckle vines climbed over its narrow windows and shaded them still further4 ,a man must be had to protect these lone women1 and there was ,i--not a very efficient protector1 ,i fear1 since ,i am turned sixty-five and sadly crippled with rheumatism1 but the best available4 ,for my nephew1 ,lewis1 ,doctor ,c4 ,lewis ,parker1 ,johns ,hopkins ,medical ,college1 class of '#ag1 though willing enough1 was scarcely the man to come1 since he was to marry ,dorothy in two days2 whereas ,i was of discreet age and with none to miss me at home4 ,in spite of his assurances ,i knew well enough that ,i was a nuisance and no help in my nephew's house2 he kept me with him simply because ,i was his only surviving kinsman1 as he was mine1 and because his kind heart would not leave me to end my days in some home for the aged4 ,yes1 ,i knew that ,i was but a burden upon his goodness--knew it sadly1 but without bitterness2 a long old age tempers one's pride4 ,but here ,i was1 the guardian of my nephew's bride to be2 and ,i tossed upon my bed and could not sleep for long1 sad thoughts4 ,i rejoiced in the boy's happiness2 truly ,i rejoiced1 for ,dorothy ,mc,gregor was the sweetest of girls and as tender to a useless old man as if ,i had been her own kin4 ,yes1 it was best1 oh1 surely it was best1 that these two kindly1 handsome young folk should marry and make their own home4 ,i looked back through a vista of long1 lonely years at my own friendless life1 a life that might have been so different if my ,dorothy had lived4 ,they would marry and be happy in each other4 ,but--,i am a very selfish old man1 ,i fear--but what of me8 ,i had no other home2 and1 were she never so tender of heart1 what bride desires that her honeymoon should have such a worthless1 worn-out satellite as ,i8 ,no1 these two must build their own nest2 and it would have no place for me4 ,then ,i thought briefly of ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor1 paralyzed from the waist down1 these fourteen years1 and bearing her troubles with such saintly patience2 where would she go1 and how would she live after the wedding8 ,we two might marry also1 ,i thought1 and laughed mirthlessly at the idea4 ,old maid and old bachelor1 we might join our troubles and spend the evening of our days together1 enlivening each other with comparisons of our various aches and pains4 ,for ,i must admit that ,aunt ,mary1 for all her sweet patience1 was overfond of discussing her symptoms4 ,the old house was very quiet1 except for those strange creakings and rustlings which one hears at night in these old places4 ,faint1 eerie noises1 these1 which made the silence more profound2 ,i fancied that ,fort ,house whispered to itself of days gone by4 ,without was the clear1 cool hush of a ,north ,carolina summer's night4 ,it had been a hot ,june day1 but the night was cool1 as are all our nights1 and a round1 bright moon hung high1 flooding the lawn with pale light1 making the black shadows of the pines blacker yet1 silvering the leaves of the honeysuckle vine at my windows4 ,the sweet1 heavy scent of a few late blossoms drifted in to me1 bearing with it that faint1 sinister suggestion of mystery and crime that belongs peculiarly to the cloying odor of honeysuckles in a hushed1 dark night4 ,that odor fretted me1 awaking in my mind unpleasant fancies4 ,this was a dismal place1 the old ,fort ,house2 no proper setting for such a vivid young flower as ,dorothy ,mc,gregor4 ,i strove to fancy the house filled with flowers1 crowded with gay-dressed1 laughing wedding guests1 and ,i could not1 even now1 with a wedding two days off4 ,i was queerly thankful that ,dorothy and ,lewis would not live here1 but in a little white bungalow1 red-roofed1 banked about with flowers1 open to the kindly1 honest sun4 ,for how could young lovers be happy here1 in this grim stone pile among the solemn pines1 this mournful old house1 which creaked and whispered to itself so mysteriously of nights1 whose dark1 airless rooms were heavy with the scent of honeysuckle8 ,somewhere ,i seemed to have read or heard that the honeysuckle grows best and gives its strongest odor about places of secret crime4 ,the fancy obsessed me2 ,i wondered what might be the history of this old mansion--for ,i was but newly come to ,pinelands1 a year ago--what dark deeds these walls had known in days long gone2 what dreadful histories were bared in the self-communings of those ancient1 creaking timbers4 ,it was very late1 and ,i was tired out4 ,moreover ,i was sad because ,i must so soon give up my nephew to his new wife4 ,my aged bones ached1 and my knee joints creaked and groaned1 as ,i paced the floor4 ,i was feverish1 perhaps1 and so fanciful2 or it may be that ,i was fey4 ,whatever the explanation1 a sudden conviction swept over me1 as of actual knowledge4 ,fort ,house was haunted4 ,i knew it4 ,without knowing how or why1 that knowledge swept over me in a chill wave of fear that raced up my spine and plucked at the short hairs of my neck4 ,it left me shaken and dismayed1 with a lump of ice where my heart had been4 ,the place was deadly still4 ,even the indistinct complaints of aged timbers were hushed1 and there seemed no possibility of sound in all the world4 ,then1 from the hall below1 came a whirring click1 whereat ,i gasped2 the grandfather clock on the stair landing struck twelve--deliberately1 solemnly4 ,the mellow chime of its old gong dropped dead on the still air1 without an echo4 ,the silence of the tomb1 a hush intolerably profound4 ,then1 with dreadful suddenness1 a clanking as of chains1 the crash of broken crockery1 a shrill1 horrid screech6 ,my veins seemed to freeze1 and ,i could not breathe4 ,as in nightmares1 an inescapable weight dragged at every limb1 held me helpless4 ,what was abroad ,i knew not1 save that it could be no honest thing4 ,why1 ,i would have prayed for a palpable burglar2 ,i could have fallen on his neck with joyful tears1 though he were the worst villain unhung6 ,then ,i heard a faint stir in the room beyond mine1 where ,dorothy ,mc,gregor slept2 the tiniest of frightened sobs4 ,that sound heartened me4 ,i am no hero2 but in a long life ,i have observed more than once that terrors which will turn a solitary man craven may be faced almost with boldness if he has but a weaker one beside him to protect4 ,alone1 ,i dared not stay in my room1 much less venture forth2 but there was ,dorothy next me1 and downstairs her helpless aunt and the nurse4 ,they would look to me for aid1 for courage2 and knowing that1 ,i made shift to conquer my fears a very little4 ,i threw a bath robe over my shoulders and padded out into the black hall1 barefoot4 8,dorothy60 ,i whispered2 somehow1 ,i dared not call aloud4 8,my dear1 are you all right80 ,her answer came muffled through the door4 8,yes1 ,uncle ,george4 ,it's nothing40 ,but her shaking voice belied the words4 8,it's nothing to be af-f-fraid of4 ,we've heard it before4 ,wait1 ,i'm coming out4 ,aunty'll be scared40 ,in a moment her door opened1 and ,dorothy appeared1 faintly visible by the pale moon that shone in her window4 ,she was wrapped in some sort of filmy1 lacy robe1 and her fine black hair1 which lay across one shoulder1 in a braid thicker than my wrist1 fell down the front of her negligee1 right to her knees4 ,she groped for my arm and clutched it tight4 ,neither of us thought of making a light4 ,perhaps we both feared what that light might reveal4 8,let's go down to ,aunt ,mary's room10 she whispered4 8,she'll be scared to death1 poor thing6 ,i'm scared1 my own self1 and just think of her1 not able even to move60 ,a plump1 delicious little thing1 she huddled close against me4 ,i felt her tender body tremble and put an arm across one shoulder4 8,come along1 child10 said ,i4 8,but give me a hand on the stairs here1 because my rheumatism is pretty bad to-night4 ,what was it80 ,dorothy cuddled my arm4 8,poor dear60 she whispered4 8,careful of that step2 we're just at the turn4 ,why1 it was the ,poltergeist40 8,huh80 ,i stopped short1 repeating the outlandish word4 8,poltergeist8 ,what's that80 8,why1 that scream and everything4 ,it comes every few nights lately1 only ,i never said anything about it outside1 because it upsets ,aunt ,mary so4 ,she won't have me even mention it to ,lewis1 let alone any other body2 just says such things oughtn't to be talked about4 ,after ,i showed her the broken dishes she----,oh-h-h60 ,she broke off1 gripping my arm tighter still1 pressing close against me1 to the detriment of my sorer shoulder2 then she made a quaint little sound1 a sort of whispered scream4 ,i stared violently1 too2 for there was a ghostly rustling in the lower hall1 just by our knees1 and something dim and white and shapeless seemed to whip past us and disappear4 ,i say seemed2 for it was too dark to be sure1 and ,i stretched out my hand toward it and felt nothing4 ,it might have been pure fancy1 a breath of air through the hall1 a mouse scurrying along the wall4 8,there1 ,dotty60 ,i whispered4 8,it wasn't anything--and1 besides1 it's gone4 ,see80 8,i know10 she agreed doubtfully4 8,i know it wasn't anything1 and ,peter always says so1 too4 ,he watched two nights to make sure2 only he went to sleep both times4 ,but it scares me just the same40 ,by now we had groped our way to ,aunt ,mary's room4 ,she slept on the ground floor1 being1 as ,i may have said1 paralyzed from the waist down4 ,her nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 slept in a little chamber which opened off of her patient's room4 ,we listened1 our heads close together1 pressed against the closed door2 presently we heard the sound of heavy breathing--a ladylike snore4 8,that's ,miss ,christie10 whispered ,dorothy4 8,it didn't wake her up4 ,uncle ,george1 she is the sleepingest thing6 ,she makes me mad sometimes1 she's so placid40 ,i heard the creak of springs1 as some one moved in bed1 and a weak1 sad1 patient voice called3 8,is any one there80 8,it's me1 aunty10 replied ,dorothy4 8,we came to see if you were all right4 ,did you hear it80 ,in the room beyond us the bed creaked again1 as if some one struggled to sit up in it4 ,then ,aunt ,mary's voice3 8,miss ,christie60 ,no answer4 ,a sigh4 ,then louder1 but still patiently1 sweetly3 8,miss ,christie6 ,nurse60 8,aw-ugh60 ,a yawn1 a sleepy murmur1 and then1 when ,aunt ,mary had called once more3 8,yes1 ,miss ,mc,gregor1 ,i'm comin'6 ,ho-hum60 ,bare feet plumped to the floor and padded out toward us2 ,i could fancy the nurse digging her fists into sleep-blurred eyes4 8,wha's a matter80 8,snap on the lights1 please2 now help me to sit up4 ,hand me that shawl4 ,open the door1 please2 ,dorothy's out there40 ,a line of light showed at our feet1 along the threshold4 ,we heard a bustle within1 and presently the door opened4 ,i hesitated a moment1 half blinded by the sudden light4 ,yet ,i saw the retreating figure of the nurse1 dumpy and shapeless in a bath robe1 her head an aureole of tousled blond hair4 ,she vanished into her own alcove room1 and ,i heard her drop upon the bed1 with one more yawn1 followed1 without appreciable pause1 by gentle snores4 ,dorothy turned to me4 ,the blue of her negligee matched her sea-blue eyes1 and her soft black hair was a cloud about her dimpled face1 still delicately flushed with sleep4 ,light and company had quite restored her courage2 she laughed at me merrily4 8,come along in1 ,uncle ,george6 ,you look lovely4 ,no8 ,well1 just a minute1 then40 ,she turned to her aunt4 ,the old lady was propped high with pillows1 a beautiful old ,paisley shawl wrapped about her thin shoulders4 ,her snow-white hair was dressed exactly as for a ball4 ,she was a wonderful old lady1 always precise and well groomed1 in spite of her invalidism4 ,her black eyes were bright1 but her thin1 patrician face bore a look of patient sadness4 ,she stretched out a slender hand4 8,there1 child6 ,what is it80 8,why--why1 aunty1 you know6 ,didn't you hear it80 ,aunt ,mary sighed4 8,yes1 ,dorothy1 dear1 but these are things best not spoken about40 8,did it wake you up80 8,no1 child4 ,i haven't been asleep4 ,shift that pillow1 please2 the pain is worse to-night40 ,she sighed again1 with sad1 upturned eyes4 8,it seems as if ,i had enough to bear1 without that4 ,but it's all for the best1 no doubt4 ,i must be patient60 ,she had the sweet1 resigned expression of some aged saint4 8,i was just getting quieted down1 too4 ,there1 child1 run back to bed4 ,so sorry you were disturbed1 ,mr4 ,uhlman10 she told me over her niece's shoulder4 8,this child is fanciful--nervous40 8,did ,i disturb you1 too1 ,aunt ,mary80 ,dorothy's voice was remorseful4 8,but ,i thought you'd be frightened1 dear40 ,aunt ,mary made a little deprecatory gesture4 8,why8 ,i'm not afraid of spirits1 my child2 ,i'll be with them soon enough4 ,go now1 but call ,miss ,christie first4 ,i want her to change my pillows40 ,she closed her eyes1 sighed wearily1 then spoke again to me1 where ,i stood in the dark hall4 8,you mustn't mind what you heard1 ,mr4 ,uhlman4 ,it's nothing--merely a materialization4 ,trivial spirits can't harm us40 ,we were dismissed4 ,as ,dorothy closed the door very gently1 ,i heard ,aunt ,mary say3 8,raise me a little more1 ,miss ,christie4 ,and another pillow1 please4 ,my head's very bad again4 ,this has upset me40 ,she sighed plaintively4 ,both tone and words were of an angelic resignation2 ,i could not understand ,dorothy's manner4 ,for1 now that we were alone in the dark hall1 she gritted her little1 even teeth together4 8,darn60 ,i heard her mutter4 8,what is it1 child80 8,oh1 nothing6 ,aunt ,mary's on another rampage4 ,wish ,i'd left her alone1 but you never know how to take her40 8,my dear60 ,i reproved4 8,you oughtn't to speak of your aunt so4 ,she has a hard time1 poor lady60 ,dorothy laughed shortly4 8,so do ,i6 ,oh1 ,i know you think ,i'm horrid1 but you just stick around and see for yourself40 ,i sighed4 ,the young are intolerant of invalidism4 8,but about the other thing1 ,dorothy--the scream we heard1 and all that8 ,what did you mean by #8,poltergeist8'0 ,the girl shook her head4 8,come away1 ,uncle ,george4 ,she'll hear us4 ,never mind that now4 ,oh0--as ,i persisted--8that's what ,aunt ,mary calls #8manifestations1' screams at night1 broken dishes1 things missing from the pantry1 and all that4 ,she wrote to some learned society about it1 and they said it was a ,poltergeist1 a little1 malicious ghost that plays tricks like that4 ,they wanted to send somebody here to investigate4 ,come1 we've got to get out of here2 ,aunt ,mary has ears like a lynx4 ,in the morning she'll tell how our talking kept her awake all night long4 ,come on1 ,uncle ,george1 do6 ,never mind the ghost4 ,i hear enough about that2 ,aunt ,mary talks of it to me for hours on end1 when she's in the right humor4 ,she's a great spiritualist1 you know40 ,in silence she bustled me back to my room4 ,one would have thought that she was actually afraid of that sweet1 patient old saint1 her ,aunt ,mary4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,bobwhite ,i went back to bed1 but not to sleep4 ,the moon had set1 and the pitch dark of the old house intensified all my foolish fancies4 ,over and over ,i went through the round of morbid thought3 my nephew's marriage1 the bleak1 friendless future that awaited me2 this dismal old barracks1 pervaded by the sinister odor of honeysuckle2 the faint1 mysterious creakings and stirrings of its ancient walls4 ,i caught myself listening1 breathless1 for a repetition of that awful screech2 ,i vowed that nothing should induce me to spend another night in the haunted place4 ,i paid ,dorothy and her aunt the meed of a tremendous admiration because they accepted this ,poltergeist so calmly4 ,sleep stood far off from me1 while the night dragged inexorably on1 and the deep-toned grandfather clock on the landing tolled out hour after hour4 ,at last ,i felt the first subtle changes of coming dawn4 ,from somewhere a fugitive breeze1 the merest vagrant breath of air1 stirred in the solemn pines1 so that they whispered4 ,the leaves of the honeysuckle vines at my window moved1 and the heavy scent of their flowers poured in more strongly4 ,the air seemed cleaner1 cooler4 ,one could not say that it was lighter1 but the darkness grew more bearable4 ,and then1 little by little1 the east faded1 turned gray1 lavender1 pink2 then it began to flush with the first1 faint1 exquisite tints that precede sunrise4 ,i sighed deep and turned over4 ,my weary1 strained limbs relaxed4 ,now that the night was gone1 and daylight began to be a promise almost fulfilled1 ghosts troubled me no longer1 nor did sad thoughts have power to haunt me4 8,joy cometh in the morning10 the psalmist said4 ,to me came peace at least1 and ,i settled to rest4 ,my lids were heavy with that delicious languor which welcomes sleep after a long1 troubled night2 an insistent whistling1 right under my window1 roused me4 ,i sat up1 muttering angrily4 ,some milkman1 no doubt1 or some furnace boy1 wooing the cook4 ,there it was again2 a fine hour for love-making6 ,would she never wake up8 ,confound all cooks and their swains6 ,then my delightful drowse fled away1 leaving me wide awake1 my last hope of slumber gone4 ,i knew that this was no amorous milkman1 whose racket might be hushed by well-directed abuse4 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 ,i held an aching head between my hands4 ,that insistent two-toned whistle1 repeated again and again1 in maddening iteration1 came from no man1 but a bird--the 8bobwhite10 the quail of ,north ,carolina1 which some misguided idiots would have protected as a songbird6 ,but now it was full light1 and1 ,i suppose1 something after five o'clock4 ,with a dispirited sigh ,i arose and began to dress slowly4 ,i had made more of a sacrifice than ,i realized when ,i offered1 in my innocence1 to spend the night at ,fort ,house4 ,i shaved and dressed leisurely1 to the accompaniment of bobwhite's continual clamor2 at last ,i descended the wide stairs silently1 lest ,i wake others4 ,i heard no stir from ,dorothy's room2 she1 no doubt1 was well used to the song of quail4 ,as ,i may have said1 ,fort ,house stood apart and alone in its grove of pines1 and wild quail might well nest in the tangle of scrub oaks behind it4 ,they sang under her window every morning1 ,i suppose1 so that ,dorothy heard them no longer4 ,but ,i rejoiced privately that the house ,i shared with my nephew1 ,lewis ,parker1 stood close to its neighbors and far off from wild birds and1 ,i hoped1 wilder ghosts4 ,but1 as ,i reached the ground floor and tiptoed past ,aunt ,mary's door1 ,i had proof that bobwhite had disturbed others beside myself4 ,for all her long stay in this house1 ,miss ,mc,gregor was not yet used to the outcry of quail1 it appeared4 8,miss ,christie60 ,i heard4 8,miss ,christie6 ,dear me1 has she gone to sleep again8 ,miss ,christie60 ,a sleepy murmur from the inner room4 8,miss ,christie6 ,get dressed1 please1 and go out4 ,see if you can't drive that wretched bird away2 ,i can't stand it any longer60 ,i smiled to myself1 for the sweet1 resigned voice had turned sharp1 almost irritable4 ,plainly there were limits even to ,aunt ,mary's patience4 ,and from without the whistle of that miserable quail continued monotonously3 8,bobwhite60 ,three seconds1 then3 8,bobwhite60 ,then ,i went on into the living room1 selected a book and settled myself to wait for breakfast4 ,it might have been an hour before ,i heard voices at the rear of the house2 they came closer1 sounded from the dining room1 just behind me4 ,i listened frankly1 welcoming any signs of human companionship after my long vigil2 for nothing is so lonely as a deserted sitting room in the early morning1 when all but yourself are still in their rooms4 8,yassum1 ,miss ,dor'thy1 thassall1 ma'am4 ,them two gold-banded chiny cups done gone bust1 an' th' sweet potato pie all et up40 8,oh1 dear60 ,that was ,dorothy's voice4 8,i don't mind the pie so much1 but ,i do wish the ghost wouldn't break my best dishes1 ,rosina40 ,the ,poltergeist retained an appetite for material dainties1 it seemed6 ,for some reason that touch rendered it less formidable to my fancy2 besides1 it was now bright sunlight1 and who fears ghosts in the daytime8 ,i felt very courageous4 ,but the cook was speaking again1 in a rich1 throaty drawl4 8,yassum1 ,miss ,dor'thy4 ,them ghosteses ain't got no apershashun1 is they8 ,but1 ma'am1 ,i done got my satisfy of ghosteses1 ,miss ,dor'thy4 ,i'se standed 'em too long4 ,cain't leave you-all ontwel th' weddin'1 a-course2 but when you-all gits safe married1 ,fort ,house is th' place ,i'se a-gwine t' be anywheres else in ,no'th ,ca'lina but6 ,yassum1 ,miss ,dor'thy6 ,you heahs me60 ,dorothy sighed4 8,we'll all be leaving then1 ,i hope1 ,rosina4 ,it is a spooky old place1 ,i know1 but ,aunt ,mary likes it here40 ,rosina departed kitchenward1 muttering something unintelligible which ,i fancied was less than complimentary to ,miss ,mc,gregor2 and ,dorothy pushed aside the portire and saw me4 8,why1 good morning1 ,uncle ,george6 ,you're up early40 ,i rose rather stiffly1 for this night had done my rheumatism no good1 and bowed4 8,good morning1 ,dorothy6 ,did you sleep well80 8,not very40 ,however she looked fresh as a rose1 and her blue eyes shone4 ,her thick black hair was coiled simply about a shapely head2 she wore some sort of filmy silk robe of a pale blue color1 and ravishingly pretty she looked in it1 too4 8,the ,poltergeist upset my night10 she went on4 8,i got up early to see what damage he'd done this time4 ,you'll excuse me for coming out so informally80 ,she looked down at her negligee with a bright blush4 8,i'm going to skip right back upstairs and dress now--honest ,i am40 8,you look very sweet1 my dear40 ,i am old enough to say such things quite impersonally4 8,but tell me first about the ghost40 ,she blushed again4 8,why--why1 ,uncle ,george1 it seems so silly60 8,silly60 ,i repeated4 8,there was nothing silly about that scream in the night2 it brought the goose flesh out all over me40 8,well10 she admitted4 8,but you see ,i've heard it so often1 and it's never done any harm40 8,often8 ,you never mentioned it before40 ,her color heightened further at my tone of reproach4 ,she came closer and perched on the arm of my chair1 smoothing my old bald head gently4 8,no1 ,i never spoke of it4 ,even ,lewis doesn't know--except he's heard ,peter joking about it sometimes4 ,maybe ,i'll tell him after we're married2 but ,i couldn't bear to have him laugh at me4 ,it's bad enough to have your brother always making fun1 without your--your fianc1 too4 ,but the ghost--well1 it's come a dozen times or more4 ,the first time was--let me see6 ,it was about a year ago4 ,i know it was after mother died1 and ,aunt ,mary came here to live1 because ,i remember how indignant she was4 ,just pooh-poohed and said it was all my imagination4 ,but afterward she heard it1 too2 and then she began to read and study about spirits1 until now she's a confirmed spiritualist--uses the ouija board and everything4 ,but she never wants the ,poltergeist talked about outside the family4 8,what does it do8 ,why1 little1 mean tricks4 ,it gets into the cupboards and steals things and breaks dishes2 and it bangs the furniture about1 and sometimes it screams like it did last night4 ,peter sat up to watch several times1 but he never saw anything1 though one night it pulled the chair out from under him4 ,peter claims he just went to sleep and fell over1 but ,i know better4 ,it was the ,poltergeist6 ,aunt ,mary claims you never can see them--they're invisible4 ,she says they never do any real harm1 only these little tricks1 like breaking dishes and all that4 ,but it is kind of unsettling1 ,uncle ,george4 ,i'll be glad when ,lewis and ,i are married1 and we can leave this old house for good4 ,only think1 ,uncle ,george1 three days more60 ,then she jumped up with a cry4 8,my goodness1 ,lewis is coming over to breakfast1 and here it is seven o'clock and after1 and me not even dressed6 ,i must run4 ,bother the ,poltergeist6 ,aunt ,mary'll tell you all about it1 if you can once get her started4 ,she loves to talk about ghosts4 ,i've often wondered how she refrained from telling ,lewis4 ,and say0--she darted back to my side and whispered--8say1 ,uncle ,george1 be awful nice to her this morning2 jolly her up a little1 will you8 ,she will be in a terrible temper1 ,i'm afraid40 ,she dropped a swift kiss upon my bald spot and ran out4 ,i settled back to wait for breakfast1 rather impatiently1 ,i must admit1 for the night had tired me1 and ,i craved hot coffee4 ,but in twenty minutes ,dorothy was back1 demure and immaculate in a little blue-and-white gingham4 8,come along10 she urged4 8,let's go in and get started4 ,we won't wait for ,lewis2 he'll be along directly4 ,i want everything fixed and ready before ,aunt ,mary comes out40 ,so she led the way into the dining room1 and ,i followed gratefully4 ,i sat down1 and ,dorothy began to hurry ,rosina4 8,quick1 ,rosina10 she directed4 8,bring in the coffeepot and those muffins4 ,and get a fresh pat of butter2 this looks mussy4 ,i hear aunty40 ,the fat1 motherly black cook gave one apprehensive glance at the doorway1 smoothed her crisp apron and fled4 ,i wondered briefly that her household should be in such patent fear of that sweet1 heroic old lady1 ,miss ,mary ,mc,gregor4 ,then ,i1 too1 heard the creak of her wheel chair1 and presently ,aunt ,mary appeared in the door1 riding in the invalid's chair in which she spent all her waking hours4 ,miss ,christie propelled it1 looking fresh and wholesome enough1 in her clean white uniform1 but yawning still4 ,she was a sleepy sort of girl1 a very sleepy sort6 ,aunt ,mary greeted us with her sad1 patient smile1 a smile to bring tears to your eyes1 it was so obviously a struggle against despair4 ,my heart went out to her for her pathetic bravery1 poor1 frail old lady6 ,her high-bred face beneath the crown of snow-white hair was pale and worn2 she sighed deeply4 8,good morning1 all10 she quavered1 her eyes bright with unshed tears2 then she bit her lip and smiled again determinedly4 8,good morning1 aunty4 ,why1 you're looking quite bright1 aren't you8 ,wheel her right up here1 ,miss ,christie2 everything's all ready4 ,here1 aunty1 here's your orange juice1 all iced4 ,drink it right down1 there's a dear4 ,rosina6 ,a nice1 hot cup of coffee for ,aunty ,mary--quick6 ,i got up early1 ,aunt ,mary1 on purpose to make muffins for you3 don't they look nice and appetizing8 ,i'll butter one and just pop it into your mouth1 shall ,i8 ,i'm sure you're hungry this morning2 you look so rested4 ,you must have had a very good night40 ,breathlessly1 with a sort of desperate gayety1 ,dorothy talked against time4 ,her aunt listened impatiently1 still wearing that pathetic smile2 with parted lips she evidently waited only an opportunity to interrupt4 ,and now she found it4 8,a good night60 ,she sighed deeply1 tragically4 8,my dear6 ,as though my nights were ever restful4 ,i'm used to wakeful nights1 and you know ,i'm not one to complain of the afflictions the ,lord has seen fit to visit upon me4 ,i try to bear them patiently and to keep sweet4 ,but last night was terrible6 ,it was so sweet of you1 my dear1 to come to my door in the night4 ,dorothy is always so thoughtful of her poor old aunt1 ,mr4 ,uhlman4 ,i hadn't heard a sound2 ,i was just beginning to doze off1 and ,i thought to myself1 #8,i do believe ,i'm going to rest an hour or two1' when ,dorothy knocked at the door4 ,it was very kindly2 ,dorothy is inclined to be timid about the manifestations1 ,mr4 ,uhlman--the ,poltergeist1 you know4 ,she hasn't studied spiritism as deeply as ,i have1 of course4 ,she naturally thinks ,i am timid1 too2 and so1 being the most unselfish of children1 she comes to me at once4 ,bless her6 ,i hope you had no trouble getting about1 ,mr4 ,uhlman2 those stairs creak so1 ,i'm always afraid some one may stumble4 ,i heard you going back to your room4 ,i'd been feeling so rested1 but1 after you two had gone1 ,i had such a terrible palpitation1 and my neck knotted very badly4 ,you know1 ,mr4 ,uhlman1 ,i have so much trouble with the back of my neck4 ,i can't think what brought it on4 ,i was resting so nicely before you two came in1 but afterward ,i had such a hard time60 ,she paused to heave a vast sigh and absorb an equally vast bite of buttered muffin4 8,but ,i mustn't complain4 ,i'm only thankful that the ,lord sends me strength to bear my troubles patiently4 ,i did get settled a trifle about daybreak1 and then the birds began4 ,those quail1 you know1 bobwhites6 ,i suppose it's my condition and perfectly absurd1 so1 of course1 ,i never complain about it2 but those birds set my nerves on edge so ,i can feel it all down my spine and into my limbs4 ,you've no idea4 ,i bore it as long as ,i could1 but finally ,i was simply compelled to call ,miss ,christie40 ,she paused to cough4 8,i'm rather hoarse1 ,i'm afraid4 ,miss ,christie sleeps so soundly1 the poor dear60 ,here she gave her nurse an affectionate smile4 8,i'm a dreadful trouble to you1 am ,i not8 ,eventually ,i managed to wake her1 and she threw a stick out of the window to drive the birds away4 ,by that time my back was paining me so ,i couldn't possibly rest40 ,aunt ,mary stopped1 beamed upon us with that plaintive1 angelic look and devoted herself to her muffins and coffee4 ,having succeeded so admirably in putting us all three in the wrong1 apportioning justly to each his share in her discomforts of the night1 all in the sweetest1 most kindly fashion in the world1 she appeared to feel rather better4 ,we others looked at our plates4 ,i1 for one1 felt my ears burn1 and my appetite seemed to have left me4 ,i began to realize that it is not always easy to live with the most sweetly patient of invalids4 ,and yet ,dorothy's attitude seemed rather callous4 ,poor ,aunt ,mary6 ,she had a great deal to bear1 after all6 ,i reproached myself for having added1 however unwittingly1 to her discomforts4 ,upon the little hush came the sound of the doorbell1 and ,dorothy flew to answer it1 her face brightening beautifully4 ,presently she returned1 clinging to the arm of my nephew1 ,doctor ,c4 ,lewis ,parker4 ,tall and spare he towered above her1 and his black eyes looked down adoringly into her blue ones4 8,good morning1 ,aunt ,mary60 ,he bowed over her frail hand with a stately courtesy that was not unbecoming4 8,hello1 ,uncle ,george4 ,good morning1 ,miss ,christie4 ,sorry to be late1 honey4 ,i had to make a call4 ,did you save me some coffee8 ,oh1 good morning1 ,rosina6 ,you didn't forget me1 did you80 ,the fat cook beamed at him1 rolling admiring eyes4 ,servants are always fond of my nephew4 8,nossuh1 ,mist' ,lewis--doctah1 ,ah means4 ,ah done fetched yuh a special cup1 made strong1 suh40 ,the doctor sat down and unfolded his napkin4 8,well1 honey1 what were you talking about80 ,dorothy smiled demurely1 with a sly glance at me4 8,why1 about ghosts1 ,lewis--about our ancestral spook40 ,lewis stared and stroked his little black mustache4 ,his face was square1 and his high cheek bones gave it a solemn look1 almost ,indian4 8,about ghosts8 ,nonsense6 ,there's no such thing as a ghost60 ,if my nephew had a fault1 it was that he was a shade too serious1 a bit too literal-minded4 ,he was not overendowed with humor4 ,his pronouncement provoked a frank laugh from ,dorothy4 ,i think she thoroughly enjoyed his solemnity4 ,but ,miss ,mc,gregor bridled4 8,indeed6 ,young man----0 ,then she broke off quite suddenly and resumed her normal sweetness of temper4 ,one might have fancied that she did not care to discuss spirits with ,lewis4 8,my niece is jesting10 she went on1 with a pale1 patient smile4 8,i'm afraid ,i wearied her4 ,it is too easy to bore the young and healthy1 when one is an old1 worthless invalid4 ,i'm sorry1 my dear4 ,i know ,i must be a great trial1 but ,i'm thankful that ,i can drop into the background gracefully4 ,i bear my trials as best ,i can4 ,you all know ,i never complain4 ,i realize that ,i can't expect much attention from happy1 care-free young folks1 and ,i don't look for it4 ,i know an invalid is always a burden1 so ,i try not to make things too hard for poor ,dorothy2 she's so self-sacrificing6 ,ah1 if ,i were only able1 how ,i would love to turn in and help get ready for the wedding6 ,but all ,i can do is sit back and wish you well1 children1 and say nothing when my few wants are forgotten4 ,i know ,i can't expect attention with a wedding only three days off1 and ,i don't expect it4 ,i just love the happy stir and bustle of preparation2 ,i seem to grow young again1 because ,i share ,dorothy's pleasure so keenly4 ,perhaps it's that which has made me so restless of late4 ,i've suffered much more than usual this week2 no doubt it has been the excitement4 ,but ,i wouldn't have it changed for worlds2 ,i enjoy it so6 ,what are a few more sleepless nights1 a few more pains1 to me8 ,i have had so many--so many60 ,she sighed deeply1 with that sweet1 suffering smile of one too ethereal for this rough world4 8,you must bear with me1 children4 ,a few days1 and you'll be gone1 happy in each other1 leaving me to my solitude and suffering4 ,ah1 it's better so6 ,i shall be happy1 knowing that ,i am no longer a damper on your joys40 ,aunt ,mary wiped away a tear and looked more seraphic than ever4 ,dorothy and ,lewis1 unreasonably enough1 appeared rather downcast4 ,the girl looked whimsically at ,lewis2 ,i fancy she squeezed his hand under the table4 ,then she dropped her napkin and1 under cover of retrieving it1 whispered swiftly to me3 8,don't mind aunty--in bad temper60 ,so she seemed to be4 ,i was rather taken aback by the revelation4 ,i wondered how often ,miss ,mc,gregor was in this mood1 and my sympathy for her niece increased momently4 ,if the old lady had been humanly irritable it wouldn't have been so bad2 but this pious1 sweet-toned flood of indirect complaint was hard to bear4 ,one felt hopelessly in the wrong2 one felt that ,aunt ,mary was forbearing and magnanimous in spite of her pains2 and one rebelled thereat4 8,i'm sorry you're having a bad time10 said ,lewis apologetically4 8,is there anything ,i could do1 ,aunt ,mary80 ,she sighed4 8,i think ,i could stand everything else if it weren't for the quail4 ,doctor ,parker0--she never could be induced to call my nephew 8,lewis0--8,doctor ,parker1 those birds drive me almost mad6 ,you know1 ,i sleep very poorly2 about dawn ,i used to be able to settle down for a little nap4 ,but it's just then that the quail begin3 #8,bobwhite6 bobwhite6'--until ,i could just scream with the knots in my neck4 ,i don't know what's going to become of me2 ,i can't stand it much longer4 ,you know ,i'm not one to complain2 ,i try to bear my burdens patiently1 but ,i've reached the end of my strength4 ,dorothy and ,peter don't realize how ,i've been tried1 because ,i never talk about it2 ,peter just laughs1 when he could have taken his gun and driven them away4 ,but1 if those quail keep whistling under my window much longer1 ,i shall go mad60 ,she finished in a rush of words1 as her face contorted queerly1 and her eyes reddened and filled with tears4 8,oh1 aunty60 cried ,dorothy remorsefully4 ,my nephew rose and came round the table to pat the old lady's hand comfortingly4 8,never mind1 ,aunt ,mary2 ,i'll see to it for you4 ,peter won't be back till to-morrow night1 but ,i'm sure he wouldn't mind my borrowing his shotgun4 ,i'll get up at daybreak in the morning and come over here and shoot those quail for you4 ,there can't be more than three or four1 ,i don't think2 they've nested into the scrub oaks out back1 most likely4 ,i'll see to it1 ,aunt ,mary1 don't you fret any more60 ,miss ,mc,gregor seemed a little comforted4 8,i'm a troublesome old woman10 she sighed1 8but you don't realize what ,i suffer60 ,then she rewarded ,lewis with her sweet1 patient smile1 albeit a bit weak and watery4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,a ,,bad ,,spell ,the nurse wheeled ,aunt ,mary back to her room to rest1 and we others rose4 ,our breakfast had been pretty effectually spoiled2 none of us1 except ,aunt ,mary1 had managed to eat much4 ,the old lady1 however1 had put away an excellent meal in spite of her sufferings4 8,poor old dear60 sighed ,lewis4 8,honey1 ,i'm afraid we've been selfish in our happiness2 we haven't thought enough of ,aunt ,mary4 ,after all she's a great sufferer40 ,i started2 that was so exactly ,miss ,mc,gregor's opinion4 ,dorothy looked at her lover almost suspiciously1 but he was perfectly serious4 ,as ,i have said1 my nephew was very serious-minded4 ,the girl sighed in relief and flashed an impudent glance at me4 8,yes1 poor aunty10 she said4 8,she's a great sufferer1 and she never complains40 8,that's what makes it so pitiful10 declared ,lewis soberly4 8,but come out doors a minute1 honey2 let's look over things and see if we can't locate those quail40 ,knowing very well that ,i wasn't wanted1 ,i watched through the window1 as the two young folks walked1 hand in hand1 down the path1 which led through the pines at the east of the old house1 into the thick scrub oak jungle behind it4 ,although in the heart of a sizable village1 it was a solitary spot4 ,the grounds of ,fort ,house took in an entire block2 and in its center one might well have fancied himself in the heart of the wilderness4 ,thinking themselves out of sight1 no doubt1 the two lovers stood very close4 ,dorothy's head rested against my nephew's shoulder2 her face was upturned to his4 ,i sighed and turned away4 ,i am a lonely old man4 ,then ,i heard ,rosina's voice behind me4 8,mist' ,uhlman1 is ,mist' ,lewis done gone8 ,they's a telegrum comed1 an' the boy done fotch it oveh1 seein' they wa'n't nobody home to his place40 ,i took the yellow envelope4 8,all right1 ,rosina4 ,he's out back with ,miss ,dorothy4 ,there they come1 now60 ,i stepped through the open ,french doors to meet them4 ,lewis took the telegram1 with that hint of flurry which touches every one at sight of the yellow envelope4 8,what8 ,oh1 yes6 ,it's from old ,floyd ,somers4 ,he was my classmate at medical school1 you know2 he's on the staff of some hospital for the insane up ,north4 ,see what he says40 ,he read the message over and scowled and smiled rather doubtfully1 then scowled again4 8#8,sincere condolences4 ,glad to act as chief mourner4 ,arrive ,monday4'0 ,dorothy flushed and bit her lip4 8,i don't care1 ,i think that's a great way to promise he'll be your best man4 ,no wonder he's in a lunatic asylum40 ,my nephew laughed rather uneasily4 8,oh1 that's just ,somers' way4 ,he's a queer old chap1 but ,i'm sure you'll like him1 honey40 8,i'm not1 then6 #8,condolences6' ,the very idea60 ,then she chuckled4 8,after all1 it is kind of a funny telegram4 ,maybe he won't be so sure you need condolences0--very demurely--8after he's seen me60 8,you little minx60 ,lewis kissed her soundly4 8,but really1 honey1 ,floyd ,somers is a fine old chap4 ,he may seem queer at first1 but1 when you get to know him1 he's one of the very best40 8,huh60 ,dorothy made a little face4 8,run along now1 boy1 and get to work4 ,you're going to have a very expensive wife presently1 and you can't afford to neglect your practice40 ,as we came down the front steps1 ,doctor ,gaskell's big twin-six coupe backed silently out of the garage behind his house1 just opposite1 and started down street4 ,i caught a glimpse of the doctor's face1 incongruously young beneath his crown of snow-white hair2 he smiled and raised an arm in greeting4 ,i lifted my hat4 ,to my mind ,gaskell was a fine chap4 ,some twenty-five years older than ,lewis he had been located in ,pinelands for more than twenty years1 and the cream of the practice was naturally his4 ,but he had been very gracious to my nephew and had sent him more than one case4 ,lewis1 however1 was less grateful4 ,now he scowled blackly4 8,darn his patronizing ways60 8,my boy1 he's been awfully good to you40 8,huh8 ,oh1 yes--very good6 ,he's sent me a few dead beats because he was tired of treating them for nothing2 and he's turned over half a dozen night calls because he hates to get out of bed4 ,and he goes round saying3 #8,parker8 ,oh1 yes1 ,doctor ,parker4 ,yes1 hum1 hum6 ,fine young chap1 that2 bright1 too4 ,of course he hasn't had much experience yet4' ,and it does me more harm than if he'd slam me outright40 ,i was silenced4 ,so we went on home1 only a short block1 and the boy got out his modest flivver to begin his own rounds1 which were short enough4 ,as ,i have said1 ,lewis had been only a year in ,pinelands4 ,he was making a living--and no more4 ,fortunately ,i had some money4 ,but he was not destined to make his calls yet4 ,for1 just as he climbed into the little car1 while ,i stood on the steps to watch him off1 ,rosina came panting around the corner4 8,oh1 ,mist' ,lewis60 she wheezed4 8,mist' ,doctah6 ,come a-runnin'6 ,miss ,dor'thy's ,aunt ,ma'y1 she's done been took dretful bad40 ,rosina's eyes rolled fearsomely4 8,she's a-hollerin' an' a-takin' on terrible4 ,yassuh6 ,whyn't you-all answer the phone8 ,miss ,dor'thy1 she wants you t' come a-runnin'4 ,yassuh60 8,oh1 the poor old lady6 ,i'll be there directly4 ,come along1 ,uncle ,george2 you can help1 maybe4 ,quick60 ,lewis urged me into the little car and1 scarce waiting for me to close its door1 started at top speed for ,fort ,house4 ,in thirty seconds the flivver was sliding to a stop1 and my nephew leaped out1 leaving me to turn off the engine and follow4 ,i entered to find ,aunt ,mary in her wheel chair in the big living room4 ,dorothy1 white-faced1 stood at one side1 wringing her hands2 the nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 was behind the chair1 bathing the old lady's forehead4 ,as ,i came in the nurse yawned widely4 ,she did not seem one to distress herself unduly4 ,lewis leaned over the chair1 counting ,miss ,mc,gregor's pulse4 ,the old lady was very pale2 her eyelids fluttered1 her head drooped1 as if she were half fainting2 she talked in a weak1 trembling voice4 8,no1 ,i can't go to bed4 ,i can't lie down2 ,i couldn't breathe1 my heart pounds so4 ,i--,i think ,i'm going to faint4 ,i have such queer feelings all down my left arm1 and my limbs are just numb1 way up to the hips4 ,am ,i having a stroke1 doctor8 ,i'm afraid so4 ,oh1 my heart6 ,there's a great ball in my throat1 and the back of my neck knots so terribly6 ,miss ,christie6 ,not there8 ,please1 rub my neck very gently4 ,ah-h-h6 ,i'm a great sufferer--a great sufferer6 ,don't trouble about me1 ,dorothy--run off and do your shopping4 ,i know you've lots to do1 getting ready to be married4 ,ah1 well6 ,i shan't be here long to be a trouble to you60 ,she groaned aloud2 her face began to twitch alarmingly2 her eyes rolled up until only the whites were visible4 8,i--,i'm f-fainting60 ,my nephew put his stethoscope to her chest1 felt her pulse once more1 then stepped back1 irresolute4 8,lewis6 ,lewis60 exclaimed ,dorothy4 8,aren't you going to do anything for poor auntie8 ,quick60 ,the boy frowned deeper4 ,he opened his bag and produced a bottle4 8,a spoon1 please1 with a cup and some hot water40 ,when they were brought he poured out some potion that diffused a strong scent of ammonia and ether4 ,aunt ,mary swallowed it with faint gurglings1 and her eyelids drooped once more4 ,lewis scowled and rubbed his chin4 8,i don't understand it10 he said4 8,her heart's all right--strong and regular4 ,but she's in dreadful pain2 one can see that4 ,i--,i'd like to have somebody else see her4 ,well1 we must get her into bed first40 ,as she was wheeled back into her own room1 where she was shut in with nurse and physician1 ,dorothy and ,i looked at each other in some doubt4 8,it's no wonder if ,lewis is puzzled10 declared the girl loyally4 8,aunt ,mary's is a very unusual case2 ,i don't know how many doctors have disagreed about it4 ,she's often told me so herself40 ,the girl paused1 looked guiltily about and then came very close4 8,you know1 ,uncle ,george10 she whispered1 her fragrant breath on my cheek1 8sometimes ,i wonder if auntie is really as bad off as she thinks4 ,oh1 she's paralyzed1 of course1 and it's an awful thing to be tied to a chair like she is1 not able to stand or walk or do anything for herself4 ,but1 ,i know it's just horrid of me1 ,i do wonder if she suffers as much as she makes out sometimes8 ,i know ,i stayed with her one night1 when ,miss ,christie was away1 and she slept every minute6 ,and next morning she swore up and down she'd never closed her eyes1 and she was real mad at me for saying she had40 8,your aunt has a hard time1 my dear10 ,i told her4 8,and----0 ,lewis emerged from the sick room1 still frowning4 8,she doesn't seem a bit better4 ,i wish----0 ,he was staring out of the window at ,doctor ,gaskell's big car1 just stopping in front of his house4 8,i believe----,darn it1 ,i hate to ask any favors of ,gaskell1 but he's older than ,i am1 and he is mighty clever4 ,i believe ,i'll ask him to come over and see ,aunt ,mary4 ,something's got to be done for her right away2 she's in dreadful pain1 one can see40 ,without more words he ran out1 calling aloud4 ,i felt a surge of pride4 ,it must have been hard for ,lewis to admit any uncertainty before his best-beloved1 and doubly hard to ask aid of ,gaskell1 whom he disliked so heartily4 ,yet the boy was big enough to submerge his pride for the sake of his patient's well-being4 8,he's a good boy1 ,dorothy10 ,i whispered1 and she nodded1 squeezing my hand4 ,then ,lewis returned1 escorting ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,i had to admit that the latter's very manner inspired confidence4 ,his deep-set eyes were bright and steady1 and his smile was disarmingly cordial4 ,he smoothed back his thick1 snow-white hair4 8,well1 ,miss ,dorothy6 ,in trouble8 ,we'll go right in1 doctor4 ,have to do something for the old lady right away2 can't have her sick now1 with a wedding coming on40 ,his smile broadened1 and a dimple showed at the corner of his mouth4 ,bowing1 he turned away1 and presently we heard his deep voice in the bedroom4 8,what8 ,sitting up8 ,fine6 ,hum1 hum4 ,just wheel her back out1 nurse4 ,better light in the big room40 ,miss ,mc,gregor reappeared in her chair4 8,she wouldn't get into bed1 doctor10 explained ,miss ,christie4 8,said it would kill her to be moved40 8,hum1 hum4 ,not quite that bad10 rumbled ,doctor ,gaskell1 chuckling4 ,aunt ,mary opened one eye to shoot a curiously vindictive glance at him1 then she groaned aloud and let her head drop limply forward again4 8,hum1 hum1 hum10 remarked ,doctor ,gaskell1 unmoved4 8,let's look at you now40 ,with swift1 practiced hands he made a brief examination2 taking the old lady's pulse1 listening to her heart1 tapping her knees and doing all the mysteriously impressive things that doctors do4 ,presently he straightened up4 8,she's all right10 he declared brusquely4 8,not a thing the matter with her2 a bit tired1 that's all4 ,go to bed1 madam1 and get a nap1 and you'll feel better40 ,miss ,mc,gregor's head jerked up2 she opened her eyes wide and fixed the physician with a baleful glare4 ,i caught my breath in wonder that an old lady so patient and sweet-tempered could be capable of such viciousness4 ,but it was over in a breath1 and ,aunt ,mary's features had resumed their accustomed expression of suffering sweetness4 8,no doubt you're right1 doctor4 ,i--,i do feel better40 ,so gentle and kindly was her smile that ,i wondered if my eyes had not deceived me just now4 8,the worst is over1 ,i hope4 ,i'm in a great deal of pain1 but ,i can bear it60 ,she looked so white1 so fragile2 her weary face1 her colorless1 quivering lips1 told such a tale of suffering bravely borne that my heart swelled with anger at the callousness of this doctor4 ,lewis shared my feelings1 ,i think1 for he drew ,gaskell to one side and seemed to remonstrate with him in low1 angry whispers4 ,the older man shrugged and smiled4 8,it's all right1 my boy10 he answered aloud4 8,i admire your soft heart1 but this is plain hysteria4 ,what8 ,paralyzed8 ,oh1 yes1 she's paralyzed1 but she's not suffering4 ,when you've seen as many women as ,i have with #8knots in the back of their necks1' you'll realize that the best thing to do is treat 'em rough4 ,sympathy only makes 'em worse2 and it's the poor folks that have to live with 'em who really need your sympathy4 ,hum1 hum6 ,you go to bed1 madam1 and behave yourself4 ,and1 if you stop taking out your bad temper on your family1 with #8bad spells' like this1 you'll feel better--and so will they40 ,it was brutal--even if it had been true it would have been brutal--but it seemed efficacious4 ,aunt ,mary straightened1 with more color in her thin face than ,i had ever seen there4 ,her voice was full and strong1 not sweet and gentle now1 but sharp enough4 8,you get out60 she said4 8,dorothy1 pay him and send him away4 ,you--you're no doctor6 ,i've always said you didn't know your business1 insulting poor1 helpless women like me60 ,my nephew interposed4 ,he was perfectly white1 and he trembled visibly4 8,let me1 ,aunt ,mary6 ,doctor ,gaskell1 you are a cad1 sir6 ,a cad and an ignoramus6 ,you're a disgrace to our profession4 ,i--,i0--he mouthed inarticulately1 almost beside himself with rage--8,i--we'll dispense with your services1 sir4 ,i may be young and inexperienced1 but ,i'm not heartless4 ,i--,i----,get out1 sir60 ,i caught the boy's arm4 8,softly1 ,lewis1 softly6 ,don't forget yourself4 ,you'd better go1 ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,i--,i'm sorry4 ,i apologize1 sir4 ,my nephew is excited40 8,hum10 said ,doctor ,gaskell quite calmly4 8,hum1 hum6 ,yes1 well--good day60 ,he bowed to ,aunt ,mary1 to ,dorothy1 to ,lewis1 and me1 with the most exact courtesy and went out4 8,the beast60 exclaimed ,lewis4 8,stop that60 ,i said to him severely4 8,he may have been wrong2 he was too abrupt1 no doubt4 ,but he gave his honest opinion2 and that's what you wanted1 wasn't it8 ,and he showed much more courtesy than you did1 my boy40 ,,chapter ,,iv ,a ,,feud ,my nephew calmed down presently and apologized to the ladies for his outburst4 ,it had been a distressing scene2 but1 whether it was ,doctor ,gaskell's rude pronouncement1 or excitement1 which caused her to forget her troubles1 or just coincidence1 ,aunt ,mary seemed much better for it4 ,she replied rather shortly to our questions1 saying that she was more comfortable 8for the moment10 that she didn't want anything1 and that she'd lie down a while to recuperate4 ,miss ,christie wheeled her back again into her bedroom1 apparently quite her usual sweetly1 patient self4 ,but ,i was convinced1 none the less1 that she would not lightly forgive ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,poor ,dorothy looked dreadfully flustered4 ,as my nephew left us to give the nurse some last directions1 she drew me out into the dining room4 8,i--,i don't know what to think1 ,uncle ,george10 she declared4 8,i know ,doctor ,gaskell was awfully harsh1 and everything like that2 and of course ,lewis is an awfully good doctor1 and ,i'm sure he knows what he's talking about1 but--but1 ,uncle ,george1 ,i do believe there was some truth in what ,doctor ,gaskell said4 ,i do1 ,i do6 ,so there6 ,you haven't lived with ,aunt ,mary a whole year like ,i have4 ,i do believe she makes out her pains are lots worse than they are--sometimes2 ,i do believe she likes to have folks say how patient she is1 and how she suffers4 ,if she's cross with me1 or anything upsets her1 ,i do believe she has one of these bad spells1 when other folks would just be cross and cranky4 ,i just do6 ,but you won't tell1 will you8 ,you won't breathe it to a soul that ,i said that1 will you1 ,uncle ,george8 ,because1 maybe1 it's just my meanness1 and1 besides1 ,lewis wouldn't like it40 ,so ,i promised4 ,then ,lewis appeared1 and ,i went out with him1 my own mind considerably unsettled by doubts4 ,on the whole ,i was inclined to agree with ,dorothy that ,aunt ,mary1 despite her repeated claims that she never complained1 managed to make the very most of her troubles4 ,my nephew was still incensed2 he snorted wrathfully at intervals4 ,i thought it best to keep my suspicions to myself4 8,i'll take you down to the post office1 unk10 he said4 8,the mail must be in by now1 and ,i've got to stop at the drug store1 anyhow40 ,we went to the latter place first1 and the pharmacist1 ,walter ,olsen1 hailed my nephew with joy4 8,howdy1 doc6 ,glad you came in4 ,come on back here40 ,he stooped over the high prescription counter at the back of the store1 his inch-wide blond eyebrows working up and down1 as they did when he was puzzled4 ,he was conning over a slip of paper1 and this he handed to my nephew4 8,see if you can make that out1 doc8 ,gaskell's worse than usual lately2 can't read his writing at all4 ,and he's gone off somewhere1 and ,satterfield may be in any minute after this40 ,lewis took the prescription and studied it for a moment4 8,tincture aconite1 one drachm10 he read4 8,bellonia--no1 belladonna1 a scruple40 ,then he paused1 staring over the paper at the druggist4 8,satterfield1 did you say8 ,ralph ,satterfield8 ,why1 the ,satterfields are my patients6 ,what in thunder does ,gaskell mean1 stealing my cases80 ,he threw the prescription down angrily1 his hot temper all aflame4 ,my nephew had a healthy opinion of his own dignity4 8,i won't waste my time on it60 he flared4 8,let ,gaskell translate his own scrawls4 ,what a dirty trick1 stealing my patients6 ,i never did think much of ,gaskell1 but ,i supposed he had some idea of ethics4 ,wonder if he ever heard of professional etiquette80 8,now1 now1 doc10 soothed ,olsen4 ,he was a mild1 pacific chap4 8,don't let it upset you4 ,there must be some mistake4 ,doctor ,gaskell wouldn't do that1 ,i'm sure40 ,stealing another man's patients is one of the high crimes of medicine4 8,you better just ask him about it2 likely ,satterfield told him you'd stopped coming40 8,nonsense60 replied ,lewis4 8,i was out there yesterday2 ,i was on my way there this morning4 ,it's the boy1 ,johnny1 isn't it80 ,he picked up the prescription once more4 8,john ,satterfield6 ,that's my case2 ,i'm treating that boy4 ,gaskell just butted in on me without a word4 ,confound him1 he's always playing me some dirty trick60 ,his voice was high2 one or two loafers in the front of the store heard him and came back to peer over the high screen4 ,olsen looked troubled4 8,wish ,i'd let ,ralph wait till ,i could locate ,gaskell10 ,olsen said to me helplessly4 8,i hate to start trouble like this40 ,he craned his neck to peer over the screen1 as the front door opened4 8,here's ,satterfield coming now60 he announced in vast relief4 8,you talk to him1 doc2 see if he don't explain this thing4 ,you can talk right back here40 ,he beckoned the newcomer and led us to a small storeroom behind the shop4 8,you-all can talk quiet in there40 ,he cast a worried look at the loungers1 who stared and whispered in front of the counter4 ,i drew my nephew into the room1 almost by force4 8,you cool off1 boy10 ,i ordered1 8or else let me talk to him4 ,you're making a show of yourself2 this thing'll be all over town before night40 ,thus adjured1 ,lewis took a fresh grip on himself and turned more quietly to ,satterfield4 ,the latter was a tall1 gaunt1 slab-sided individual in overalls and a battered slouch hat4 8,look here1 ,satterfield10 he began1 8,i thought ,i was taking care of ,johnny80 ,the other rasped a stubbly chin and pulled at his drooping mustache1 in obvious embarrassment4 8,we-ell1 doc1 y'see----0 ,he paused1 shuffled his feet and took a fresh start4 8,w'y1 th' woman got kinda panicky yestiddy after you was there4 ,says th' boy was worse1 sez she1 an' you was too young1 she sez1 an' we gotta have ,doc ,gaskell1 'at she knowed1 she sez1 an' took care o' her w'en th' kids was borned1 sez she40 8,huh4 ,and he came running1 didn't he8 ,glad enough to steal one of my patients from me40 8,w'y1 no1 doc10 ,satterfield answered4 8,couldn't hardly git 'im out there4 ,says we'd got another doctor1 and we'd ought to have him4 ,wouldn't come until finely ,i got ,bill ,sears to' drap you a post card1 sayin' we didn't want yuh t' come no longer4 ,ain't yuh got it yit80 ,lewis glared1 open-mouthed1 taken aback by this revelation4 ,but ,i think his anger against ,gaskell only burned the brighter for the knowledge that he had done the older man an injustice4 8,he's a dirty hound1 anyway10 he retorted4 8,and as for you1 ,satterfield1 you must think a lot of yourself1 begging help from the man who put you in jail last month40 ,the other reddened1 scowling sullenly4 8,that's between him an' me10 he said4 ,gaskell was one of the town commissioners1 and he had been acting mayor for two months1 during the absence of ,frank ,hayes4 ,and1 when ,satterfield had been brought before him1 charged with bootlegging1 ,gaskell had given the countryman thirty days on the roads4 8,that's between him an' me10 said ,satterfield4 8,cain't nobody send me to th' jail house 'ithout payin' f'r it4 ,i'll settle with ,doc ,gaskell yit--you see6 ,but that ain't got nothin' t' do with this here2 we-all quit doctorin' with you an' sent f'r ,doc ,gaskell1 see8 ,yuh got anythin' t' say about that1 huh80 ,he glared belligerently at ,lewis4 ,i fancy that his own conscience was something less than easy1 which naturally made him irritable4 8,no1 no60 ,i told him4 8,it's all right2 the doctor is perfectly satisfied4 ,come along1 ,lewis60 ,my aged nerves had stood all they could this morning4 ,i hurried my nephew out of the place before he could start a new quarrel4 ,at last ,i got the boy off on his rounds1 in a tolerably calm frame of mind1 and ,i walked slowly back to the house4 ,my heart was heavy4 ,unless he learned to curb his hot temper ,lewis could not hope to do well here4 ,in any open break the sympathy of the townspeople would naturally go to ,doctor ,gaskell1 the older and better-known man4 ,lewis would suffer1 whatever the merits of the case4 ,it worried me deeply4 ,as ,i turned onto our street1 ,i noticed a team of mules standing before ,doctor ,gaskell's house1 and a deep1 angry roar drew my eyes to his front porch4 ,a huge old man1 bearded to the waist1 stood on the doctor's porch1 a wide-brimmed felt hat thrust far back on his massive head4 ,he was shouting at a thoroughly frightened negro maid4 8,out1 huh8 ,gone away1 huh8 ,he better be gone away6 ,where's he at1 huh80 8,g-gone to th' h-hospital1 suh10 answered the girl in a quavering voice4 8,he's done gone1 suh2 ain't gwine be back ontwel evenin'40 8,huh80 ,a terrifying snort shook the air4 8,you tell 'em this word f'om me1 f'om ,lafe ,rutledge1 gyurl4 ,tell 'im he's got till sunup t' settle1 an' that's all4 ,i'll be down to th' ,pinelands ,hotel all evenin'4 ,ontel sunup1 you hear me80 8,yassuh6 ,oh1 yassuh4 ,i shore will tell th' doctah60 ,the giant snorted once more1 tugged at his flowing beard and turned away4 ,his heavy cowhide boots stamped down the steps2 then he clambered into his wagon1 gathered the lines and lashed his mules to a run4 ,well1 ,doctor ,gaskell's troubles were his own4 ,i was more concerned with my nephew's1 and ,i feared that his hot temper would provide plenty for him4 ,,chapter ,v ,a ,,tragedy ,the rest of that day passed uneventfully enough4 ,when he returned from his rounds ,lewis seemed quite himself again1 and that afternoon he went off to ,raleigh cheerfully enough1 to hurry the tailor with his wedding clothes4 ,the wedding was to be on ,wednesday1 at noon2 but ,dorothy had planned a rehearsal for ,monday1 when her ,brother ,peter would be back1 and ,lewis' best man1 ,doctor ,somers1 would be here4 ,and ,tuesday would be a very busy day1 what with receiving and caring for the many out-of-town guests4 ,saturday was the boy's last chance to get his new clothes4 ,peter ,mc,gregor would not return until ,sunday afternoon1 so it was arranged that ,i should stay at ,fort ,house another night4 ,i did not look forward to it with any great joy2 but ,i hoped that the ,poltergeist would allow me a few hours' rest1 though ,i could hardly look for a like forbearance from bobwhite4 ,the evening went off tolerably well4 ,aunt ,mary was quite cheerful1 and she had surprisingly little to say about her throat and her 8limbs0 and the knots in the back of her neck4 ,i dozed comfortably in a big sleepy-hollow chair1 half listening to ,dorothy's chatter over some intimate bit of finery4 ,and the nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 slept quite frankly on a couch in the corner4 ,she was never at a loss how to spend her time4 ,at last ,dorothy threw her embroidery frame at me4 8,go to bed1 ,uncle ,george6 ,you haven't heard one thing ,i've been saying for an hour4 ,you poor thing6 ,you're all tired out40 ,i rubbed my eyes4 8,indeed ,i have2 ,i was very much interested4 ,but1 perhaps1 ,i'd better go to bed now4 ,first1 though1 ,i must get out ,peter's shotgun and set it beside the back door1 where ,lewis can get it in the morning4 ,he's going after those quail1 you know1 and he made me promise to set out the gun4 ,he won't be back till midnight40 8,it's up in ,peter's room4 ,come along1 ,i'll show you4 ,but you'll have to load it and all that1 ,uncle ,george4 ,i don't know a thing about guns40 ,aunt ,mary sniffed4 8,it used to be the pride of the ,mc,gregors of ,maryland that the ladies of the family were all thorough sportswomen4 ,many have been the days ,i spent riding to hounds1 when ,i was your age1 ,dorothy2 on many a morning ,i turned out early with my gun for duck shooting1 or to go out with the dogs after quail4 ,i never asked any help to care for my guns1 either4 ,but that's long1 long ago1 and here ,i am1 a poor1 crippled old woman1 tied to a chair1 these fourteen years4 ,ah1 well6 ,young folks aren't what they were in my day60 ,her lips trembled2 her eyes suffused with tears4 ,fearing another outbreak like the one of the morning ,i cast about me for some new topic4 ,just then two powerful lights flashed briefly through the windows and vanished again4 ,i glanced out2 ,doctor ,gaskell's big car had just swept round the corner toward his garage4 8,the doctor's back10 said ,i casually4 8,wonder if he's seen ,lafe ,rutledge40 8,who80 ,i jumped at the sudden1 sharp question and wheeled4 ,miss ,christie1 whom ,i had supposed asleep1 as usual1 had leaped up from her couch and stood facing me1 half crouched4 ,for once her eyes were wide open2 her round1 dimpled face was pale and drawn2 her hands1 clasped at her breast1 trembled4 8,who did you say80 8,why10 ,i answered1 wondering1 8a man called ,rutledge4 ,he was asking for ,doctor ,gaskell this morning1 as ,i came past4 ,the doctor was out1 but he left a message4 ,i heard it2 nobody within half a mile could have helped hearing it4 ,said his name was ,lafe ,rutledge1 and he'd give the doctor until sunup to settle--whatever that means40 8,oh60 exclaimed the nurse1 and the vivid horror in her face made her suddenly beautiful4 ,i had never noticed her looks before2 she was so sleepily indifferent2 but now fear transfigured her4 8,oh1 ,lafe ,rutledge6 ,are you sure8 ,a great1 big old man1 with a long beard80 8,and a voice like the bull of ,bashan--and enormous boots6 ,yes1 that's the gentleman40 ,without another word ,miss ,christie ran to the door1 bareheaded as she was1 and tore it open4 8,miss ,christie6 ,nurse60 ,it was ,aunt ,mary's voice1 sharp1 domineering1 and angry4 8,what do you mean by this8 ,come back here at once6 ,take me to my room60 ,the girl never glanced back4 8,in a minute10 she answered4 8,i can't stop now4 ,i'll come back directly40 ,the door slammed after her4 ,we three stared at each other4 8,well60 cried ,dorothy4 8,what do you suppose waked her up80 ,aunt ,mary bridled4 8,ungrateful minx6 ,what does she mean by it1 leaving me this way8 ,i'm tired1 and ,i want her to rub my limbs at once60 8,she'll be right back1 ,i'm sure10 said ,dorothy4 8,something upset her2 she must be afraid of this man ,rutledge for some reason4 ,the poor girl looked scared to death40 8,she should consider me10 insisted ,miss ,mc,gregor inexorably4 8,i have enough to bear1 without my nurse rushing off and cutting up like this4 ,this settles it6 ,she shall go1 as soon as ,i can find some one to take her place6 ,i never liked her2 ,i might have known that any one whom that wretch ,gaskell recommended would be untrustworthy40 8,oh10 said ,i1 wondering1 8,doctor ,gaskell sent her here80 ,dorothy nodded4 8,miss ,o',brien had to leave1 and we got this nurse through ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,she comes from the western part of the ,state1 up in the mountains somewhere1 near the ,tennessee border40 ,the front door opened1 and ,miss ,christie reappeared1 rather out of breath1 but sleepily calm as ever4 8,you have upset me seriously10 declared ,aunt ,mary severely4 8,my limbs tingle1 and the knots are coming in my neck4 ,take me to my room at once4 ,what do you mean by dashing off this way80 ,her voice was harsh1 almost abusive4 ,i sighed a little1 to think how intimacy was shattering my faith in ,aunt ,mary's saintliness4 ,it was a myth1 ,i began to suspect4 ,behind the old lady's angelic front lurked a temper quite the reverse of angelic4 8,i'm sorry1 ,miss ,mc,gregor10 answered the nurse meekly4 8,i had to go2 it was a matter of life and death1 almost40 ,aunt ,mary sniffed4 8,life and death1 indeed6 ,how about my life and death8 ,but that's of no importance1 ,i suppose2 ,i'm only a poor1 helpless old woman that everybody'll be glad to get rid of40 ,then yielding1 ,i suppose1 to the curiosity which touched us all1 she asked3 8,what did you run off for1 anyway80 8,i can't tell you40 ,the girl's sleepy face set determinedly4 8,mf60 exclaimed ,aunt ,mary4 8,i don't like mysteries4 ,i'll give you until morning2 then you can explain--or leave60 8,very well1 ,miss ,mc,gregor4 ,shall ,i take you to your room now80 ,she pushed the wheeled chair out1 and ,dorothy1 still wide-eyed1 beckoned to me4 8,come along1 ,uncle ,george4 ,let's get the shotgun4 ,what do you suppose ailed ,miss ,christie80 ,i shrugged4 8,she's from the mountains4 ,they still have feuds out there1 you know1 along the ,north ,carolina border4 ,perhaps this fellow ,rutledge comes from her home1 and she's afraid he'll do some mischief down here4 ,maybe she'll explain herself in the morning1 unless ,aunt ,mary is too cranky40 ,dorothy shivered a little4 8,i don't like mysteries1 either10 she confessed4 8,and there's trouble coming1 ,uncle ,george2 ,i can feel it4 ,oh1 dear6 ,i wish we were out of ,fort ,house for good6 ,everything's going wrong4 ,that horrid ghost1 or whatever it is1 scared me about sick2 and then ,lewis had to go and quarrel with ,doctor ,gaskell1 and now ,miss ,christie begins to act so queer1 and--and everything4 ,oh1 dear6 ,i wish all these things could have happened to some other body4 ,here's ,peter's gun1 ,uncle ,george1 in this closet40 ,i took it out1 a plain1 well-used1 double-barreled shotgun4 ,then ,i broke it to make sure it was unloaded4 8,there's a box of shells on the shelf1 ,i think4 ,come on1 let's leave it out and go to bed4 ,i'm tired1 too40 ,she led the way down the back stairs4 ,after making sure that both barrels were unloaded ,i set the gun against the angle of the wall on the back porch1 just inside the screen door4 8,there6 ,i told ,lewis ,i'd put it there4 ,i'll just leave the cartridges beside it1 with the cleaning rod and rags1 so he can put the gun in shape when he's through with it4 ,i hope he gets those miserable quail2 they kept me awake1 too40 8,poor ,uncle ,george6 ,he's having a hard time1 taking care of the ,mc,gregor family1 isn't he80 she stood on tiptoe to kiss the end of my nose1 then she ran in4 8,i'm going to bed1 too10 she called back4 ,but as ,i labored up the front stairs--slowly enough1 for my joints were very stiff--she came out of ,miss ,mc,gregor's room to call after me4 8,uncle ,george6 ,auntie's nervous about that gun4 ,come in and tell her where you left it40 ,i turned back4 8,on the back porch1 ,miss ,mc,gregor1 inside the screen door40 8,is it loaded80 querulously she asked4 8,no1 ma'am4 ,i set the box of shells beside it1 ready40 8,like as not we'll all be murdered in our beds1 but ,i'd run that chance even to get rid of those quail4 ,good night60 8,good night60 ,i resumed my interrupted climb4 ,if the ,poltergeist paid us a visit that night ,i did not know it4 ,i could scarcely keep my eyes open long enough to undress4 ,i was tired out1 and the bed felt grateful enough4 ,i slept sound and dreamlessly1 which is rather unusual for me1 until about half past three4 ,then ,i half woke1 to hear the matutinal song--screech1 rather--of those pestiferous quail4 ,i grinned sleepily1 wondering if ,aunt ,mary had been awakened1 too2 wondering how soon ,lewis would be along1 and whether he would bag them4 ,then ,i dropped off again1 to dream that ,lewis was stalking a covey of sitting quail in my bedroom4 ,they perched on the footboard2 ,i struggled hopelessly1 as one does in dreams1 to cry out1 to warn him that ,i was in his line of fire4 ,i could not make a sound4 ,presently he raised his gun1 and ,i saw that it was a cannon1 a field piece1 with a muzzle as big around as my head4 ,he pulled the trigger--the thing went off with a most horrible racket and blew the whole house apart4 ,i seemed to be sailing straight up into the air1 with ,lafe ,rutledge beside me1 his great white beard fluttering4 8,there'll be no wedding now10 ,i told him4 ,then ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor came along1 wearing roller skates1 and explained that she could get around better that way than in the wheel chair1 and so she had given the latter to ,dorothy4 ,and ,rosina appeared1 eyes rolling as if on swivels1 and said3 8,come a-runnin'6 ,lafe's eloped with ,miss ,dor'thy60 ,just then ,i woke up1 laughing aloud at the absurdity of it all4 ,it was broad daylight2 my watch said five o'clock4 ,the quail still whistled persistently4 ,i got up and went to the window1 wondering if ,lewis had come yet2 this would be a fine time to flush those birds4 ,i was almost tempted1 in spite of my rheumatic joints1 to slip down myself4 ,the early sun struck through the tall pines and showed a moving figure among them4 ,lewis was prompt evidently4 ,he stepped out from the little grove into the scrub-oak tangle behind it1 gun at the ready4 ,then he seemed to stumble4 ,the shotgun came halfway to his shoulder1 as if for a snapshot1 steadied1 its barrel pointing straight ahead--and flamed6 ,the heavy roar of black powder reached my ears on the heels of the flash4 8,good boy60 ,i cried aloud4 8,get him80 ,lewis took one step forward1 then staggered back1 dropping his gun2 both hands went to his face4 ,it was too far to see what had happened2 too far even to shout a query from the open window4 ,i turned away1 my heart throbbing1 to hunt for my clothes4 ,then a stentorian shout brought me back1 gasping1 gripped by a premonition of evil4 ,surely the boy could not have shot himself6 ,the muzzle of the gun had pointed well away from him4 8,hey1 there60 roared the same minatory voice1 now closer4 8,what you-all up to8 ,lay off o' that there shootin' in th' corporation60 ,a huge figure threaded its way through the pines1 following the path that led from one street to the other1 a favorite short cut for pedestrians4 ,it was our constable1 ,rufe ,wakefield1 a tremendous man1 whose apparent ferocity cloaked a rather timorous heart1 so folk whispered4 ,he repeated his challenge1 and now he was through the grove and beside ,lewis4 8,what you up to80 he demanded1 and his leonine roar seemed louder than the recent shot4 ,then he leaped back1 both hands thrown up2 presently he came forward again and picked up my nephew's fallen gun4 ,they talked together2 ,wakefield was accusing1 ,lewis apparently protesting2 both were much agitated4 ,at last they turned and came slowly back toward the house4 ,i could bear it no longer4 ,i leaned far out of the window4 8,say60 ,i shouted1 at the pitch of my lungs4 8,hello1 down there6 ,what's wrong80 ,wakefield looked up4 8,murder's wrong60 he called excitedly4 8,this feller's done shot ,doc ,gaskell4 ,killed 'im daid60 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,uncertainty ,i staggered back4 8,what1 murdered8 ,doctor ,gaskell murdered6 ,what's that about ,lewis8 ,you wait right there1 ,rufe1 till ,i get dressed40 ,without waiting to see whether he would obey1 ,i turned from the window and groped excitedly for my trousers4 ,from the look of him1 ,i fancied that the constable would be glad of some guidance1 even from me2 he seemed as flustered and at sea as poor ,lewis himself4 ,i dragged on my trousers over my pajamas1 thrust bare feet into a pair of slippers1 and hurried out into the hall1 my coat on my arm4 8,uncle ,george60 ,it was a very shaky1 frightened little voice4 ,dorothy1 swathed in a blue woolen robe1 looking like a sleepy schoolgirl1 with her black hair in braids1 clutched at my arm4 8,uncle ,george1 what is it8 ,what's happened8 ,you can't go out like that--you'll catch your death60 ,i must have presented an odd figure3 bare-ankled1 suspenders hanging about my hips1 a lavender pajama coat much in evidence4 ,but ,i was too upset to laugh at myself4 8,let me go1 child2 there's something wrong outside40 ,i had some vague thought of shielding her but her big eyes widened1 as she grew very white4 8,oh60 she exclaimed4 8,lewis6 ,lewis is hurt--,lewis is killed1 and you're afraid to tell me60 8,no1 no6 ,it's ,gaskell--,doctor ,gaskell's been hurt4 ,i don't know what has happened1 but ,i'm going to find out4 ,let me go1 child4 ,lewis is all right1 ,i tell you4 ,look out of the window1 and you can see him40 ,then ,i broke away1 to limp and stumble down the stairs at top speed1 hoping ,i had pacified her2 hoping she might go back to bed2 hoping ,i could settle this thing1 get ,wakefield away from the window before ,dorothy could hear that her fianc was accused of murder4 ,i plunged out of the door and raced around to the east side of the house4 ,here ,i found ,lewis and the constable1 side by side1 staring silently at nothing4 ,they turned to me helplessly4 8,well60 ,i began impatiently4 8,what is it8 ,what's happened8 ,don't stand there staring like dummies--tell me60 ,their befuddlement angered me2 though1 indeed1 what with excitement1 rheumatic twinges1 and the breathless hurry of my coming1 ,i fear ,i was in little better case myself4 ,my nephew sighed heavily1 as if awakened from an evil dream4 8,come along1 unk10 he invited4 8,yeah10 said the gigantic constable1 8c'm' on1 an' see what he done60 ,i followed them along the little winding path1 through the pines and into the tangle of scrub oaks2 there ,i stopped1 gasping4 ,before me1 supine1 inert1 lay the body of ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,his face was deadly white1 his features sharpened curiously4 ,he was fully dressed1 and one hand still clutched a small black bag4 ,he lay on his back among the thick bushes1 his feet still in the little path4 ,in the very center of his body1 just above the belt1 was a horrid1 gaping wound1 about which his white shirt was all tattered and stained4 ,needlessly ,i knelt and put my hand over his heart4 ,it was quite still2 and his skin was cold already4 ,i rose stiffly4 8,good heavens10 ,i said4 8,lewis----0 8,yeah1 ,lewis6 ,i sh'd think so10 declared the constable4 8,george1 ain't this terrible80 ,he gripped the boy's shoulder4 8,what'd ye do it f'r1 huh80 ,lewis shook off his hand4 8,i--,i didn't10 he said thickly4 ,his lips were stiff1 and his tongue seemed unmanageable4 8,i didn't--or1 anyway1 ,i didn't know40 ,he groaned aloud4 8,i don't know what happened4 ,i thought ,i saw a quail1 and ,i cocked the gun and started to raise it1 and then ,i stumbled1 and it went off4 ,he must have been coming through the bushes2 ,i never saw him1 or heard him--or anything4 ,he never made a sound6 ,i supposed ,i was all alone out here until ,i heard ,rufe yell2 then ,i jumped and looked round1 and there he was--dead6 ,you believe me1 don't you1 unk80 8,huh80 asked ,wakefield4 8,sounds kinda fishy t' me40 ,he pointed down at the body accusingly4 8,hit plumb center10 he pronounced4 8,with a shotgun1 too2 anybody c'd see that4 ,an' right close up6 ,see th' powder marks8 ,musta seed him60 8,he didn't1 either60 ,i put in4 8,i was watching from that window up there2 ,i saw ,lewis raise his gun and trip1 just like he said4 ,gaskell wasn't in sight1 or anybody else60 8,huh60 asked the constable again4 8,we-ell1 it's kinda queer1 anyways2 'specially after th' way ,doc ,parker here was talkin' in to ,olsen's yestiddy4 ,yeah0--as ,i shrunk from the memory of the boy's careless threats--8,i was there and heerd 'im m'self1 making threats agin' ,doc ,gaskell4 ,i reckon you'll have a right smart o' explainin' t' do1 ,parker60 8,well10 ,i said1 8don't let's argue about it now4 ,we'll have to look after the body1 and--whatever it is they do when anybody's found dead this way40 ,i looked questioningly at the constable1 and he stared blankly back4 ,the habitual fierceness of his huge face was marred somewhat by a shifting1 uncertain eye4 ,he fingered his chin irresolutely1 and gazed about as for inspiration4 ,i scratched my head4 ,plainly there was no help in him4 8,i suppose10 ,i began doubtfully1 8,i suppose the coroner ought to be notified and the sheriff----0 ,wakefield brightened4 ,here was a chance to shift unwanted responsibility4 8,th' sheriff8 ,yeah60 he said4 8,sure6 ,i'll go phone 'im right away40 ,he started off1 then paused and turned back4 8,i--,i s'pose ,i'd oughta 'rest 'im1 hadn't ,i80 he asked1 looking at me as for advice on the matter4 8,i'd oughta 'rest 'im an' take 'im to th' lockup first1 mebbe40 ,for all the gravity of the situation1 ,i had to laugh4 ,he was so ludicrously inept1 this huge1 ferocious-looking constable4 8,nonsense60 said ,i4 8,lewis won't run away4 ,i'll be responsible for him4 ,we'll come along while you phone2 that'll be the best way4 ,and1 when ,redden comes1 you can turn my nephew right over to him40 8,we-ell4 ,if you think that's th' best way40 ,then the constable started toward ,fort ,house4 8,no1 not in there10 ,i said4 8,it would upset ,miss ,mc,gregor terribly4 ,she's an invalid1 you know40 ,really1 it was ,dorothy whom ,i wished to spare4 8,we'd better go across to ,gaskell's house40 ,that started a new doubt in ,mr4 ,wakefield's slow mind4 ,he stopped again4 8,i don't know as we'd oughta leave th' body there all alone10 he declared4 8,mebbe we better go back an'----0 8,nonsense60 ,i exclaimed4 8,we can go back and wait there as soon as you've notified ,sheriff ,redden4 ,come along1 now60 ,then ,i dragged him on by main force4 ,fortunately1 ,mrs4 ,gaskell was away1 so we had not to break the dreadful news to her4 ,a frightened colored maid1 just opening the back door1 for it was still early1 showed us to the telephone1 and ,wakefield called for the county jail4 ,we claimed ,pinelands for the county seat1 but the courthouse and jail of ,carabas ,county were not in the town4 ,when the new buildings were projected some ten years before there was a bitter rivalry between ,pinelands and ,smyrna1 five miles off1 for the honor of possessing them4 ,and finally1 to settle this1 the jail and courthouse were built upon the dividing line of the two townships1 over two miles from either village4 ,this singular arrangement1 of course1 pleased neither contingent4 ,but there our courthouse stood1 alone in the wilderness1 and ,i know of one other similar case in ,north ,carolina4 ,the sheriff lived in the jail1 which made this a long-distance call4 ,we had to wait for ten minutes or so to get a connection4 8,hello60 said ,wakefield4 8,hello6 ,th' jail8444 ,gimme th' high sheriff4 ,huh8444 ,this here's ,rufe ,wakefield1 over to ,pinelands4444 ,yeah1 ,const'ble ,wakefield4 ,hello1 sheriff8444 ,they's been a killin' here--,doc ,gaskell's done been shot4444 ,huh8444 ,yeah1 ,i got th' feller did it4444 ,huh8444 ,bring 'im out there8 ,nossir6 ,i ain't got no author'ty outside th' corporation1 an'1 anyways1 ,i ain't a-goin' to4444 ,huh8444 ,nossir6444 ,huh80 ,i pushed him aside2 ,i could see that he was getting nowhere4 8,hello6 ,sheriff8444 ,george ,uhlman speaking4444 ,yes1 ,doctor ,parker's uncle4 ,we just found ,doctor ,gaskell out here in the bushes1 near his house1 dead4 ,he'd been killed with a shotgun4 ,we don't know how it happened2 looks like an accident4 ,wakefield thinks my nephew did it1 but ,i don't6 ,anyway1 it's not clear1 and it needs investigation4 ,there's nobody here fit to take charge4 ,will you come right over1 please80 8,w'y sure60 came the sheriff's high1 whining falsetto4 8,i s'posed f'om ,rufe it wa'n't nothin'1 on'y just a plain killin'4 ,be over directly4 ,you sent f'r th' coroner80 8,no2 we just found the body40 8,aw right6 ,i'll git ,doc ,burgess f'om ,smyrna an' carry him over there4 ,git started soon as ,i c'n git my clothes on40 ,his shrill voice took on an injured note4 8,wisht you-all'd have y'r killin's later in the day60 ,we went out into the fresh1 bright morning1 and walked toward the pine grove4 ,even now ,pinelands was scarcely awake4 ,thin curls of smoke began lazily to mount from a chimney here and there2 a colored servant or two hurried up the street1 fresh from ,jimtown1 across the creek4 ,in an hour they would be serving breakfast2 the orderly life of ,pinelands would begin behind those white colonnaded house fronts1 which were now so still4 ,it came to me as a shock1 that peaceful life should be going on all about1 when ,i seemed caught into the whirl of another world altogether--a fantastic1 unreal world of sudden death and police officers and all the sordid routine of criminal investigation4 ,perhaps ,i felt the whole affair as deeply as ,lewis did4 ,i was fond of my nephew4 ,we passed under ,aunt ,mary's window1 and ,i could hear ,miss ,christie's undisturbed snoring4 ,there was no sound from ,miss ,mc,gregor herself1 although the quail still whistled piercingly4 ,i wondered if she could really be asleep--if1 perhaps1 the bobwhites disturbed her less than she fancied4 ,surely1 with the shouting which had followed that fateful explosion of ,peter ,mc,gregor's shotgun1 even a sound sleeper might well have been awakened4 ,but one1 at least1 in ,fort ,house1 was stirring4 ,as we passed the corner of the old place ,dorothy ran out1 breathless1 hastily dressed1 but distractingly pretty4 ,her thick braids were coiled carelessly on her head2 as she came toward us she thrust a hairpin home4 8,oh1 ,lewis6 ,what is it1 boy8 ,what's happened8 ,i just know it's something terrible60 8,there1 there1 honey60 ,with a vast effort the boy shook himself into a semblance of calm1 and put an arm about her protectingly4 8,it's nothing6 ,there's been an accident1 and ,doctor ,gaskell is hurt40 8,hurt80 ,she drew away from him a little1 looking deep into his eyes4 8,oh1 boy1 boy6 ,you didn't quarrel with him again80 8,no4 ,i--,i didn't know he was there1 dear4 ,i never saw or heard a thing4 ,and the gun went off1 and----0 8,did you hit him8 ,is he hurt badly8 ,where is he8 ,can't ,i help80 8,nobody can help him now10 ,i told her gravely4 8,the only way you can help is to go back in the house and try to keep this from ,aunt ,mary as long as you can4 ,no60 ,i caught her sharply back1 as she would have run down the path4 8,you can't do anything there2 you must keep away40 ,she stared at me in agony4 8,you--you mean he's dead80 ,she seemed unable to understand2 her face was quite blank4 ,indeed1 all of us seemed helplessly confused that fateful morning4 ,i look back now and see how we might have risen to the occasion1 how we might have handled the situation efficiently2 but then we all seemed bound by the same nightmare1 gripped by that terrible helplessness of dreams1 so that we could only stare and gape4 ,after all1 it was no wonder6 ,doctor ,william ,gaskell had been killed in a very sudden and dreadful fashion--and my nephew1 ,lewis ,parker1 was supposed to have killed him1 however unintentionally4 ,and we loved the boy4 8,we-ell10 said ,dorothy uncertainly1 8,i'll try and be good4 ,you come with me1 ,lewis1 please40 8,i--,i'm needed here10 he began1 but ,constable ,wakefield's stentorian voice drowned his evasion4 8,he's gotta stay right with me1 ma'am10 he declared4 8,he's under arrest1 he is1 f'r murder60 ,he inflated his huge chest importantly1 then shrank suddenly back1 fumbling at his hip1 as my nephew turned upon him4 8,here1 here6 ,none o' that1 now60 8,you fool60 said the boy4 8,i've a good mind to break your head--blurting out that way40 8,quit1 quit60 ,the constable tried to hide his vast bulk behind me1 and his voice shook4 ,here was a desperate criminal1 a red-handed murderer1 threatening him6 ,i read the thought in the sickly face of him4 8,you-all make him quit6 ,resistin' a officer's serious1 ,parker60 ,lewis had forgotten him already4 ,his eyes were all for ,dorothy4 8,it--it was an accident60 he declared piteously4 8,dorothy--honey--you believe me1 don't you8 ,i never even saw him2 ,i supposed he was home in bed4 ,oh1 honey1 you don't think ,i really meant to shoot him80 ,the girl's eyes shone1 and she brushed the thought away with a magnificent gesture4 8,of course not6 ,but1 ,lewis1 boy1 arrested6 ,w-will they put you in j-jail1 dearest8 ,they won't keep you there1 will they8 ,why1 our wedding's only two days off60 8,come1 dear10 ,i urged4 8,run in1 now4 ,see1 people are coming already4 ,it's only a formality0--how ,i hoped it was not a lie--8just a form4 ,he'll be out again and back in time for dinner4 ,you go look after ,aunt ,mary and be brave40 ,she turned away obediently1 her slender shoulders shaking with sobs2 then she came back to kiss the boy1 and fled4 ,i sighed with relief as she vanished into the house4 8,come on1 ,wakefield1 let's get it over10 ,i suggested4 ,already the news had spread4 ,perhaps it had been the telephone operator1 perhaps the mysterious wireless of small-town gossip4 ,anyhow men and boys had begun to collect1 to hang in whispering groups along the road4 ,a few bolder spirits advanced1 full of questions1 and followed us back along the path to where ,gaskell's body still lay4 8,how come80 asked one man of the constable1 who stood beside ,lewis1 still rubbing his chin with unsteady fingers4 ,he had made no move to lift the dead man4 8,how come8 ,doc ,parker1 here1 done it with his shotgun just now4 ,i as good as seen him60 ,the constable's statement was relayed from one whispering group to another4 ,the crowd gathered1 came closer1 jostling and shoving through the scrub for a better look4 ,a little murmur started somewhere and grew into a menacing growl3 8,killed ,doc ,gaskell6 ,shot 'im down deliberate6 ,dirty coward60 ,a high1 excited voice from the rear shouted3 8,he ought to be lynched60 ,at that sinister suggestion the crowd began to mill4 ,the mutter of unfriendly voices deepened1 grew more ominous4 8,git a rope60 exclaimed another4 ,suddenly there was an outburst of howls1 shrill1 bitter1 inhuman1 like the baying of hounds4 8,git a rope6 ,git a rope6 ,hang 'im--lynch 'im60 ,pushing and crowding1 they drew closer1 surrounding us and the body1 treading down the bushes1 thrusting aside saplings4 ,i looked into a circle of flushed1 ugly faces4 ,the crowd had become a mob4 ,constable ,wakefield straightened to the full of his six feet two1 thrust out his official chest and glowered at them fiercely4 8,stand back1 boys60 he ordered4 8,don't interfere with th' law60 ,his authoritative way had its effect for an instant2 then some one laughed4 8,yah1 ,rufe6 ',member when ,ralph ,satterfield took y'r star off of yuh that day8 ,knock his block off1 fellers2 take 'is gun away1 if he starts anythin'4 ,he ain't got the nerve to shoot40 ,wakefield had now produced a huge and ancient pistol4 ,the big man paled1 and his small eyes shifted uncertainly4 ,his heavy1 bullying voice quavered4 8,now1 now1 boys10 he said1 suddenly pacific1 8don't do nothin' you'll be sorry for40 8,gr-r-r-r60 ,the crowd swayed forward4 ,lewis1 very white1 clenched his fists and crouched1 prepared to sell his life dearly4 ,i stood in front of him2 ,i would come to grips with ,nate ,buford who was nearest me2 ,i could hold him back for a minute1 at least4 ,and1 even in that breathless moment1 ,i had to grin to myself to think of pitting my puny1 rheumatic sixty-odd years against the wrath of a mob4 ,presently the crowd began to waver4 8,beat it60 shouted some one from the rear4 ,those nearest us shifted1 looked over shoulders1 then stepped back1 each trying to hide behind his fellows and look like an innocent bystander4 ,a wide lane opened1 and along it a shrunken1 undistinguished figure advanced toward us4 ,it was a little old man1 stooped and bent1 whose rheumy1 red-rimmed eyes peered mildly from beneath a wide1 flapping hat brim2 his lean1 leathery face1 seamed by a thousand wrinkles1 was made ludicrous by the merest wisp of straggling white mustache2 the gnarled1 calloused hands swung empty at his sides4 ,it was ,high ,sheriff ,redden1 and glad ,i was to see him4 ,he came on through the shrinking1 melting crowd and stood with us1 peering down at ,doctor ,gaskell's quiet body4 8,h'm10 said he4 8,daid1 ain't he80 ,he spoke in a quavering1 cracked falsetto4 ,then he turned and ran a mild1 watery eye over the throng1 stroking his ridiculous1 wispy mustache the while4 8,seems like ,i heerd some racketin' round here10 he went on in that grotesque1 squeaky whine4 8,you-all c'n go home now4 ,git6 ,scatter60 ,his bent1 shrunken form contrasted absurdly with the constable's massiveness2 his voice1 to the constable's roar1 was a penny whistle to a pipe organ4 ,his rheumy eyes were mild1 almost timid2 his gnarled hands were empty4 ,but none withstood him4 ,the crowd melted fast1 each man looking1 or trying to look1 as if he'd just stopped for a minute and was ready to go1 anyway4 ,presently ,lewis and ,i stood alone with the constable1 the sheriff1 and the dead man4 ,i conceived a sincere respect for ,high ,sheriff ,redden4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,investigation ,sheriff ,redden1 at least1 seemed quite untouched by the paralysis of thought which held us all4 ,he cleared his throat briskly1 ran a watery eye over our blank visages1 and stooped over the dead man4 8,h'm10 said he4 8,plumb center--with a shotgun1 held clost enough to scorch his shirt some4 ,who found him80 ,a quail whistled sharply1 as if in mockery1 and its shrill note struck exactly the key of the high sheriff's squeaky voice4 ,it was ridiculous enough1 yet none of us seemed moved to laugh4 ,indeed1 ,i valued the sheriff's intelligence the higher1 that he asked3 8,who found him80 instead of 8,who did it80 8,i found him60 answered ,lewis and the constable1 almost together4 8,that is----0 and both stopped short4 8,you first10 ordered the sheriff1 flipping a calloused palm at my nephew4 ,and he listened attentively1 his wizen1 wrinkled face inscrutable1 while the boy told his faltering tale4 8,i was coming down the path1 and ,i thought ,i saw a quail on that limb1 right there4 ,i cocked the gun and started to raise it2 and then ,i tripped1 and it went off4 ,but ,i didn't see a soul or hear a sound2 ,i swear ,i didn't60 8,h'm10 said ,sheriff ,redden1 blinking his little1 red-rimmed eyes4 8,h'm6 ,what was you doin' out here with a gun1 right in th' village80 8,it was the quail10 said ,lewis4 ,he seemed dazed1 incapable of thought4 ,he began to repeat his story3 8,i was coming down the path----0 8,the birds annoyed ,miss ,mc,gregor so much she couldn't sleep4 ,she's an invalid1 you know40 ,and ,i told him of ,aunt ,mary's complaints and my nephew's promise4 8,h'm10 repeated the sheriff4 8,so you come out t' kill off them pa'tridge8 ,h'm6 ,didn't look t' see ,doc ,gaskell out here8 ,what was th' doc doin' in ,mc,gregors' back yard that time o' mornin'1 yuh s'pose80 8,somebody sick1 probably10 ,i answered4 8,he had his medicine case1 you see40 ,the sheriff blinked down at the black bag1 which ,gaskell's dead hand still gripped4 8,h'm6 ,like enough4 ,we c'n see after that later4 ,hey1 ,burgess60 ,he turned toward the street1 whence came a reply to his shrill summons4 ,a battered roadster stood in front of ,fort ,house1 and a stout1 middle-aged man1 bearded thickly1 was just climbing out of it4 ,he held a stout satchel4 8,doc ,burgess1 th' coroner10 explained the sheriff4 8,better let him have a look fust2 then we c'n take th' body home40 ,the coroner came toward us briskly1 with a fat man's rolling gait4 ,he set down his bag and knelt beside the dead man1 grunting4 ,his examination took but a moment4 8,stone dead10 he announced1 and his thick beard moved to the words4 8,never knew what hit him4 ,must have dropped where he stood4 ,all right1 you can move him now1 sheriff4 ,i'd better have a complete autopsy done1 ,i suppose1 though ,i'd be ready to swear to the cause of death right now40 8,h'm6 ,how long's he bin daid1 you reckon80 ,doctor ,burgess touched the dead man's breast1 moved an arm tentatively4 8,we-ell1 two hours1 anyhow--maybe longer4 ,can't say exactly40 ,the sheriff looked at his watch4 8,seven-fifteen4 ,you was out here at five1 ,parker80 ,i nodded4 8,i'd looked at my watch just a minute before ,i saw him shoot40 8,saw him shoot80 the sheriff repeated4 8,where was you80 8,up at that window1 looking out40 8,h'm6 ,you see ,doc ,gaskell80 8,no4 ,there wasn't a soul in sight4 ,the bushes didn't move even40 8,h'm10 repeated the sheriff4 8,well1 let's git goin'40 ,he beckoned to a lounger1 who had retreated only to the street1 and presently a couple of boards were found4 ,constable and coroner lifted the dead man gently1 and four volunteers carried him away toward his own house4 ,the bright sun shone down as cheerily as if all had been well in ,pinelands2 and the quail whistled 8bobwhite6 bobwhite60 without faltering upon a single note4 ,to my disturbed mind1 they seemed to jeer at us1 to rejoice in this tragedy which they had caused4 8,rufe1 you go over an' stay with th' body10 said the sheriff4 8,keep all them folks away4 ,i gotta git word t' ,mis' ,gaskell1 an' find out where the doc was goin'1 an'----0 8,he was coming to my place1 sheriff40 ,it was ,olsen1 the druggist1 who spoke4 ,he had joined the ragged fringe of curious ones who still hung about1 but at a respectful distance4 8,my little girl woke up with awful pains in her stomach1 and we phoned after the doctor4 ,say1 ,redden1 isn't this a dreadful thing60 8,h'm10 said the sheriff4 8,somebody oughta let ,mis' ,gaskell know about it4 ,whereabouts is she1 ,olsen8 ,do you know80 8,why1 yes2 she went to ,jackson ,springs for a few days with the ,ruggleses4 ,i'll take care of that1 sheriff2 ,i'll send for ,mrs4 ,gaskell1 and the lodge will make arrangements for the funeral and all40 8,all right1 you-all c'n see to that end of it4 ,an' now0--the sheriff turned a quizzical1 blinking eye upon me--8th' next mos' important thing seems t' be1 when do we eat80 ,the old gentleman was bearing himself with extraordinary courtesy and kindliness1 ,i thought4 ,he kept a keen1 faded eye upon ,lewis1 of course2 he saw to it that the boy did not wander far from his side1 but he had not so much as mentioned that he was under arrest4 8,come over to our house10 ,i invited4 8,i expect ,rosina can scrape us up something40 ,we were standing by the corner of the ,fort ,house porch2 and now a sweet1 tremulous voice from above cut across my words4 8,of course not6 ,you come right in here1 ,uncle ,george1 and bring ,lewis and these--these gentlemen--both of them4 ,breakfast is waiting for you40 ,we started1 and ,i looked up4 ,dorothy ,mc,gregor leaned over the porch rail1 smiling down at us bravely1 if tearfully--a vision of loveliness4 ,the old sheriff swept off his broad-brimmed hat and bowed with old-fashioned courtesy2 the coroner bowed also1 a pleased smile upon his grave1 bearded face4 8,i thank you1 ma'am4 ,sorry to intrude on you-all1 but ,i reckon we better accept yo'r kind invitation4 ,yuh see1 ah--circumstances is such--well1 ,i gotta stay with ,doctor ,parker1 ma'am1 f'r th' present1 or ,i wouldn't butt in on you-all this a way40 ,he stammered1 wiping his leathery old face in sincere embarrassment4 ,though they had never met1 the sheriff knew ,dorothy1 as did every one else in town4 ,he knew that she was about to be married to my nephew1 and he dreaded to tell her that the boy was under arrest4 ,but he need not have been troubled4 ,dorothy met him at the steps1 still smiling courageously1 despite trembling lips1 and gave him a cordial hand4 8,mr4 ,redden1 isn't it8 ,of course ,i know who you are1 sheriff1 and ,i understand that you've had to arrest ,lewis4 ,but it's only for a day or so1 isn't it80 she asked4 8,just until he's cleared1 or whatever you call it8 ,and it's just sweet of you1 sheriff1 to let him come in for a little while before he--g-goes40 8,h'm6 ,yessum1 jus' f'r a little while1 o' course4 ,i--,i--this is ,doc ,burgess1 ,miss ,dorothy1 a--a friend o' mine40 8,how do you do1 doctor8 ,now come in1 everybody4 ,the waffles will be ready1 and it makes ,rosina awfully mad if they have to stand a minute40 ,she led the way to the dining room1 still chattering bravely1 but ,i saw how her hand trembled upon ,lewis' arm4 ,dorothy seated us all about the big1 round table1 and breakfast was served at once4 ,conversation languished1 as one might have expected2 but the officers paid enough attention to ,rosina's cooking to balance the scant appetites of the family4 8,where's ,aunt ,mary80 ,i whispered to the girl beside me4 ,i wondered how the old lady would react to this rude upsetting of the routine of life at ,fort ,house4 8,in her room10 ,dorothy answered4 ,she made no pretense of eating1 but sat close to ,lewis1 holding his hand openly and proudly1 murmuring comfort to him4 8,she hasn't come out at all2 ,i don't believe she knows anything about--this40 ,while ,dorothy was speaking1 the portires were pushed back1 and ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor appeared1 bolt upright in her wheel chair1 propelled1 as usual1 by her yawning nurse4 ,our unwelcome guests rose4 ,the old lady's thin1 arched eyebrows rose higher than ever4 ,she blinked her eyes very fast1 an unfailing sign of irritation1 as ,i was beginning to learn4 8,good morning60 she said very coldly indeed4 8,and who are these--ah--gentlemen1 ,dorothy80 ,flushed and embarrassed1 ,dorothy rose also4 8,why--why1 aunty1 these are friends of ,lewis4 ,this is ,sheriff ,redden2 my aunt1 ,miss ,mc,gregor1 ,mr4 ,redden4 ,and ,doctor----0 8,indeed60 ,aunt ,mary's frosty voice cut her off4 ,the old lady's eyebrows rose higher yet1 if that were possible1 and she winked fast1 passing a hand across her eyes in a curious1 uncertain gesture which was not like her4 8,a policeman1 here6 ,and why1 may ,i ask80 8,just--just a little matter of business1 ma'am10 replied the sheriff1 very red and uneasy4 8,with--with ,doctor ,parker1 here40 8,mf60 said ,aunt ,mary4 8,how amusing60 ,but ,i fancied that her manner was less glacial4 8,and this other gentleman80 8,doctor ,burgess1 of ,smyrna10 explained ,dorothy miserably4 8,ah1 yes2 ,doctor ,burgess1 of course4 ,and to what do we owe this unexpected--pleasure80 ,it is impossible to describe the saccharine insolence of ,aunt ,mary's tone4 ,her smile was as saintly as ever1 her courtesy impeccable1 while her face wore its accustomed look of patient suffering4 ,and yet with a look1 with a drawled word1 with a tiny pause before 8pleasure10 she contrived to make us all feel exquisitely uncomfortable4 ,she had a genius for that sort of thing1 ,i was beginning to perceive4 8,i was afraid we'd intrude on you-all10 began ,redden1 apologetically4 8,i reckon we better----0 ,he stopped1 not knowing what to say4 ,doctor ,burgess looked down his nose1 tugging reflectively at his heavy beard4 ,dorothy wiped her eyes4 8,doctor ,gaskell is dead10 ,i declared4 ,the old lady's calm selfishness1 her subtle discourtesy1 angered me4 ,let her face the brutal fact1 like the rest of us6 8,gaskell has been killed1 right in your back yard60 8,indeed60 ,aunt ,mary yawned4 8,dorothy1 where is my coffee8 ,i feel very ill1 after the shock of that man's brutal language yesterday4 ,i need my coffee4 ,but1 then1 no one thinks of me4 ,no one cares enough for my suffering even to ask how ,i am4 ,i dozed off toward morning2 the birds didn't disturb me1 thanks to ,doctor ,parker0--she nodded graciously toward ,lewis--8and ,i got up quite rested4 ,and then ,i'm expected to meet strangers at breakfast--which always upsets me--and on top of that ,i have to listen to such unpleasant news4 ,dear me6 ,i feel the knots coming in my neck already4 ,no one has any consideration for me60 8,why1 you----0 ,i began and stopped4 ,i had been about to flare out at the old lady2 her callousness enraged me so4 ,surely this was beyond even ,aunt ,mary's self-absorption6 ,but her white-lipped1 quivering face checked me4 ,this time1 at least1 ,miss ,mc,gregor was really suffering2 ,i was sure of that4 ,then my eyes traveled past her to the nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 who had stood silently behind the wheel chair all this time4 ,then ,i jumped up4 8,lewis1 ,doctor ,burgess6 ,quick1 she's fainting60 ,we all ran toward her1 and just in time4 ,with a faint sigh1 ,miss ,christie collapsed limply1 and the doctor caught her1 as she fell1 and laid her gently down4 ,again ,i was struck by the unexpected beauty of her white face4 ,ordinarily sleepy and stolid1 strong emotion seemed to vivify her face1 to transfigure her bovine placidity4 ,now1 lying with closed eyes1 still and white as death1 she was very beautiful4 8,upon my word60 cried ,aunt ,mary4 8,every one seems to be in a conspiracy to upset me to-day4 ,dorothy1 please take me to my room4 ,i can't eat a mouthful40 ,this was scarcely true4 ,the old lady had occupied her few minutes with us quite profitably1 eating as she talked4 ,she had consumed three waffles--,i counted them--and two cups of coffee4 ,but ,dorothy wheeled her out obediently1 while we men ministered to the fainting nurse4 ,dorothy returned in a moment1 to kneel beside me4 8,what do you suppose was the matter8 ,is she sick1 ,doctor ,burgess8 ,poor girl6 ,let me1 ,uncle ,george40 ,she took the nurse's head upon her knee and began to bathe the broad1 white forehead with cold water1 very gently4 ,presently ,miss ,christie opened tragic1 violet eyes that seemed black with emotion4 8,what--what happened to ,doctor ,gaskell80 she asked in a whisper4 8,who killed him80 ,we stared at each other dumbly4 ,it was ,lewis who answered at last4 8,i'm afraid ,i did it10 he told her quite simply4 8,it was an accident4 ,i didn't see a soul or hear a sound4 ,i was coming down the path1 and ,i thought ,i saw a quail40 ,here he repeated his story1 almost word for word1 as he had told it a dozen times this morning4 ,he was still much shaken4 8,oh60 ,it was the faintest of sighs1 and ,i fancied that it expressed relief4 ,a tinge of color crept into the girl's white cheeks as she covered her eyes and burst into tears4 8,there1 there1 honey10 said ,dorothy4 8,what is it8 ,what's the trouble80 ,miss ,christie sat up and wiped her eyes4 8,n-nothing10 she said sobbingly4 8,only it was a shock4 ,you see1 ,doctor ,gaskell did so much for me2 he was a wonderful friend4 ,i was raised in the mountains1 and ,i never had a chance until he came4 ,but he helped me to leave home2 he got me a place in the hospital4 ,he kept me nursing for him ever since ,i graduated4 ,whatever ,i am1 ,i owe to him4 ,he was a father to me--a father60 ,she laughed bitterly4 8,a thousand times more kind than the only father ,i ever knew6 ,that's all40 ,she rose quietly4 ,suddenly all the life and fire of her face died like a blown-out candle4 ,she had been inspired2 now she was commonplace once more1 bovine1 placid1 almost stupid1 expressionless4 ,i wondered at the change4 ,no one would look twice at her now4 8,i must go and see to ,miss ,mc,gregor10 she murmured4 8,i'm sorry to have made so much trouble40 ,then she vanished silently4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,inquest ,sheriff ,redden scratched his head4 8,funny how upset she seemed10 he remarked in his high1 whining drawl4 8,i wonder1 now1 where ,i've seen that girl before8 ,christie1 her name is8 ,christie8 ,h'm6 ,likely1 it's somebody else she favors4 ,say1 they's a lot o' queer things about this here shootin'1 seems like40 ,i agreed with him thoroughly1 and one of them was the curious conduct of ,miss ,mc,gregor's nurse1 both last night and just now4 8,f'r instance10 pursued the officer amicably1 turned toward his prisoner1 8,gaskell's bein' out yonder in th' bushes4 ,couldn't of been in th' path1 or you'd of seen him40 ,it seemed the sheriff accepted ,lewis' story as true1 and my heart warmed to him4 8,i wonder1 now----,he must of been standin' right quiet1 too1 or ye'd of heard him4 ,don't seem natural1 quite1 he'd of let yuh git clost enough t' shoot 'ithout sayin' nothin'4 ,thet gun bar'l must of been right up agin' him1 a'most40 8,it seems as if ,i'd have seen him from the window1 too1 unless he was hiding10 ,i put in4 8,those bushes aren't high enough to hide his head40 ,mr4 ,redden scratched his head again4 8,h'm6 ,what you think1 ,parker80 ,lewis shook his head hopelessly4 ,his black hair1 usually sleeked straight back1 had fallen over his forehead4 ,he tugged absently at a lock which hung down over his eyes4 8,i don't know--,i can't seem to think at all40 ,the coroner looked up4 ,he had resumed his seat and was finishing his fourth waffle4 8,another possibility10 he suggested1 with his mouth full4 8,might not have been hiding--he might have been dead already40 8,h'm10 said the sheriff1 blinking at him4 ,my nephew brightened wonderfully4 ,the color crept back into his sallow cheeks4 8,do you really think so80 ,dorothy made a little cooing sound1 and patted ,lewis' hand4 8,i knew it would come out all right60 she declared1 her big sea-blue eyes upon the coroner4 ,under that admiring gaze1 ,doctor ,burgess expanded4 8,quite possible10 he repeated4 8,can't fix the time of death exactly--not within an hour or so4 ,you realize that1 ,doctor ,parker4 ,if you saw nothing1 heard nothing1 not even a fall1 it may have been because ,gaskell had already fallen4 ,didn't you look to see if he was still bleeding or anything80 ,lewis flushed4 8,i--,i was too upset10 he confessed4 8,i heard the constable yelling1 and ,i turned4 ,i didn't see ,gaskell until then1 and it startled me so--that and knowing that ,wakefield would surely think ,i did it1 and remembering ,i'd quarreled with him yesterday1 and seeing him1 ,gaskell1 there1 and all----0 ,he stumbled and broke off4 8,why1 all ,i could see was that ,gaskell was dead1 and that ,i must have shot him40 8,h'm6 ,well1 we'll have a chance to straighten all that out at the inquest40 ,sheriff ,redden rose and bowed to ,dorothy4 8,we sure are beholden to you1 ma'am1 f'r yore hospitality4 ,but ,i reckon we better be shackin' along now4 ,gotta git back to th' jail4 ,i--,i reckon ,i'll have to take yo'r young man along1 ma'am1 jus' f'r to-day4 ,burgess'll be holdin' his inquest to-morrow2 hey1 doc8 ,an' then we c'n turn th' boy loose f'r good4 ,it--it's just a form1 ,miss ,dorothy1 ma'am40 ,dorothy nodded4 8,you're awfully good1 ,mr4 ,redden--you're a perfect old dear60 ,and she kissed him impulsively4 8,you'll be real nice to ,lewis1 won't you80 ,the old man beamed at her1 his mahogany face three shades darker than normal4 8,i sure will1 ma'am6 ,come along1 ,burgess4 ,all right1 ,parker4 ,it's just t' be my guest overnight1 suh60 ,and so they departed1 leaving ,dorothy1 now that she need no longer be brave for her man's sake1 to weep forlornly on my shoulder4 ,then ,peter ,mc,gregor appeared1 carrying his own satchel4 ,he was inclined to be rather aggrieved that no one had met him at the station2 but none of us had so much as heard the ,new ,york train pull in4 ,peter was told the whole story1 and he listened gravely1 sitting up very straight1 as was his habit1 and stroking his little black mustache4 ,peter was both slight and short1 scarcely taller than his sister4 ,but he carried himself so erectly1 and his lean1 intelligent face was so dignified that he seemed rather above than under the average size4 ,now1 when we had finished our dismal tale1 he kissed ,dorothy and patted my shoulder as grandly as though he had been a foot taller than ,i1 instead of six inches shorter4 8,i'll see the old boy through10 he promised4 8,i'll take hold of things and get them straightened out in jig time60 ,we were vastly relieved1 for ,peter was a capable1 energetic chap1 and he was not stunned by this dreadful affair as we were4 ,he had not been here to receive its full1 paralyzing shock4 ,he was off directly1 without stopping to see ,aunt ,mary4 8,i can't stop to hear about the knots in her neck just now1 ,dot10 he declared4 8,i've other more important things to do40 ,before lunch he was back4 8,i've seen the old boy1 ,dot10 he said4 8,he's pretty blue1 but ,i hope ,i bucked him up a bit4 ,and ,i've talked with the sheriff and ,doctor ,burgess4 ,inquest will be here at ,pinelands1 in the town hall1 at ten to-morrow4 ,the coroner's sure it'll come out all right2 #8parties unknown1' maybe1 or purely accidental at the worst4 ,he was awfully decent2 neither he nor the sheriff believes ,lewis knew the fellow was there4 ,queer proceeding1 ,i must say1 for ,gaskell to be pussy-footing around in our back yard like that6 ,but it's all right2 ,lewis won't even need a lawyer1 ,burgess says4 ,they'll see that he's cleared4 ,so don't worry any more1 ,dot60 ,dorothy promised obediently2 and ,i tried my best not to worry either4 ,but that was a long1 long day1 and it was very hard to listen patiently to ,aunt ,mary's complaints4 ,for now that she knew that ,lewis hadn't killed the quail1 after all1 their shrill note began to annoy her again4 ,she quivered visibly1 almost ostentatiously1 at each repetition of 8bobwhite6 bobwhite60 until ,i had to bite my lips to keep from reminding her that her complaints about a few quail had caused tragedy enough already4 ,but the day passed somehow1 and the night4 ,long before ten on ,monday morning ,i sat on a front seat at the town hall1 between ,dorothy and her brother1 waiting for the inquest to begin4 ,aunt ,mary had protested pathetically against our 8desertion10 but for once her desires were ignored4 ,the room began to fill4 ,at last the coroner arrived1 then the sheriff1 bringing ,lewis with him4 ,the boy came straight to us and sat down beside ,dorothy1 his guard dropping unobtrusively into a seat behind4 8,cheer up1 honey60 whispered ,lewis4 8,hello1 unk6 ,hello1 ,peter6 ,old ,redden's a brick2 treated me like a son4 ,i slept in his spare bedroom4 ,it'll all come right40 ,then the coroner rapped for order1 and the proceedings began4 ,i have not the heart1 even now1 to tell all that happened4 ,our high hopes were struck to the ground almost at once4 ,for the district attorney appeared1 the 8,state ,solicitor10 as he is called in ,north ,carolina1 and he took charge of affairs4 ,coroner ,burgess did his best for ,lewis1 and he proved himself a kindly and impartial presiding officer4 ,he did more2 he even leaned toward us and argued in ,lewis' favor4 ,he was moved1 perhaps1 by the bond of their common profession2 perhaps by a conviction that the boy was innocent2 perhaps by ,dorothy's appealing face1 and the memory of that excellent breakfast4 ,but1 whatever the reason1 he did his best for us4 ,nevertheless1 the solicitor1 ,toby ,vanbrugh1 combated all his well-meant efforts4 ,vanbrugh was a large-bodied young man1 with a heavy1 dignified face1 whose features all seemed two sizes too big for it--except his eyes1 which were three sizes too small and an inch too close together4 ,he wore a flapping frock coat and a black string tie1 the conventional get-up of the old-fashioned country lawyer4 ,his voice and gestures made him seem like a cheap actor1 playing the part of the fearless prosecutor in a melodrama4 ,he had been a close friend of ,doctor ,gaskell's1 but ,i do not think it was that friendship which moved him4 ,no1 he saw here the makings of an important murder trial1 in which both victim and murderer were people of prominence in the countryside4 ,he saw an opportunity for self-advertisement4 ,the ,mc,gregors were rich1 he knew1 and ,i was not without means4 ,if ,lewis could be indicted for the murder of ,doctor ,gaskell1 there would be a long and hard-fought trial2 prominent lawyers would appear for the defense2 there would be columns and columns of publicity for the alert young prosecutor1 who faced1 alone and unaided1 this galaxy of legal talent and fought it to a standstill1 vindicating the rights of the commonwealth1 demanding equal justice for the rich as for the poor4 ,oh1 he was not an uncommon type1 this ,vanbrugh2 every community ,east and ,west1 ,north and ,south1 has known his like4 ,he allowed the coroner to present his case2 the discovery of the body upon the heels of a gun shot1 with ,lewis standing over it1 gun in hand4 ,the coroner stated the cause of death and showed his jury a half dozen bird shot4 ,these had been extracted from the wound1 and he gave it as his opinion1 as he had to us yesterday1 that ,gaskell might have been lying there dead before ,lewis shot4 ,then the district attorney arose and asked permission to introduce other evidence 8for the ,state40 ,he called ,olsen1 the druggist1 to testify1 reluctantly enough1 to ,lewis' threats in his store4 ,he called ,satterfield and the constable and two or three others who had overheard my nephew's angry talk4 ,with diabolic skill he made it appear that ,lewis had not merely spoken against ,gaskell1 but that he had definitely threatened to shoot him4 ,he demanded the gun ,lewis had carried2 when it was placed in evidence1 he cut open the undischarged cartridge--it was a double-barreled shotgun--and showed the jury that the shot were identical with the shot extracted from ,gaskell's body4 ,i had already testified1 but he recalled me and made an impassioned address to the jury1 under the cover of a cross-examination4 8,now1 ,mr4 ,uhlman1 is it not true that your nephew1 after disagreeing with ,doctor ,gaskell in a question of diagnosis1 lost his temper entirely8 ,did he not make a disgraceful exhibition of himself1 abusing this poor dead man1 this ,doctor ,gaskell1 a gentleman of the highest professional attainments1 of the most scrupulous personal honor1 a gentleman known to all in this community1 loved by all for his unselfish devotion to his healing work1 for the many1 many1 unobtrusive acts of charity1 of loving kindness1 to which scores in this very room1 aye1 hundreds in this town1 can testify--and would so testify1 though they must walk barefooted over sharp stones to tell of ,doctor ,gaskell's noble nature1 and to confound his cowardly slayer----0 ,the coroner rapped sharply4 8,i will ask you to remember1 ,mr4 ,vanbrugh1 that you're supposed to be questioning this witness1 not to be making a stump speech60 8,i beg the court's pardon if my affection for this poor gentleman1 so foully done to death1 overcame me for the moment4 ,surely no praise of one1 whom we all loved1 is out of place here1 beside his dead body6 ,but ,i will refrain40 ,he wiped his eyes ostentatiously4 8,now1 ,mr4 ,uhlman1 is it not true that your nephew1 the prisoner1 made threats against ,doctor ,gaskell at ,miss ,mc,gregor's house1 even before his outbreak at ,olsen's store ,saturday80 ,and ,i had to admit it1 cursing ,rosina's loose tongue to myself2 for ,i could guess whence ,vanbrugh's knowledge of the quarrel over ,aunt ,mary's health had come4 8,and do you believe1 sir1 remembering that you are upon your oath1 do you ask this jury to believe that your nephew1 this prisoner1 went out into the dawn1 armed with a deadly weapon1 without knowledge or suspicion of the murdered man's whereabouts8 ,do you not know that he had expressed a deadly animosity against my poor1 dead friend1 that----0 ,playing skillfully upon the sectional prejudices of the audience1 for my nephew and ,i had come down from the ,north1 ,vanbrugh rolled out a fervid eulogium of the dead man1 like ,marc ,antony beside the bier of ,csar4 ,evidently he was enjoying himself thoroughly4 ,he kept sneering at ,lewis1 and he continually referred to him as my nephew1 doing his best to make it appear that ,i was suppressing a guilty knowledge because of our relationship4 ,in every way he exercised the arts of an unscrupulous demagogue until ,i became confused and incoherent and stuttered with wrath1 thereby making the case against ,lewis blacker than ever4 ,but ,i will not repeat all he said4 ,even now the memory turns me furious4 ,i will only say that when the coroner at last cut him off and turned the case over to the jury the verdict was a foregone conclusion4 ,lewis leaned over to me4 ,from the moment he left the stand he had been deathly white2 there were dark1 bruised rings under his eyes2 his features twitched1 his hands shook pitiably4 8,and the worst of it is1 unk10 he whispered tragically1 8that ,i really did shoot the poor chap6 ,oh1 ,i'm sure of it now40 ,he tugged at his disordered black hair4 8,and1 unk1 that fiend ,vanbrugh has almost made me think ,i did it on purpose60 ,,chapter ,,ix ,a ,,conflagration ,the jury's deliberations were cruelly short4 ,they conferred in whispers1 while we waited in agony4 ,beside me1 ,dorothy gripped my hand so tightly that my old1 rheumatic fingers ached for an hour after1 though at the time ,i was scarcely conscious of her touch4 ,beyond her ,lewis sat in frozen hopelessness1 still numbed by the shock of this sudden1 dreadful catastrophe which had overwhelmed us4 ,at my other side1 staunch little ,peter sat bold upright1 chewing his mustache and muttering to himself4 ,then the jurymen all nodded1 and the foreman rose and turned toward ,doctor ,burgess4 ,the coroner sighed1 stroking his beard4 ,his fat1 kindly face looked worried4 8,have you made up your minds1 gentlemen80 8,uh-huh10 said the foreman4 8,we find that ,doc ,gaskell come t' his death f'om a shotgun full o' bird shot at th' hands o' ,doc ,parker1 yonder2 an' we riccomend holdin' him f'r th' superior court60 ,doctor ,burgess sighed and cast an ugly look at the district attorney4 8,your doings1 ,vanbrugh60 he said in an undertone4 ,then aloud3 8,i'll have to hold you for the action of the ,july grand jury1 ,parker4 ,i'm sorry4 ,court's dismissed40 ,behind us1 the sheriff rose and tapped ,lewis on the shoulder4 8,come on1 boy2 gotta take ye back4 ,i sure am sorry1 ma'am0--he looked at ,dorothy--8but it ain't f'r long4 ,you don't need to pay no attention t' ,vanbrugh's foolishness40 8,oh10 exclaimed ,dorothy1 8and day after to-morrow is my wedding day60 ,sheriff ,redden shuffled his feet awkwardly1 flinching at the sound of her quiet weeping4 8,aw1 too bad60 he said4 ,with ,lewis at his elbow1 he began pushing through the crowded1 noisy room4 ,it was full of gabbling1 excited groups1 which gave way reluctantly1 and we received many an ugly look4 8,a dirty murderer60 muttered some one4 ,a storm of hisses and groans arose1 as the crowd began to push closer1 still inflamed by ,vanbrugh's insinuations4 8,shut up1 boys60 said the sheriff amiably4 8,git back6 ,cain't yuh see th' lady's tryin' to git out80 ,it was enough4 ,with instinctive courtesy the throng separated1 leaving a wide lane4 ,dorothy passed through it unhindered1 with ,lewis at one side and me at the other4 ,her face was very white1 and her eyes were downcast4 ,her pathetic beauty changed the crowd's humor completely and evoked a little1 pitying murmur4 ,so we went out and parted almost without a word4 ,like a man in a dream1 ,lewis climbed into the sheriff's battered car and rode away to jail1 without once looking back4 ,dorothy leaned heavily on my shoulder1 straining her eyes after him until he was out of sight4 ,then she stepped forward falteringly4 8,t-take me home1 ,peter--,uncle ,george4 ,no1 ,i won't faint6 ,i won't6 ,i can w-walk all by my own self60 ,and so she did1 upheld by a pathetic pride1 until we were back at ,fort ,house4 ,then she collapsed1 and ,peter and ,i carried her to her own room and called for the nurse4 ,then we two men walked downstairs together and turned into the living room1 to stand there aimlessly4 8,well10 ,i asked at last1 8what next80 ,peter jerked back his head1 straightening his slim shoulders with a characteristic movement4 8,whew6 ,that was a cropper6 ,i never dreamed they'd hold him4 ,i say1 that chap ,vanbrugh is a bounder1 isn't he80 ,he stroked his little mustache1 lit a cigarette1 and was himself again--energetic1 active1 efficient4 8,we'll run right out to the jail10 he decided1 8and chat with old ,lewis4 ,have to lay our plans1 you know--get a good lawyer and all that4 ,i say1 that was a cropper6 ,but a lawyer'll know what to do--get the old boy out in jig time60 ,i was less optimistic2 though1 when one viewed the matter dispassionately1 there seemed scant grounds for a charge of murder4 ,yet this ,vanbrugh was fiendishly apt4 ,directly we got out ,lewis' flivver1 which ,peter drove well enough1 and went to the courthouse4 ,we found ,lewis in the jail office1 sitting in an easy-chair beside the cold fireplace1 while the sheriff1 from behind the official desk1 strove to cheer him up4 ,both men were in their shirt sleeves1 for it had turned very hot4 8,evening1 folks60 said ,redden4 8,set down an' rest yore face an' hands4 ,i ain't goin' t' lock ,parker up ontil night4 ,he'll have t' go into a cell then1 but they's no use of bein' too hard on th' boy4 ,you-all can talk right here1 gentlemen2 ,i got business over to th' office1 anyways40 ,catching up his wide felt hat he shambled out1 leaving us alone4 8,i better lock th' front door10 he apologized1 8just in case anybody sh'd drop by40 ,he disappeared1 and ,i saw him through the window1 waddling bow-legged toward the courthouse4 ,a very kindly1 courteous gentleman1 the high sheriff of ,carabas ,county2 ,i only wished the prosecuting attorney were as gracious4 ,i turned back to ,lewis4 8,my boy1 we seem to be in a fix10 ,i told him4 8,confound ,mary ,mc,gregor1 the knots in her neck1 and the bobwhites that kept her awake60 ,for my heart was hot in me with mingled fear and anger1 and my head ached1 and my old1 rheumatic joints2 and ,i could not forget that this whole horror had come from ,aunt ,mary's querulousness4 8,sit down and take it quiet1 unk10 said ,peter coolly4 ,i had not been long in ,pinelands1 as ,i have said2 but to ,peter ,i was 8,uncle ,george10 or1 more casually1 8unk10 as to ,dorothy and1 for that matter1 to half the youth of the town4 8,be easy6 ,the old girl's a bit of a bunker to all of us1 ,i know1 but we'll have ,lewis out of this all right4 ,and now1 old son1 we'll have to be getting you a lawyer right away4 ,anybody to suggest8 ,some friend of your long-past youth1 perhaps1 and all that rot80 ,his assumption of bluff1 care-free gayety was well done1 but it did not deceive me4 ,i knew that ,peter1 too1 was worried4 ,my nephew sighed1 staring straight before him4 ,his shoulders drooped2 his eyes were dull and heavy4 ,he seemed in a daze2 ,i could scarcely recognize in him the impetuous1 high-spirited youth who had been as a son to me all these years4 8,i--,i don't know10 he answered dully4 8,i can't seem to think4 ,all ,i can see is ,gaskell in front of me--dead4 ,i keep telling myself ,i couldn't have done it1 and yet ,i know ,i did40 ,then he lapsed into silence once more1 still with that vague1 spiritless stare4 ,peter and ,i looked at each other queerly4 8,i don't believe you did do it1 old top60 ,lewis straightened at once1 a hint of hope in his eye4 ,peter had hit unerringly upon the best of tonics2 ,i saw that4 8,i'm sure you didn't1 ,lewis10 the boy went on1 emboldened by my nephew's interest4 8,it isn't reasonable4 ,suppose we sent for some doctor that's a law sharp1 too8 ,burgess is all right1 of course1 but maybe some medico-legal expert could find out something to prove ,gaskell was dead when you got there40 ,lewis sprang up1 a faint color in his cheeks4 8,why1 of course6 ,what a fool ,i was not to think of it before4 ,there's ,somers1 old ,floyd ,somers6 ,why1 he'll be here to-night4 ,just the man1 ,somers is4 ,why1 he'll take hold of this thing and straighten it out in a day2 he just eats this sort of thing4 ,he'll prove ,i couldn't have killed ,gaskell--unless0--and his shoulders drooped again--8unless ,i really did40 ,that was the boy's only show of interest4 ,almost at once he sunk again into apathy1 brooding1 ,i could see1 upon the thought that he had killed a man1 however innocently4 ,that was what weighed upon him1 not any fears for the future4 ,he waved away all our suggestions4 ,lawyers8 ,no1 what difference did it make8 ,get any lawyer--anybody6 ,better still1 let ,somers see to that4 ,he'd know what to do when he came4 ,then he lapsed into silence again1 chin on hands1 only to burst forth3 8,and ,i was really angry--that's the worst of it4 ,for a moment1 there in ,olsen's1 ,i was mad enough to have shot him4 ,and then to think ,i did shoot him1 after that6 ,why1 it makes it as bad as murder1 even though ,i didn't know he was there4 ,perhaps ,i ought to plead guilty and take my medicine40 ,we cried out upon him4 8,don't be a fool1 ,lewis10 ,i said1 fairly shaking him in my anxiety4 8,wake up6 ,pull yourself together2 act like a man6 ,you're not yourself4 ,what shall we do1 ,peter80 ,peter shook his head4 8,wait for ,somers1 as he says4 ,that's all ,i can see40 ,he paused1 sniffing4 8,i say1 unk1 what's that8 ,seems to me ,i smell smoke40 ,so did ,i4 ,suddenly ,i noticed that a thin1 blue wreath was creeping in beneath the door1 which ,sheriff ,redden had closed upon us4 ,my eyes smarted4 ,the door was locked2 ,i ran to a window to yell at a couple of loafers on the courthouse steps4 8,hey6 ,you over there6 ,call the sheriff60 ,they stirred1 stared at the jail idly for a moment1 then leaped to their feet4 8,my gosh60 said one4 8,th' jail's afire4 ,hey1 ,hank6 ,hey1 ,redden6 ,redden6 ,come a-runnin'1 th' jail's on fire60 ,the sheriff appeared1 at his heels half a dozen clerks and county officials in shirt sleeves4 ,they all ran toward us1 bawling aloud3 8,fire6 ,fire6 ,fi--re6 ,send in an alarm t' ,smyrna--no1 to ,pinelands6 ,better call 'em both6 ,hustle up1 sheriff1 turn them pris'ners loose60 ,they pelted up the steps2 a key sounded in the door1 and presently ,lewis1 ,peter1 and ,i were outside1 taking great breaths of the fresh air4 ,the clerk of the superior court stood at my elbow1 a fat1 red-faced man in a shiny black alpaca coat4 ,he wiped his moist face4 8,carabas ,county's goin' to build another new jail1 ,i reckon10 he drawled resignedly4 ,the building itself was of brick1 but floors1 doors1 and interior trim were all pine1 and they burned merrily4 ,all the prisoners must be loosed2 ,sheriff ,redden and his deputy herded them out and rounded them up in two groups1 white and colored1 while county officials organized a volunteer guard4 ,as ,i have said1 the county buildings were equidistant from ,smyrna and ,pinelands2 before the fire department of either town could answer the alarm the fire had a fine start4 ,then both engines arrived at once1 and the sheriff was put to it to prevent a fight between the rival fire companies for prior rights to a hydrant4 ,at last the blaze was subdued1 and by sundown the two engines pumped water upon an empty brick shell1 whose furniture and woodwork were destroyed4 ,some of the cells1 of steel and concrete1 were undamaged2 but even these were too hot for occupancy4 ,sheriff ,redden stopped beside me to stroke his absurd wisp of mustache4 8,quite a clearance10 he observed mildly4 8,started over on th' colored side2 ,george ,willett's colored boy1 ,jim1 he done set fire t' another boy's mattress #8f'r a joke1' he claims4 ,i aim t' make that fellow realize it wa'n't no joke4 ,uh-huh6 ,but we cain't keep nobody out here to-night1 nohow4 ,lucky ,i ain't got more'n nine pris'ners1 an' most o' them c'n go right to ,smyrna to th' lockup there4 ,an' ,doc ,parker here10 turning to ,lewis1 8w'y1 doc1 ,i reckon ,i better send you back t' ,pinelands4 ,they got a reel comf'table lockup there1 an' ,rufe ,wakefield1 he'll look after you good4 ,ain't got no backbone1 ,rufe ain't1 but he's got a reel good heart1 an' his ol' woman cooks splendid4 ,yessuh6 ,be kinda better f'r yuh1 anyways1 mebbe1 right clost to yore folks that a way40 ,thus it was arranged1 and presently ,peter and ,lewis and ,i1 with a taciturn1 tobacco-chewing deputy sheriff1 squeezed into the flivver and drove back to ,pinelands4 ,we routed out ,wakefield1 the constable1 and he took us all to the village lockup1 a small brick building1 rather like a magnified shoebox1 directly behind the business section of ,pinelands4 ,its interior proved rather better than ,i had feared2 though hardly palatial1 it was comfortable enough4 8,reel nice room60 ,wakefield pointed it out with pardonable pride4 8,spring bed and ever'thing4 ,colored side's beyond that brick wall there4 ,mister ,uhlman c'n fetch ye sheets1 'f he wants t'1 or anything else4 ,an' th' woman'll cook ye up some supper directly40 ,we left1 promising to return shortly with sheets1 a feather pillow and a clean mattress1 an armchair1 and what comforts we could manage4 ,lewis dropped on the edge of the bunk1 chin in hands1 and let us go without a word4 ,,chapter ,x ,,more ,,trouble ,,threatens ,as we climbed back into the flivver1 ,i suddenly became conscious of an aching internal void4 ,i had had nothing to eat since morning2 in the shock of that unimagined verdict ,i had quite forgotten my lunch4 8,let's go and eat1 ,peter10 ,i suggested4 8,right-o60 ,just as we climbed into the flivver the shrill whistle of an approaching train sounded4 ,peter swore4 8,the ,limited60 he said4 8,this is ,monday night1 and poor old ,lewis' best man will be on that train4 ,we'll have to stop for him1 unk4 ,i only hope he's as good as the old boy thinks2 maybe we'll get a little action40 8,i hope so1 indeed4 ,but1 ,peter1 he can't have had much experience4 ,he was ,lewis' classmate1 you know4 ,i'm afraid the boy overvalues him4 ,we can't look for too much from him40 8,well1 we'll see soon enough40 ,peter stopped the car beside the tracks1 just as the long string of ,pullmans clanked and squealed to a halt4 ,only one vestibule was opened1 for this was the through train for ,florida1 and in summer it rarely left a passenger at ,pinelands4 ,a single passenger alighted2 a tall1 lanky young man1 whose hat was pulled down over his eyes4 ,his arms and legs seemed extraordinarily long and thin4 ,the porter dropped a couple of bags beside him1 caught up his step1 and climbed back2 the long train wheezed and roared away4 ,the stranger stood still1 looking irritably about the deserted platform4 ,in winter the ,pinelands station is lively enough1 with gay-clad1 chattering folk1 with expensive motor cars parked the full length of its platforms2 while passengers by the dozen1 bearing golf bags and gun cases and tennis rackets1 climb on and off every train4 ,ours is a tourist town1 and it begins to be one of the best-known of the ,eastern winter resorts4 ,but in summer it is quiet enough4 ,the stranger scowled1 ,i say1 and glanced about him with an expression of acute dissatisfaction upon his dark1 saturnine features4 8,friendly looking beggar1 what80 whispered ,peter to me4 ,then he saw us and beckoned imperiously4 8,where's ,parker80 he demanded4 8,doctor ,parker80 8,he's detained10 said ,i1 advancing with outstretched hand4 8,i'm his uncle1 ,george ,uhlman4 ,this is ,doctor ,somers80 8,how do80 he asked indifferently4 8,pity ,parker couldn't take the trouble to come himself6 ,rotten town1 this4 ,those are my bags40 ,he stalked to the car and clambered in1 his remarkably long1 thin arms and legs giving him somewhat the appearance of that insect we used to call daddy longlegs4 ,peter winked at me1 then picked up the bags1 which our cavalier guest had indicated1 and lugged them meekly to the car4 8,where to1 sir80 ,peter asked1 burlesquing a chauffeur's salute4 ,doctor ,somers grinned2 his dark1 sardonic face changed wonderfully1 and for an instant became cheerful1 friendly4 8,don't be an ass10 he requested equably4 8,you're ,peter ,mc,gregor1 ,i take it4 ,lewis has written me about you1 his best girl's brother4 ,he said you were a little runt40 ,peter snorted4 8,he never told me you were such a long1 silly clothes prop10 he retorted4 8,why1 man1 those legs haven't any more meat on 'em than bean poles60 ,peter's size is a sore topic with him4 ,the stranger grinned again1 quite undisturbed4 8,climb in1 climb in10 he urged4 8,i'm hungry4 ,where is old ,parker1 anyhow8 ,ministering to the needs of his extensive and growing practice1 no doubt40 ,i had found the man's brusque1 indifferent impudence rather engaging1 but this question sobered me suddenly4 8,my nephew is in trouble10 ,i replied4 8,no0--,doctor ,somers' lips opened--8don't make any fool joke about it4 ,it's a serious matter4 ,he's in jail1 charged with murder40 ,but1 if ,i had looked for excitement or interest1 ,i was disappointed4 ,doctor ,somers made no comment1 showed no interest whatever4 8,well1 drive on10 he said4 8,i'm hungry40 ,we drove home in silence to an agitated household4 ,luckily ,dorothy had not yet heard of the fire at the jail2 she had been spared that further alarm4 ,over the supper table we told her1 and she listened1 wide-eyed and tremulous4 ,aunt ,mary did not come to the table4 ,she had been much subdued all day1 it appeared1 and had kept to her room and scarcely opened her mouth1 even to discuss her sufferings4 ,so the nurse1 ,miss ,christie1 could eat undisturbed to-night4 ,as usual1 she had nothing to say4 ,with her round1 sleepy face bent over her plate1 she ate hurriedly and pushed back her chair before we others were through1 murmuring an apology4 ,she must go and fix ,miss ,mc,gregor's tray4 ,our guest1 ,doctor ,somers1 was taciturn also4 ,poor1 distraught ,dorothy had given him a word of greeting and then forgotten him4 ,she was too upset to play the hostess4 ,but he did not seem in the least embarrassed4 ,he ate sparingly1 his sallow face wearing that same expression of distaste for everything about him4 ,his gray-green eyes1 curiously light beneath black brows1 were fixed keenly upon ,miss ,christie's sleepy face4 ,he did not seem at all interested in what ,peter and ,i were saying to his hostess4 ,when the nurse had gone out he turned to me4 8,i take it that my friend ,parker has got himself into trouble40 ,his face was sober enough1 but1 behind it1 the hint of a sarcastic grin seemed to lurk4 8,suppose you tell me just how it happened1 now4 ,all ,i gather from your discourse to date is that he's in jail1 charged with murder by a coroner's jury--or1 rather1 that he was in jail until it burned down40 ,dorothy turned upon him1 a heartbreaking hope shining from her eyes4 8,oh1 ,doctor ,somers1 we're so upset6 ,you must forgive us4 ,but ,lewis told me you'd straighten it out for him4 ,why----0 ,somers' thin lips parted in an acid grin1 but he said nothing4 ,we all began to talk at once1 pouring out breathlessly the whole dreadful story1 and he listened abstractedly1 or1 at least1 we supposed he was listening4 8,and so the jury recommended that he be held10 ,i finished4 8,there were no grounds at all--it was pure accident4 ,if it hadn't been for that miserable lawyer ,vanbrugh----0 ,somers yawned and nodded his head4 8,i've got it60 he announced4 8,of course ,i'll make an examination in the morning1 but ,i'm sure of it now40 ,we all gaped at him1 open-mouthed4 8,that girl1 the nurse10 he went on placidly1 8deficient thyroid6 ,that's what ails her4 ,no wonder she looks sleepy60 8,gr-r-r-r60 said ,peter indignantly1 and pushed back his chair4 8,i'm going for the mail40 ,he stalked out4 ,doctor ,somers looked from ,dorothy to me and back again1 with that curious suggestion of a sardonic grin behind his sober face4 ,plainly enough our faces expressed disgusted hopelessness4 8,i'm sorry10 he said in apology1 and there was something very likable in his frank1 direct gaze4 8,i'm a queer sort1 ,i suppose4 ,i'm always getting off on the wrong foot like this4 ,but1 after you get to know me better1 you'll find ,i'm not so bad after all4 ,i heard all you said10 he went on1 to ,dorothy's implacable face4 8,i'm used to thinking of two or three things at once2 in my work one has to4 ,cheer up6 ,that's better10 he declared1 as ,dorothy1 in spite of herself1 softened before his friendliness4 8,it's a pretty serious thing--to us60 she replied4 8,my child10 he answered very gravely--and he could not have been over thirty1 ,i supposed1 but suddenly he seemed older1 wiser1 more mature than ,i am at sixty--8,i know it1 but the only way to handle a matter like this is to go at it dispassionately4 ,i'm fond of old ,parker myself0--and the dark1 sour face softened wonderfully for a second--8but ,i can't let myself get flustered and upset and run round in rings as you folks have4 ,for example3 ,you heard the shot1 ,uhlman4 ,you ran out at once1 got there within five minutes1 and put your hand on the dead man's chest1 didn't you80 ,i nodded in amazement4 ,the fellow had heard all we said1 after all6 8,you touched the body1 then1 within perhaps five minutes of the time ,parker shot4 ,now1 did it occur to you to notice whether it was still warm--or cold80 ,i stared dumbly1 searching a confused memory4 8,why--why1 ,i never thought of that4 ,i was too upset4 ,but now ,i remember4 ,why1 of course1 ,i noticed it at once2 his flesh was as cold as a stone6 ,that's why ,i was sure he was dead40 ,then an illuminating thought struck me2 ,i jumped up1 shouting4 8,hurrah6 ,he didn't do it1 ,dorothy1 he didn't do it by accident or any way6 ,he couldn't have1 of course6 ,i must run right down there and tell him2 that's what has been troubling him all along--the thought that he'd killed a man60 8,sit down10 suggested ,somers equably4 8,take it easy4 ,there's been altogether too much of this running round and talking1 and too little plain thinking40 ,i accepted the rebuke4 8,you're right4 ,why1 if ,i'd only thought of this before1 there wouldn't have been any trouble at the inquest4 ,i'm an old fool60 8,no bigger fool than your nephew or the constable10 he replied4 8,if any one of the three of you had thought to observe that the body was cold1 or had stopped bleeding1 you'd have known the man hadn't been killed before your eyes4 ,of course1 by the time the coroner got there1 it was too late to fix the time of death exactly40 ,dorothy sighed ecstatically1 her face rosy with new-born confidence in this brusque1 saturnine stranger4 8,what shall we do next80 8,humph6 ,wedding was set for ,wednesday1 wasn't it8 ,how many invitations did you send out80 ,she looked at him blankly4 8,why1 about a hundred and fifty2 we didn't ask everybody4 ,oh1 dear1 we can't have it now1 can we80 8,hardly4 ,have you sent out notices of postponement80 8,we never thought of that60 ,doctor ,somers yawned4 8,i think you needed me10 he said4 ,just then the front door opened1 and ,peter burst in1 white-faced and trembling4 8,come1 ,uncle ,george60 he exclaimed4 ,and then1 with a glance of supreme disfavor at ,doctor ,somers1 8,and you1 too6 ,lewis claims you're a wonder4 ,i doubt it like blazes1 but1 if you are1 now's the time to show it4 ,come on1 get up1 man6 ,hurry60 ,we stared at him4 ,dorothy1 paper-white1 one hand at her breast1 asked the question that trembled also on my lips4 8,oh1 what's happened8 ,what's happened now80 ,peter hesitated4 ,his eye caught ,somers1 leaning back in an armchair1 calmly lighting a cigarette4 ,he could contain himself no longer4 8,they're going to lynch ,parker to-night60 ,he blurted his news defiantly1 as if it had been a bomb to shatter our guest's indifference4 8,i just heard it downtown4 ,a lot of 'em are drinking2 they've taken the keys away from ,wakefield already2 they're going down to the lockup and get poor old ,parker and hang him60 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,preparations ,,for ,,defense ,doctor ,somers arose slowly1 his long1 thin arms and legs looking more frail1 more tenuous1 than usual4 ,one feared that they would snap1 like pipe stems1 under the slightest strain4 ,he did not look in the least like the man to brave the fury of a mob2 but his dark1 saturnine face was quite unmoved4 8,bright lad60 he exclaimed1 sarcastically4 8,go ahead2 frighten the girl to death1 why don't you80 ,he patted ,dorothy's arm with unexpected gentleness4 8,now don't you worry1 child2 we'll look after your young man for you4 ,nobody's going to be lynched to-night60 ,he beckoned us out1 and in the hall he asked ,peter if he had a shotgun4 ,the boy nodded4 8,i'll get it10 he said1 and ran up the stairs4 ,presently he was back1 panting1 with a repeating shotgun and an automatic pistol4 8,lucky ,i had two guns10 said he1 stuffing a box of shells into his pocket4 8,the coroner took the other one4 ,and here1 ,somers1 here's an army pistol and some cartridges40 ,peter had been a second lieutenant4 ,somers waved it aside4 8,don't want it4 ,give it to ,uhlman1 here4 ,i don't think we'll need firearms1 but it's well to be prepared4 ,now let's go60 ,my nephew's car still stood in front of the house2 we piled in and drove toward ,main ,street4 8,i take it your constable won't be much help10 said ,somers1 8if they've taken his keys so easily40 ,peter snorted4 8,a big yellow pup60 8,right6 ,we won't bother him4 ,stop at this grocery4 ,who keeps it1 by the way80 8,old ,mrs4 ,tracy4 ,but it's closed40 8,so much the better4 ,kept by an old woman1 you say2 any man or boy in it80 8,no10 answered ,peter1 wondering4 8,she's all alone1 and deaf and half blind into the bargain4 ,people only trade there for charity40 8,fine60 declared ,doctor ,somers surprisingly4 8,couldn't be better60 ,he twisted his long legs out of the car4 8,as we came through from the train ,i noticed a lot of eggplant in the window40 8,now1 what the deuce----0 ,but ,somers did not stop for questions4 ,already he had skirted the tiny shop and was knocking at its back door4 ,when no answer came1 he opened it and walked in4 ,we heard the confused noise of his shouting at poor old ,mrs4 ,tracy2 presently he came back to the car with a grape basket under one arm4 8,what kind of foolishness is this80 demanded ,peter1 craning his neck4 ,the basket was full of round1 purplish eggplant1 a little bigger than a baseball4 8,man1 can't you understand that ,lewis ,parker is in danger of his life80 8,i can10 replied ,somers1 unruffled4 8,better than you do1 perhaps4 ,i've seen two lynching mobs before4 ,now don't ask fool questions1 but come along40 ,he obeyed1 blindly obedient4 ,the man's preparations seemed sufficiently absurd1 but he seemed1 at least1 to know what he was doing1 and neither of us had an idea of the proper steps to take4 8,now a book shop10 ordered our leader4 8,stationery store--something like that4 ,i want some writing paper40 ,without protest ,peter drove across the way to ,jack ,wheat's4 ,somers entered2 through the window we watched him selecting stationery as calmly as if the whole night were before him4 ,at last he came out1 a package under his arm that might have held two hundred sheets of note paper with envelopes to match4 8,they'll have to do10 he remarked disparagingly4 8,don't be in such a hurry60 ,he glanced at his wrist watch1 as ,peter mumbled some protest4 8,they won't start anything before the town's safely gone to bed4 ,not until midnight1 anyhow1 ,i fancy4 ,mc,gregor1 you drive us round to the lockup and leave us there4 ,then take the car and hunt up a phone1 where you won't be interrupted4 ,try to find the sheriff--he's a good sort of officer1 ,i judge from what you've said--and tell him there's going to be trouble to-night4 ,then come back to the jail40 ,peter protested unavailingly4 ,the mob might come before he got back2 ,uncle ,george could go2 ,somers could go4 ,he1 ,peter1 ought to be here to protect ,lewis4 8,shut up and get out6 ,uhlman can't go2 he can't drive--can you8 ,and ,i can't go2 ,i'm a stranger4 ,but you can find a phone1 and the sheriff'll listen to you4 ,besides1 ,i can do more here than you could4 ,hurry now2 you'll be back in plenty of time for the excitement40 ,reluctantly ,peter went1 after leaving ,doctor ,somers and me in front of the lockup4 ,the doctor looked about approvingly4 ,the lockup stood a little apart from the buildings about it1 a tobacco warehouse on one side and an empty dwelling house on the other4 ,he walked completely around the ugly brick jail1 tried its barred windows with satisfaction4 8,fine10 he announced4 8,clear space all around1 if it came to a siege4 ,and the windows are small and well barred2 nobody can get in except through the door4 ,which is ,parker's window80 ,i told him1 and he went there and whistled4 8,hello1 ,parker6 ,it's ,somers4 ,how's the old doc1 anyway8 ,good6 ,be in to see you to-morrow2 can't get hold of the keys just now40 ,he came around to the front again and looked up at the arc light in the street4 8,fine60 he repeated4 8,there's an excellent light--good enough to read by40 ,whereon he sat himself down upon the wide jail steps1 placed his basket of eggplant in the shadow beside him1 and unwrapped that package of note paper4 8,make yourself comfortable1 ,uhlman10 said he4 8,i'm going to be busy for a while40 ,he produced a fountain pen and fell to writing1 while ,i watched him in amazement4 ,what on earth was he doing8 ,writing notices to post on the jail door1 to warn off the mob8 ,i could not imagine4 ,but there he sat1 writing busily in a fine1 copperplate script1 hunched on the step1 with his extraordinary legs coiled under him1 his dark1 sallow face calmly intent4 ,the light from the street lamp cast the shadow of his thin1 hooked nose downward over his chin and gave him the look of a fierce1 long-legged bird4 ,at last ,peter drove up4 8,couldn't get him10 he said1 guardedly1 his voice bitter with disappointment4 8,gone over to the other end of the county after some negro4 ,and the jail deputy's got his hands full looking after the prisoners4 ,he'll send somebody over later1 if he can4 ,by then it'll be too late60 ,somers looked up1 quite undisturbed4 8,we don't need anybody10 he answered indifferently4 8,go park that flivver out of sight and come back on foot40 ,when that was done1 he stationed ,peter with his pistol at one corner of the building1 and me at the other1 with the shotgun4 ,i had asked for this weapon as being less likely to damage me1 and more likely1 in my hands1 at least1 of doing execution among the enemy than an automatic pistol1 whose workings were strange to me4 ,then he returned to the steps1 took up his fountain pen and fell to writing again4 ,and so began a vigil which seemed endless4 ,though the day had been hot1 the night was cool1 as our ,southern nights usually are4 ,a little breeze played about the corners of the jail1 sending sharp twinges through my poor old joints2 ,i shivered with cold and nervousness4 ,i could hear ,peter's feet shuffling in the sand1 and ,i knew that he1 too1 was restless4 ,but between us ,doctor ,somers sat on the steps1 hunched over his writing1 and he did not even look up4 ,his pen traveled rapidly1 held in a hand as steady as a rock2 he wrote note after note1 all just alike apparently1 and1 as he finished each one1 folded it methodically and tucked it into a blank envelope4 ,his calm1 untroubled face was bent studiously over his work1 and he never shifted his position2 we heard no sound from him save the steady scratching of his pen1 the rustling of paper1 as he folded one note and took up another sheet4 ,for some reason1 it was an eerie sight4 ,i began to have more respect for ,doctor ,floyd ,somers4 ,he was brave1 at any rate4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,a ,,frustrated ,,lynching ,the night seemed interminable4 ,the faint evening sounds from ,main ,street1 a block away1 faded gradually and ceased4 ,one after another buggies and farm wagons creaked away2 motor cars roared suddenly into life and departed in a diminuendo of explosions1 or hummed off into the night2 we heard an occasional outburst of laughter1 evoked by the repartee bawled across a block1 and at last all was still4 ,i looked at my watch2 almost midnight6 ,pinelands had gone to sleep--or had it8 ,soon1 if at all1 they would be coming4 ,the faint breeze began to carry mysterious whispers2 in it ,i fancied hushed commands1 threats1 the stealthy creeping of feet over the sand4 ,my nerves tensed and tensed2 the fluttering of moths about the arc lamp fretted me to distraction4 ,a huge ,june bug blundered full tilt against its globe and ricocheted off2 the sound seemed thunderous1 so that ,i jumped1 barely suppressing a cry4 ,and always ,floyd ,somers sat there on the step1 long legs curled grotesquely under him1 and wrote and wrote4 ,i wanted to cry out at him1 to grip him by the shoulder and shriek in his ear that a mob was coming2 that murder crept1 stealthy-footed1 toward us through the still summer night4 ,anything to rouse him to a human excitement2 to wipe that impassive1 studious absorption from his lean1 sallow face4 ,wearily ,i shifted my feet1 wondering whether ,lewis was asleep4 ,his bunk was in the cage1 three feet inside the window2 he could not look out for the bars4 ,i listened intently for his breathing4 ,did he suspect1 ,i wondered8 ,did he lie there awake1 helpless1 waiting for the mob to drag him forth to a shameful death8 ,and suddenly ,i remembered1 with a queer twinge of shame1 that we had forgotten to bring him bed linen4 ,it was a foolish thought1 of course1 but ,i cannot tell you how it distressed me4 ,suppose that we failed--that the mob had its way after all4 ,should ,i ever be able to forgive myself that ,lewis had been without clean sheets during his last night on earth8 ,then ,i fell to worrying about ,dorothy4 ,poor child6 ,if this vigil was terrible to me1 waiting1 shotgun in hand1 for an attack1 what must it be to her8 ,she waited there in that grim1 ghost-haunted pile1 beneath whose very windows a man had died horribly1 only yesterday2 with no company save that stupid nurse1 asleep long ago1 no doubt1 and ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor1 who could think of nothing but her own troubles4 ,she could not know what was happening here2 had no way of learning until we should come home4 ,in her imagination1 no doubt1 ,lewis was dying a hundred deaths1 and she with him4 ,for it is terrible1 worse than death1 ,i think1 to wait helplessly while a loved one is in peril4 ,i groaned aloud4 ,would they never come8 ,suddenly ,i was impatient for the test2 ,i would have welcomed a physical attack1 anything to get it over and be at rest2 anything but this dreadful tension of waiting6 ,i strained my ears anew1 but ,i heard only the faint scratching of ,somers' tireless pen4 ,suddenly it came4 ,a distant oath1 an abrupt outbreak of raucous1 obscene song1 as abruptly cut off1 the sound of a blow6 ,the confused tramp of many feet thudded in the muffling sand and approached inexorably1 with a strange1 broken rhythm4 ,somers lifted his head alertly2 the uncertain light fell across it1 and his deep-set eyes and thin1 hooked nose seemed oddly fierce4 8,quiet1 now1 you men60 he ordered4 8,keep back2 don't show yourselves unless ,i call40 ,he went on writing with a steady hand4 ,craning my neck around the corner of the jail1 ,i made out a clump of moving shadows4 ,some one stumbled and swore aloud1 drunkenly4 ,then1 with startling abruptness1 the crowd debouched into the arc lamp's circle of light4 ,they moved with ominous deliberation in a sort of rude marching order1 four abreast4 ,handkerchiefs1 blue1 red1 and black1 were tied across each face below the eyes1 making the marchers unrecognizable4 ,these were my own neighbors2 unmasked1 ,i could have recognized almost every face1 no doubt4 ,but seen thus they were fearsome shapes1 uncanny1 inhuman1 and ,i shivered and quailed before them4 ,one burly fellow in the first rank carried a coil of rope4 ,fascinated1 ,i saw how it swung carelessly at his side1 and ,i noted its fresh1 yellow color4 ,my nephew was honored1 ,i thought hysterically2 they had bought a new rope for his hanging6 ,the straggling column advanced2 its head wheeled straight toward the jail4 ,then the marchers caught sight of ,doctor ,somers' quiet figure1 crouched there on the steps1 still writing busily4 ,they halted suddenly1 confused1 and suspicious of this strange guard4 ,they scented a trap1 as mobs will2 surely this fellow would not be sitting there so calmly unless he knew that the jail was well protected6 ,there was some jostling1 and the column broke its formation4 ,men pushed forward from the rear until they formed a rough semicircle at a respectful distance4 ,the tall man who bore that sinister rope stepped forward a little4 ,and then1 and not till then1 ,floyd ,somers laid his writing precisely by and rose upon those slender1 stiltlike legs1 looking rather like a steel windmill tower1 ,i reflected absurdly4 8,good evening1 gentlemen40 ,his voice was perfectly unruffled and casual4 8,a fine1 cool night for a walk60 ,a little1 incredulous gasp ran through the silent crowd1 followed by an ominous mutter4 ,was this fellow making game of them8 8,evenin'10 replied the rope bearer gruffly4 8,what yuh doin' here80 ,somers yawned and smiled that sudden1 disarming smile1 that could so change his saturnine features4 8,why1 writing a letter to my best girl1 as you can see40 ,he gestured toward the heap of notes4 8,huh80 asked the crowd's spokesman4 ,he seemed bewildered1 yet confident4 8,what's the feller doin' here80 ,i could fancy him thinking4 8,somethin' funny6 ,well1 we'll find out--got lots of time60 8,huh80 ,above his red bandanna his eyes glinted at the heap of envelopes4 8,writin' a whole lot o' letters1 seems t' me60 8,why10 replied ,somers blithely1 8that's because ,i've got a whole lot of best girls60 ,the jest was feeble enough1 but it caught the fancy of the crowd4 ,a gust of laughter ran about the semicircle1 and its tension relaxed visibly4 ,the humor of the mob seemed less silently savage than before4 8,no wonder60 exclaimed some one4 8,fine1 fat feller like you oughta have plenty o' girls60 8,i have40 ,somers' burlesque of satisfied vanity was irresistibly comic4 8,anything ,i can do for you1 gentlemen8 ,i've got six or eight more to write1 you see40 8,sure is60 ,the spokesman stepped forward again1 swinging his rope menacingly4 ,this skinny stranger needn't think he could play horse with them1 his gesture said grimly4 8,run along1 sonny1 an' write yore letters some'rs else4 ,we-all got bus'ness in that there jail1 see80 8,so8 ,well1 there's no hurry1 is there8 ,you've got all night before you4 ,suppose we talk about that a while80 ,the other scratched a perplexed head1 tilting his wide-brimmed hat forward4 ,plainly he did not know what to make of this imperturbable stranger4 ,after an instant's hesitation he decided to humor him4 8,we-ell1 we got plenty time1 sure enough60 he declared4 8,ain't nobody goin' t' stop us4 ,we're after that skunk inside1 stranger--that feller ,lewis ,parker1 what murdered ,doc ,gaskell yestiddy mornin'40 ,the mob took a step forward1 growling assent4 ,the words seemed to have rekindled its fury4 8,murdered ,doctor ,gaskell80 asked ,somers coolly4 8,how come80 ,the crowd's spokesman snorted4 8,nev' you mind how come6 ,he done it1 an' 'at's enough4 ,git outa th' way now1 sonny1 an' let us in60 ,somers held his place4 8,the door's locked40 ,again the crowd laughed2 this time raucously1 hatefully4 8,oh10 jeeringly exclaimed one1 swaying on wide-set feet1 8,rufe ,wakefield ain't such a big fool as some fellers4 ,he didn't make no trouble about th' key w'en we-all come after it--ner you won't make no trouble1 neither1 w'en we-all gits ready t' use it60 ,a chorus of drunken agreement broke out4 8',at's right1 ,charlie6 ,give it to 'im4 ,c'm' on1 fellers1 smash 'im60 ,it was plain that many in the crowd had found means of circumventing the ,eighteenth ,amendment4 8,shut up6 ,who's runnin' this1 huh80 ,it was the leader1 jealous of his authority1 and the noise subsided4 8,didn't mean nothing1 ,r-rappy1 ol' boy10 replied the disturber4 8,shut up6 ,ain't yuh got no sense atall1 slingin' names around that a way80 ,he faced ,somers again4 8,we-all got th' key1 all right10 he continued1 8an' we aim t' use it1 see8 ,right way now--d'rectly6 ,yuh better git outa th' way1 afore th' fireworks begins60 8,one moment6 ,listen1 you men10 ,somers' voice was really eloquent4 8,you're going to do a great injustice4 ,parker is innocent6 ,he didn't shoot ,doctor ,gaskell--the man was dead before he got out there at all--dead and cold6 ,let the law take its course1 boys4 ,parker's here in jail2 he can't get away4 ,he'll be tried1 and1 if he's guilty he'll be convicted and punished4 ,you don't want to hang an innocent man1 do you8 ,i tell you ,gaskell was dead and cold before ,parker came out at all60 ,an outburst of jeers and hisses cut him short4 ,the crowd would not listen to any further interference with its proposed pleasures4 ,but the tall spokesman commanded silence4 ,he seemed shaken4 8,shut up6 ,shut up60 ,with paralyzing suddenness he produced a huge revolver1 and the angry cries of the mob died away4 8,that's better6 ,i ask you-all ag'in1 who's runnin' this here lynchin'8 ,any more cracks1 an' somebody's gointa git hurted bad4 ,now1 stranger1 what's that yuh say1 ,gaskell was daid afore ,parker come out80 8,dead and cold60 repeated ,somers4 8,mr4 ,uhlman touched his chest two minutes after ,parker shot1 and he was cold then40 8,who80 8,mr4 ,uhlman--,george ,uhlman40 ,there was a chorus of jeers and howls4 8,uhlman1 ol' ,uncle ,gawge1 huh8 ,his own uncle6 ,likely he'd claim ,parker shot 'im6 ,why didn't he tell all this to th' inquest1 huh8 ,big1 fishy yarn--fake--fake60 ,despite their leader's gesture1 the mob surged forward2 they would no longer be balked of their quarry4 ,above the clamor1 the man who had boasted of taking the jail keys from ,rufe ,wakefield1 howled shrilly3 8,c'm' on1 fellers6 ,let's git 'im out4 ,skinny's jus' tryin' t' hold us an' argue till ol' ,redden gits here4 ,c'm' on6 ,git 'im afore th' sheriff comes60 ,emitting wild yells to work its courage up1 after the manner of mobs1 the throng pressed on4 ,it was touch and go2 they were almost upon the defenseless ,somers4 ,without awaiting ,somers' call1 ,peter ,mc,gregor and ,i turned the jail corners almost together and ran forward to take up our stations on either side of the steps4 ,somers scowled at us4 8,why didn't you keep back80 he demanded4 8,i don't need you40 ,none the less1 our sudden eruption checked the mob4 ,they hung back from ,peter's menacing pistol and eyed dubiously the shotgun1 which ,i held at the ready4 8,say when1 doc60 invited ,peter grimly4 ,he leveled his automatic at the mob's tall leader and slipped its safety catch4 8,keep quiet60 ,somers was rather ungracious1 ,i thought1 seeing that we had infallibly saved him1 all unarmed as he was1 from a severe beating at least4 ,but now1 without more words1 he stooped1 extending an arm incredibly long and bony1 and lifted his grape basket of eggplant from the dark corner where it had sat4 ,he laid it very carefully down on the step beside him1 selected one of the dark-purple vegetables and held it up4 8,did any of you boys get overseas80 he inquired conversationally4 ,the wondering mob gaped inquiringly4 8,good boy6 ,oh1 good boy60 declared ,peter from his side of the steps1 as he chuckled triumphantly4 ,i was less acute1 but some of the men facing us must have understood ,somers' meaning1 for ,i noted that hats moved uneasily1 as their wearers shrank back into the crowd4 8,i gather that some of you got to ,france10 went on ,somers1 quite unperturbed4 8,you see what ,i'm holding1 don't you8 ,suppose you tell these other chaps what will happen1 five seconds after ,i pull the pin80 ,the crowd had frozen into a sudden1 awed silence4 8,keep back1 you fool60 came an agonized whisper4 8,quit shovin'6 ,want us all blowed to blazes80 8,just got into your beautiful city this evening10 remarked ,doctor ,somers affably4 8,stopped off at ,camp ,sheridan on the way40 ,this was the cantonment nearest to ,pinelands4 8,i've a friend there in the ordnance department2 he lent me these little tricks1 just in case of--of anything like this4 ,now don't crowd1 boys1 please don't6 ,i promised ,i'd bring 'em all back safely1 and ,i'd just hate to spoil one40 8,aw1 quit it60 came the same hoarse whisper4 8,rush 'im1 huh8 ,nix6 ,if it was a machine gun1 mebbe2 but ,i don't aim t' go to glory in pieces4 ,nossir6 ,huh8 ',at's a hand grenade1 feller--a ,mills bomb6 ,g'wan1 start somethin'1 'f you want1 an' git all messed up4 ,me1 ,i'm goin' home60 ,and straightway one masked figure detached itself and marched briskly away1 untieing his handkerchief and stuffing it into a pocket as he went4 ,there was a general movement to follow4 ,the tall leader dropped his coiled rope and pushed his hat far back4 8,what's th' use6 ,i give up1 stranger2 you got us buffaloed4 ,ain't a-goin' to be no lynchin' to-night4 ,but1 if it hadn't of been f'r them bombs----0 ,in token of amity1 he untied the red bandanna1 which masked him1 and bared the lean1 stubbly face and piratical mustache of ,ralph ,satterfield4 8,uncover1 boys10 he said4 8,them masks is uncomf'table1 an' we ain't a-goin' t' break no laws1 so they ain't needed no more40 ,most of the crowd followed his example1 but some effaced themselves1 evidently ashamed of being identified in such company and upon such an errand4 ,those who remained crowded forward1 so that ,peter and ,i raised our weapons1 fearing an attack2 but ,satterfield waved them aside4 8,put by yore shootin' irons10 he said to us1 alcoholically generous4 8,we ain't a-goin' to start nothin'4 ,i give my word1 didn't ,i80 ,i hesitated1 but ,somers frowned me into compliance4 ,the mob leader advanced4 8,you got us beat1 stranger4 ,i'd like t' shake you by th' hand1 sir4 ,ain't a-many has bested ,ralph ,satterfield this a way60 ,laying his vegetable bomb carefully aside1 the doctor came down the steps quite fearlessly1 one lean arm extended2 and presently his slender hand was engulfed in the bootlegger's huge grip4 8,good feller60 declared ,satterfield4 8,friend o' mine1 yuh hear1 boys8 ,have a drink1 stranger80 ,he fumbled at a hip pocket1 hiccoughing4 ,evidently he had given his own goods the testimonial of personal use4 8,i thank you1 sir10 replied ,doctor ,somers blandly4 8,just a swallow to our friendship40 ,he tilted the bottle expertly1 but ,i noted that he did not drink4 8,and now1 gentlemen1 this lynching foolishness is all over1 isn't it80 8,yes1 sir6 ,oh1 yes1 sir6 ,shore1 stranger60 declared the crowd genially4 8,fine60 ,somers took the bootlegger's hand again4 8,i'll depend on you1 ,mr4--,satterfield1 isn't it8 ,you'll guard my friend1 ,parker1 and keep him safe for us1 for his sweetheart and his uncle1 won't you80 ,i caught my breath at the colossal impudence of this proposal2 that the mob1 which had come to lynch ,lewis1 should protect him against the possible attack of others4 ,but ,somers had gauged the spirit of the crowd better than ,i2 he was a profound psychologist4 ,satterfield burst into a roar of laughter1 which ended in a tremendous hiccough2 he staggered about and pounded his thighs in an ecstasy of mirth4 8,by gum1 man10 he exclaimed1 8you're a wonder--a wonder6 ,any man's got nerve like that1 ,i'm for him4 ,yes1 sir6 ',s aw right1 stranger1 's aw right4 ,here60 ,in token of good faith he plunged a hairy hand into his pocket and brought forth a big key4 8,here's th' jail key1 sir2 you keep it4 ,give it back t' ,rufe1 'f yuh wanta4 ,parker's safe2 ,i give yuh my word1 sir40 ,and he shook hands all over again1 growing mellower and mellower1 as his last drink warmed him4 8,ain't nobody a-goin' t' touch 'im now4 ,you hear me1 boys60 he said to the crowd at his back4 8,nobody don't touch ,doc ,parker1 or bother 'im1 unless'n they hankers t' meet up 'ith me1 ,satterfield60 ,he turned back again to ,somers4 8,s-sass'fied80 he inquired gravely4 8,me an' a coupla other fellers'll stay an' keep watch if yuh say so40 ,somers laughed at that1 and clapped the other's back4 8,you're a fine chap1 ,mr4 ,satterfield1 sir6 ,i'm proud to be a friend of yours40 ,he bowed1 and ,satterfield bowed also1 with surprising dignity and grace1 but he marred the effect by stumbling and catching at my shoulder for support4 8,and1 sir--and you boys1 too10 ,somers went on1 grinning1 8now that we're all good friends----0 8,sure6 ,sure6 ,o' course we are--fr'en's f'r life60 roared the mob4 ,it was amazing how he had won their admiration4 8,well then1 gentlemen1 ,i'll let you all into a little joke10 he finished4 8,come up here1 closer6 ,look at my bombs60 ,he reached down and picked up his basket and displayed its contents to the men who crowded about4 ,to my mind it was a hazardous experiment4 ,but again ,somers had gauged the spirit of the crowd very exactly4 ,ten minutes earlier1 perhaps1 his revelation would have been fatal2 but now the mob spirit was gone4 ,we were no longer faced by an irresponsible mob1 rendered careless of consequences by numbers and the consciousness of anonymity4 ,now it was a group of known friends and neighbors1 who stood about us1 whose unmasking had left each an individual responsible for his own conduct4 ,each thought for himself and of himself2 the unreasoning brutality of the mob was gone4 ,doctor ,somers' revelation was greeted with howls of mirth4 ,this was a joke1 a stupendous joke1 robust1 and not too subtle1 which should be told against these men for years to come2 how ,ralph ,satterfield and ,charlie ,bates and 8,hank0 ,conover and fifty others had been cowed and intimidated by a dozen innocuous eggplants in the hands of one lone man6 ,the crowd yelled with laughter1 ,satterfield louder than any2 they pounded each other's backs1 leaned on each other's shoulders1 lay down in the sand and shrieked4 ,satterfield's illicit liquor had some part in it1 no doubt2 none the less it was hearty1 honest laughter1 so contagious that ,peter and ,i1 and even ,doctor ,somers1 were forced to join--so friendly and jolly and carefree that no hearer could doubt its quality4 ,indeed ,rufe ,wakefield1 the gigantic constable1 came round the corner presently--he had been waiting there in fear and trembling1 perhaps1 all evening1 for what might happen at the jail--and strode boldly into our midst1 convinced that all danger was over4 8,here1 here1 you fellers60 he exclaimed in his great1 bullying roar4 8,quit it1 now6 ,you-all better git outa here an' go home t' bed2 yo're disturbin' th' peace60 ,and so peaceable had their humor become that the crowd dispersed forthwith1 still shaken with laughter and scuffling amiably for eggplants1 to preserve as souvenirs of the occasion4 ,,chapter ,,xiii 8,a ,,little ,,relaxation0 ,somers watched them out of sight4 ,then he turned and opened the jail door with the key ,satterfield had given him4 ,over his shoulder he asked3 8,that the constable1 ,mc,gregor8 ,call him back1 will you80 ,when ,rufe had strolled pompously back1 puffed with pride at his success in scattering the crowd1 ,somers surveyed him with distaste4 ,over one lank shoulder1 he remarked acidly3 8,you're a fine cop6 ,stick around1 now4 ,you're quite safe2 the danger's all over1 no thanks to you6 ,stay there till we come out2 then ,i'll give you the jail key40 8,and who are you1 feller1 that talks so biggety80 demanded ,rufe4 ,somers ignored him and stalked into the dark lockup4 8,come on1 you two10 he said4 8,we'll give old ,parker a look40 ,i hesitated2 but1 seeing that ,rufe had decided to make the best of a bad business and wait to get his key back1 ,i followed presently4 ,fumbling for a switch1 ,somers turned on the lights4 ,my poor nephew sat in the steel cage at the right1 huddled on the edge of his bunk1 chin in hands4 ,his face was very white2 he blinked in the sudden illumination1 then rose and faced us with quiet defiance4 8,you've come to lynch me1 ,i suppose10 he said calmly4 8,all right6 ,take me out1 and let's get it over with40 8,my poor boy60 ,i cried1 moved almost to tears4 ,if ,i had suffered1 how dreadful this waiting must have been for him6 8,it's all over1 ,lewis6 ,they've gone2 it's all right--all right1 boy60 ,he shaded his eyes4 ,then1 as they became used to the light3 8,why1 it's you1 unk6 ,and ,peter--and old ,somers6 ,glad to see you1 ,floyd1 old top1 how are you80 ,he reached an unsteady hand through the bars and then1 quite suddenly1 withdrew it and fell to sobbing4 8,i--,i'm a fool10 he declared chokingly4 8,c-can't help it60 ,i snatched the key1 unlocked the inner cage1 and went in to him4 8,there1 my boy6 ,it's all right now--all right now60 ,i patted his shoulder1 but he turned from me and buried his face in the blankets4 8,all over10 repeated ,somers sagely4 8,that's what ails him--reaction4 ,come along now2 leave him alone4 ,he'd rather we went2 wouldn't you1 ,parker1 old top80 ,the black1 rumpled head nodded violently4 8,he prefers to do his breaking down in private10 explained ,somers softly4 8,naturally--so do ,i4 ,and between friends10 he continued aloud1 8,i could pull a couple of weeps myself on the very slightest provocation4 ,it's been rather a drag1 you know60 ,i noticed suddenly that his dark face was unwontedly sallow and colorless4 ,his lean cheeks seemed to have hollowed further2 his curiously light eyes had receded deep into their sockets4 8,buck up1 ,parker60 ,the brusque1 indifferent voice wavered1 almost broke4 8,be back in the morning4 ',by60 ,he herded us out before him1 leaving ,lewis to a solitude which1 ,i fancy1 was not unwelcome4 ,yet it cut me to leave the boy there so weary and broken4 ,outside ,somers locked the door1 then beckoned ,wakefield1 who hung uncertainly in the nearer shadows4 8,here6 ,take your key and get out6 ,and mind0--his fierce hawk's face was thrust out1 his pale eyes glowed coldly--8take better care of it hereafter4 ,if anything should happen to your prisoner1 ,heaven help you1 that's all6 ,for ,i'll take the matter up with you myself40 ,and the huge1 burly constable quailed before the bitter menace of tone and gesture4 ,somers gathered his bundle of papers and envelopes1 rolled it loosely up and tucked it under one long arm4 8,come along10 he urged--almost sullenly4 8,let's get home4 ,i'm tired40 ,we started obediently4 ,peter1 glowing1 took the taller man's arm1 though he had to reach up to do it4 8,oh1 man1 man60 he declared4 8,you're a wonder60 8,let go60 he answered peevishly4 8,what's that80 ,the man who had withstood so nonchalantly the menace of an angry mob flinched and gibed like a skittish colt as the shadows of a dark hallway moved1 rustling4 ,a little1 trembling voice answered4 8,it's only me1 ,dorothy4 ,are you--is ,lewis safe80 ,she came forward timidly1 and now ,i saw that ,rosina was with her1 bulkily maternal1 one fat arm about the girl's slender waist4 8,i--,i just couldn't stay at home10 she explained1 talking very fast1 as against an expected rebuke4 8,so ,i persuaded ,rosina to come along1 and started for the j-jail4 ,i thought maybe if ,i talked to them1 or something--,i--,i----,and anyway ,i wanted to be there my own self1 if anything dreadful h-happened4 ,i thought maybe ,i could s-save him40 8,yah60 sneered ,doctor ,somers4 8,schoolgirl romantics60 ,his voice was unpleasant2 ,peter let go his arm abruptly4 8,i s-suppose so10 replied ,dorothy meekly4 8,anyway we were there1 right around the corner4 ,i came near running out1 one time4 ,but then they began to laugh that way1 and ,i was sure1 pretty near1 that it must be all right4 ,we were just starting home again40 8,you ought to have had more sense10 declared ,somers severely4 8,roaming around alone at this time of night6 ,didn't ,i tell you ,parker was perfectly safe8 ,well1 come along4 ,mc,gregor1 where did you park that flivver8 ,let's get home2 there's been foolishness enough for one night40 ,he stalked off1 and we followed4 ,dorothy took my arm and squeezed it4 8,i don't care10 she whispered rebelliously4 8,i think he's just mean6 ,anybody'd think ,lewis belonged to some other body1 instead of to me4 ,why1 ,i had to come1 ,uncle ,george2 ,i l-love him6 ,what happened1 anyway80 ,feminine curiosity triumphed over her pique4 8,what made them laugh so80 8,it was ,somers10 answered ,peter4 8,he's a wonder1 that man6 ,he stood 'em off with a basket of eggplants--made 'em think they were hand grenades--bombs1 you know4 ,he bluffed 'em to a standstill4 ,oh1 he's a prince1 ,somers is60 8,yah60 said the 8prince10 overhearing this last4 8,don't be a fool60 ,peter helped ,dorothy and ,rosina into the flivver's rear seat1 then clambered after4 8,oh1 yes60 he whispered to me4 8,but1 my word1 his manners are atrocious40 ,in silence we drove back to ,fort ,house4 ,it was a clear1 starlit night1 and at my urging ,peter left the flivver outside4 ,to take it over to ,lewis' house1 lock it in the garage and walk back seemed1 to my weariness1 an impossible labor4 ,we entered the big living room1 and ,peter snapped on the lights4 8,ho-hum60 he said1 as he yawned4 8,i'm for bed40 ,his pistol was in one hand1 the shotgun in the other4 8,careful of that gun10 said ,somers4 8,you'll shoot somebody40 ,he advanced to the table and laid down his big bundle of note paper4 8,oh1 no1 ,peter1 my son10 he went on amiably4 ,his ill temper seemed to have dissipated itself entirely2 he gave us that sudden1 disarming smile4 8,none of you are for bed yet1 except1 maybe1 ,uncle ,george here40 ,he eyed my face1 which was haggard enough1 ,i suppose1 with compassion4 ,the familiar name came from his lips with such unaffected kindliness that ,i warmed to him again4 8,you're done out1 ,uncle ,george2 better get some rest4 ,we young folks can manage40 ,i shook my head4 ,between curiosity and stubborn pride1 ,i was bound to remain4 8,i'm not superannuated yet10 ,i told him tartly4 8,what are you up to now80 ,somers laughed1 and it was a friendly sound4 8,oh1 just a little relaxation after our late excitement10 he replied1 unwrapping his bundle4 8,peter1 get ink and some pens4 ,dorothy0--and again the first names came so naturally1 with such unassuming intimacy1 that we could not but be softened--8you get your list--the addresses of all the people to whom you sent invitations4 ,you saved it1 didn't you80 8,why1 yes10 said ,dorothy1 wondering4 8,what of it80 ,somers smiled at her rebellious glance4 ,it was as if he had elected himself a member of the family and therefore ignored such little flashes of pettishness1 as1 ,i began to see1 he expected us to ignore his brusqueness1 his irritability4 8,we've got to address all these notes10 he explained1 8so they can be mailed in the morning4 ,it's pretty late1 of course1 but ,i hope most of your guests will get them in time4 ,don't you see0--as the girl still looked at him blankly--8your wedding's got to be postponed80 8,oh-h6 ,i f-forgot40 ,a sudden light struck me4 ,i stared at our amazing visitor with my mouth wide open4 8,is that what you wanted the paper for80 8,of course6 ,i've done a hundred and four4 ,better write fifty more1 to be safe40 ,he unfolded a note and handed it to ,dorothy4 8#8,miss ,mary ,mc,gregor regrets1'0 she read1 8#8that the marriage of her niece1 ,dorothy ,may1 must be postponed indefinitely because of a serious accident4'0 8,the wording may not be exactly right10 ,somers apologized4 8,i didn't have a chance to consult you about that4 ,i thought it was as well to make the explanation rather vague40 8,why1 you wonderful man60 ,dorothy beamed on him1 holding his long1 bony hand in both of hers4 8,it's just perfect6 ,how did you ever think of it8 ,we--we've all been so upset40 ,her lips quivered1 and her soft eyes filled with tears4 ,it was a dreadful situation for the poor child2 no wonder she had forgotten this detail4 ,but my mind was filled with a wondering admiration for this lank1 bony alienist4 ,he had seemed brusque1 casual1 culpably indifferent to our troubles2 yet it was he whose ready wit had saved my nephew4 ,and it was he who1 in the hurry and excitement of planning a defense against a lynching party1 had yet found time and forethought to buy this note paper and1 while waiting on the jail steps for an angry mob1 had coolly phrased this unexceptionable announcement and had written it over and over1 more than a hundred times6 ,i opened an envelope at random and glanced at the note which ,dorothy still held2 then ,i picked up the last note1 still unfolded and only half written4 ,all were done in the same flowing1 copperplate script2 they seemed facsimiles1 each of the other4 ,not a letter was misformed1 not a comma out of place2 8postponed10 the last word of the unfinished note1 was as carefully written as any1 and the pen had not trembled or made a scrawl1 as he laid his writing by to face the mob4 ,truly this ,somers was a remarkable man1 and ,i resolved that hereafter no mannerisms of his should irritate me4 ,dorothy ran upstairs1 to return presently with a long list of names and addresses4 ,somers divided the pile of envelopes1 gave us each pen and ink1 and set us to work around the library table4 8,working together we ought to be able to finish in two hours10 he declared4 8,when does the morning train leave8 ,eight-ten8 ,i'll take them down and get them stamped in time for that40 ,silence fell1 broken only by the scratching of four pens4 ,it might have been an hour later--the hall clock had just struck two--when ,miss ,christie appeared in the doorway4 ,her eyes were heavy1 her round face was flushed with sleep1 and ,i noted for the first time how thick and glossy was her fine1 fair hair4 ,she was muffled to the chin in a shapeless1 woolly bath robe2 she yawned1 shielding her mouth with a slender1 well-modeled hand4 8,miss ,mc,gregor can't sleep10 she explained in her pleasant1 throaty drawl4 8,she sent me out to ask if you-all aren't ever going to bed80 ,her eyes widened a little2 they were beautiful eyes2 and a demure smile tugged at her mouth corners4 8,she says nobody thinks about her any more2 and she wants to see you1 ,miss ,dorothy4 ,she says she just knows something underhand is going on in this house1 and everybody's trying to keep it from her40 ,and then1 with a flash of curiosity unusual in her1 normally the most incurious of women1 she asked3 8,what has happened anyway8 ,and why are you-all sitting up so late80 8,doctor ,parker was nearly lynched to-night10 said ,peter4 8,but it's all right now2 and ,somers can prove he couldn't have killed ,gaskell anyhow--that the body was cold before he came out40 8,oh-h-h60 ,miss ,christie's cheeks went white1 and her violet eyes opened4 ,again a sudden shock had brought startling beauty into her dull face4 ,after a breathless moment she disappeared4 8,go see to your aunt1 ,dorothy10 said ,somers1 his eyes still fixed on the waving portires4 8,we'll finish these up40 ,when she had gone1 he sat for a moment1 staring absently at the doorway4 8,hypothyroidism10 he murmured vaguely4 8,you know1 ,uncle ,george1 that girl's got the makings of a raving beauty in her60 8,who1 ,dorothy8 ,she's a beauty now10 ,i replied4 8,huh8 ,oh1 she's well enough1 but ,i meant the other one1 ,miss ,christie4 ,wait till ,i've treated her a while1 and you'll see what ,i mean40 ,he sighed1 passed a lank1 bony hand across his eyes1 and picked up his pen once more3 8,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,r4 ,lawton ,mc,gregor1 #db ,bank ,street1 ,toronto1 ,canada40 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,poltergeist ,,again ,it must have been half past three when ,i stumbled up to my room at last1 stripped off my clothes almost automatically1 and fell into bed4 ,i was asleep in two minutes4 ,it was the deep1 dreamless sleep of exhaustion1 from which one does not wake immediately1 with every sense alert4 ,no2 ,i must climb1 as it were1 up from the very bottom of a black abyss of unconsciousness1 a sea of oblivion1 struggling with infinite pains back toward the light4 ,for hours1 as it seemed1 ,i fought my way stubbornly through a welter of half-seen dreams1 in response to some imperative summons whose nature1 even1 my sleep-drugged senses refused to grasp4 ,at last ,i came out from sleep into wakefulness suddenly1 as a train whizzes out of a long tunnel into the daylight4 ,i sat up1 blinking4 ,it was still dark2 somewhere in the distance a rooster crowed4 ,that did not aid me in fixing the time1 for in ,north ,carolina the cocks crow all night2 but now ,i saw that the east was faintly gray1 and ,i heard the first shrill whistle of an early-rising quail4 ,by that ,i knew dawn must be near at hand4 ,but why had ,i waked so early8 ,what was the insistent call which had dragged me back from deep slumber8 ,i blinked bewilderedly4 ,then suddenly a chill swept over me2 an eerie horripilation crept up my spine and plucked at the short hairs of my neck4 ,as ,i shivered with actual1 physical cold1 ,i saw that some one or something had drawn back the blanket1 so that ,i lay uncovered almost to my knees4 ,then1 as ,i leaned forward1 clutching after the coverlets1 they moved beneath my hand1 as though by their own independent volition6 ,i gave a strangled gasp2 perhaps ,i cried aloud4 ,i am not sure1 for the thing shook me4 ,at any rate1 in the pale gray light of coming dawn1 ,i saw my blanket creep swiftly1 silently1 over the foot of the bed and move toward the door4 ,no one was in sight4 ,my eyes1 from which sleep was miraculously purged1 raced about the empty room and saw its every detail distinctly4 ,there was the dresser1 the rocking chair whereon hung my clothes1 the corner table1 every familiar furnishing4 ,beyond the foot of my bed the door stood half open1 and through it my blanket and counterpane were moving in a white1 undulating mass1 that seemed curiously and uncannily alive4 ,and still there was no sound1 no stir4 ,i grew cold and rheumatic4 ,perhaps ,i hesitated for an instant1 daunted by this mysterious phenomenon4 ,but it was not more than three seconds1 ,i am sure1 before ,i was out of bed and standing at the door1 ready for--for whatever cursed thing might lurk there4 ,there was nothing4 ,the hall stood empty and still1 as commonplace as at high noon4 ,i ran to the head of the stairs and leaned over the balustrade4 ,the broad staircase stood empty1 also1 and the lower hall1 as far as my eye could reach4 ,everything was very still1 so that ,i heard the loud ticking of the grandfather clock below me4 ,but of my nocturnal visitor1 if visitor there had been1 and of my coverlets1 there was no sign at all4 ,both had vanished4 ,a door creaked1 and ,i spun about1 nerves tense as fiddlestrings4 ,it was ,doctor ,somers1 more lathy and slender of limb in his pajamas than by day1 if that were possible4 8,nightmare80 he inquired sourly4 8,you yelled horribly40 ,peter appeared beside him1 dwarfed by the other's lank height2 and ,dorothy's smooth black head peered from her door4 ,i blushed hotly4 ,i must have made an extraordinary racket1 to wake all these tired young folks6 8,i'm sorry1 people10 ,i said apologetically4 8,either ,i've had a nightmare1 or it was the ,poltergeist again40 8,humph60 said ,somers and looked at me queerly4 8,poltergeist80 8,i don't know4 ,either ,i dreamed it all1 or my blankets just climbed over the footboard and walked away by themselves4 ,they're gone1 anyhow40 ,dorothy came out1 wrapped in her fuzzy blue robe1 hair hanging in two sleek braids to her knees4 8,oh1 dear60 said she and peeped into my room4 8,yes1 they're gone4 ,that best white wool blanket1 ,peter1 and the crocheted counterpane4 ,it must have been the ,poltergeist60 8,i'm c-cold10 ,i muttered1 suddenly conscious of my thin pajamas4 8,poor old dear6 ,you climb right back into bed and let ,peter tuck you in4 ,here60 ,dorothy opened the linen closet at the end of the hall and dragged out more blankets4 8,cover him up1 ,peter2 we'll look for the other things in the morning4 ,no telling what the ,poltergeist has done with them60 8,humph60 repeated ,somers4 ,he cocked his head on one side1 and1 in his pajamas1 whose wide stripes1 running up and down1 accentuated his height and lankiness1 he looked like some new variety of long-legged bird--a striped crane4 8,humph6 ,poltergeist6 ,that's interesting40 ,his tone held an impersonal enthusiasm1 as of a surgeon confronted with some new and rare disease2 ,i was reminded of the manner in which he had pronounced ,miss ,christie's sleepiness due to 8hypothyroidism10 whatever that may be4 8,a ,poltergeist6 ,then such things have happened here before80 ,dorothy nodded4 8,yes1 the nasty thing's been hanging round for a year1 almost1 playing tricks like this1 breaking dishes1 yelling through the halls1 and everything40 8,humph6 ,well1 let's get back to bed4 ,i'll look into this later40 8,ask ,aunt ,mary10 suggested ,peter grimly4 8,she'll talk your arm off about spiritism1 if you once get her started40 8,i haven't had the pleasure of meeting your aunt yet10 replied ,somers4 ,then he yawned and went back into his room4 ,i went back to bed1 to shiver beneath my new blankets4 ,it was not really cold1 but ,i was chilled through4 ,and what with fatigue and excitement and the honest fright of watching my blankets creep away in that eerie fashion1 ,i could not get to sleep again4 ,moreover1 bobwhite had tuned up in earnest now4 ,the shrill1 insistent whistling of a dozen quail1 calling and answering each other under my window1 effectually barred me from further rest4 ,the high-pitched1 monotonous call rang through my aching head maddeningly4 ,at last1 it might have been seven o'clock1 ,i did doze off1 to waken with a start an hour later4 ,i rose then and dressed4 ,dorothy was just coming from her rooms2 she gave me a brave smile4 8,good morning1 my dear6 ,you're fresh as a rose40 ,she was wearing a little blue morning gown1 her mass of black hair neatly dressed1 and she was smiling4 ,one of the many things ,i found to admire in ,dorothy ,mc,gregor was this3 that she was always good-natured1 even in the morning4 ,no matter how early one saw her1 she was never peevish or sullen1 in spite of a hot1 flashing1 little temper4 8,good morning1 ,uncle ,george4 ,did you get any rest at all80 ,i sighed4 8,oh1 a little4 ,where's ,somers80 8,i haven't heard anything of him4 ,tired out1 ,i suppose40 ,there was no need to ask where ,peter was1 for ,i could hear his lusty snores through his bedroom door4 ,so we two went downstairs together4 8,we'll have our breakfast10 declared ,dorothy4 8,aunt ,mary'll be waiting1 and she hates to eat alone4 ,the others can eat when they get up4 ,they had a hard night1 poor boys60 ,but1 as we came through the big living room1 the front door opened and ,doctor ,somers entered4 ,his lean1 sallow face wore its customary look of acute dissatisfaction with the universe2 it was neither more nor less saturnine than when ,i had first set eyes on it1 scarcely more than twelve hours ago4 ,the strain of last night had left no visible mark upon him4 ,we gave him a good morning1 to which he replied with a sour grunt4 8,been to the post office10 he explained4 8,they're poor stamps your postmaster sells here2 no stick to 'em at all4 ,had to buy a bottle of mucilage40 8,you poor man6 ,and did you stamp and mail all those notes80 ,somers shrugged4 8,it had to be done10 he declared ungraciously4 ,we went on into the dining room4 ,before we could be seated1 the creaking of her wheel chair announced ,aunt ,mary's coming4 ,dorothy rang the bell4 8,quick1 ,rosina6 ,get auntie's coffee60 ,miss ,mc,gregor appeared1 the patient nurse at her back4 ,the old lady's face wore its usual pathetic smile1 and she inclined her head to us with sad graciousness4 ,somers' eyes traveled past her4 8,good morning1 ,miss ,christie60 ,the nurse bowed shyly2 her big1 violet eyes dropped1 and a tinge of color crept into her cheek4 ,aunt ,mary's stately head came up4 ,her thin eyebrows arched4 8,i don't think ,i've had the honor----0 8,oh1 forgive me1 auntie6 ,i'd forgotten you didn't come out to supper last night4 ,this is ,doctor ,somers1 ,aunt ,mary2 ,dr4 ,somers1 my aunt1 ,miss ,mc,gregor4 ,the doctor is--was to be--,lewis' best man1 you know40 8,ah1 of course6 ,and how do you do1 doctor80 ,miss ,mc,gregor's tone was cool1 to say the least4 ,her manner implied that ,somers would have done much better to stay in his lunatic asylum4 8,it's so unfortunate that you made that long trip for nothing2 you're from ,new ,york1 ,i think8 ,quite so4 ,you won't be able to get back to your practice before ,wednesday1 even by starting to-night1 will you8 ,it's a great inconvenience1 but then this dreadful affair has inconvenienced everybody4 ,it has upset me terribly--though that1 of course1 amounts to nothing60 ,her tone1 however1 suggested that it was the most important consequence of ,doctor ,gaskell's death2 and that we others had deliberately planned the killing to annoy her1 ,mary ,mc,gregor4 ,it was truly remarkable1 the unpleasant suggestions ,aunt ,mary managed to convey by a turn of the eye1 an arching of her high1 thin brows1 a pathetic inflection of her sweet1 plaintive voice1 and all with the kindest1 bravest1 most self-sacrificing manner in the world4 ,i could still understand how casual visitors considered her an uncomplaining heroine1 a saint on earth2 but ,i was no longer inclined to share their opinion4 ,doctor ,somers smiled at her in his sudden1 heartwarming fashion1 no whit ruffled by her attitude4 8,but ,i'm not going back just yet10 he explained4 8,the hospital will do very well without me2 ,i wrote this morning for a month's leave4 ,i shan't go back until we've got poor old ,parker safe out of jail40 ,aunt ,mary looked dubious4 8,can you make them think he did it in self-defense80 ,he smiled again4 8,something like that4 ,but tell me1 ,miss ,mc,gregor1 how did you rest last night80 ,she softened visibly4 8,very poorly indeed4 ,i'm a great sufferer1 doctor1 a great sufferer4 ,i worry so about my niece40 ,she cast a bitter glance at ,dorothy1 who winced4 8,i lay awake for hours1 just thinking about her troubles1 until the knots came in my neck so terribly that ,i could have screamed4 ,you know1 being a doctor1 of course40 ,aunt ,mary looked at ,somers eagerly1 a bit apprehensively1 ,i fancied4 ,but he nodded gravely4 8,i know10 he assured her4 8,torticollis ephemeralis6 ,yes1 indeed1 a very painful ailment40 ,his air of serious sympathy was admirable4 8,yes1 isn't it8 ,well1 ,i kept thinking1 ,i must be patient2 ,i must try to comfort poor ,dorothy in her trials4 ,she's not used to suffering1 as ,i am4 ,i mustn't notice it if her worries make her heedless and self-absorbed2 she doesn't mean to be inconsiderate4 ,i won't make it harder for her by complaining4 ,i was so sorry1 dear0--turning to the poor girl1 who looked supremely uncomfortable--8so sorry that ,i had to wake ,miss ,christie and send her out last night--this morning1 rather4 ,i knew1 if you hadn't been so upset1 you'd have remembered that ,i never can sleep when there's so much going on in the house4 ,i know you didn't mean to be selfish1 and so ,i stood it just as long as ,i could40 ,dorothy sighed deeply4 8,here1 auntie1 try this piece of toast2 it's crisper4 ,rosina1 fill auntie's cup4 ,yes1 dear1 drink another cup of coffee4 ,it'll do you good40 ,doctor ,somers came to the rescue with a deft question1 and presently ,aunt ,mary was beaming upon him1 discussing her symptoms with infinite relish4 ,the charm of an intelligent and sympathetic listener brought unwonted color to her delicately faded cheek2 her rigid pose relaxed2 her eyes shone brighter4 ,absently she finished her second cup of coffee and ate three more slices of toast1 talking all the while4 ,aunt ,mary was enjoying herself thoroughly4 ,we others rose and slipped out1 leaving her in the midst of an animated account of the strange sensations in her limbs4 8,you see1 doctor1 ,i've been paralyzed in both limbs for fourteen years now1 never able to leave my chair except for bed4 ,i have to be lifted and carried about like a baby4 ,and for years my limbs were perfectly numb and dead2 but lately ,i've had the queerest feelings--creepy1 prickly feelings4 ,do you suppose it's atrophy80 ,somers nodded gravely4 8,no doubt6 ,your muscles are wasting away1 and the spinal cord is affected1 ,i think40 8,oh1 he's making her out worse than she is60 whispered ,dorothy1 horrified4 8,he'll scare her to death60 8,hush60 ,i told her4 8,can't you see she loves it80 8,i resigned myself to that long ago1 doctor--not being able to stand on my feet ever again4 ,but the queer feelings1 and those terrible knots in my neck----0 ,we slipped out4 ,doctor ,somers listened attentively1 nodding at intervals1 but his keen1 gray-green eyes were all for the silent nurse4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,a ,,fishing ,,trip ,dorothy1 ,peter1 and ,i set off at once for the lockup4 8,i've just got to see my poor boy10 said the girl tearfully4 8,think what an awful time he must have had last night60 ,she trotted about the house1 busily ordering the fat ,rosina here and there1 and presently she called us to her aid4 8,there60 said she proudly1 pointing out two huge bundles4 8,clean sheets and pillowcases in that one1 and a blanket--you know1 ,uncle ,george1 ,rosina found your blanket and counterpane this morning1 the ones the ,poltergeist took8 ,they were down in the coal bin1 wadded up1 and they were just filthy6 ,oh1 dear6 ,i wish the horrid thing wouldn't break and destroy and dirty everything it touches4 ,it's a perfectly wretched ghost1 ,uncle ,george1 so malicious60 ,she carried it off gayly enough1 but her big eyes were restless1 and ,i fancied a hint of fear in their depths4 ,after all1 though familiarity may make a ghost less terrible1 no one really enjoys its repeated visits4 ,and1 though she pretended so much courage and jested so gayly about the tricks of the ,poltergeist1 ,i saw that she was haunted by a very real fear of its comings4 ,the poor child was near the breaking point4 8,there1 there1 dearie10 ,i comforted her4 8,don't you fret2 everything'll come right yet4 ,we'll have you married off and settled happily in a bright little red-and-white bungalow1 without any ghosts to bother you4 ,be brave just a little while longer1 child60 ,she huddled against my shoulder and wept quietly4 8,i c-can't help it1 dear10 she declared4 8,i'll be a-all right p-presently4 ,but things are so darn twisted6 ,and that was my very best counterpane1 and ,i was s-saving it for our h-house--and ,i'm a-f-fraid of ghosts4 ,i am so6 ,and my beau's in jail1 and the wedding put off--and it's unlucky to postpone weddings1 ,uncle ,george4 ,and ,aunt ,mary's just m-mean to me1 and ,i'm s-so unhappy60 ,what could ,i say8 ,i patted her shoulder silently1 and presently she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief1 rolled up into a damp ball1 and smiled up at me bravely4 8,i'm all right now1 dear10 she told me and ran off to powder her nose4 ,so ,i shouldered a huge bundle of bedding and took a basket of eatables in my left hand and descended the steps to ,lewis' flivver1 while ,peter followed1 even more heavily laden4 8,time we get through and old ,parker's out1 we can advertise3 #8,apartment to rent1 luxuriously furnished2 apply at the jail4'0 ,i went back after another load and on the way peeped into the dining room4 ,aunt ,mary still held forth1 as fresh as if she had just begun4 ,rosina's face peeped around the edge of the kitchen door4 ,she was wondering1 no doubt1 if they'd ever give her a chance to 8cl'ar away40 ,somers still listened with courteous attention1 but the eye he turned to me held a comical appeal for aid4 8,we're going down to see my nephew now1 ,somers10 ,i said4 8,want to come along80 ,aunt ,mary sighed1 her thin eyebrows arched high4 8,that's always the way10 her expression said2 8if ever ,i'm enjoying myself somebody has to spoil it60 ,but aloud she declared3 8,yes1 doctor1 don't let me keep you4 ,i've enjoyed our little chat so much1 but of course ,dorothy's wishes come first4 ,i realize that2 and it's quite natural4 ,i'm used to being alone60 ,somers gave her a sympathetic glance4 8,i suppose ,i ought to go10 he replied reluctantly2 but he rose with suspicious alacrity4 8,perhaps when ,i get back1 ,miss ,mc,gregor--yours is a very interesting case--,i'd like to hear more about it40 ,aunt ,mary shrugged1 as much as to say3 8,why go away then80 8,i always lie down after breakfast10 she replied4 ,somers looked relieved4 8,well1 some other time then40 ,his greenish eyes rested significantly upon the silent nurse4 8,you ought to get out of doors more10 he told her4 8,you need exercise40 ,miss ,mc,gregor sniffed4 8,oh1 she's healthy enough6 ,you should see her sleep60 ,aunt ,mary always resented the suggestion that any one else was not well2 she felt that she had a monopoly of invalidism for the ,mc,gregor family4 ,our guest bowed and came out with me4 8,my10 he exclaimed1 8what a talker60 8,well1 come along60 ,he shook his head4 8,i'm not coming1 thanks4 ,tell old ,parker ,i'll see him later4 ,i've got other things to do40 ,so ,i left him and went out to the racketing flivver1 whose rear seat was heaped high4 ,i squeezed in beside ,dorothy and ,peter in front4 8,where's ,somers1 unk80 asked the latter4 8,not coming4 ,he doesn't seem very keen to see ,lewis1 after all40 8,well6 ,that's queer4 ,he's cooking up some other deep scheme1 ,i suppose4 ,i shan't find fault with him1 after last night40 8,probably you're right1 ,peter10 ,i conceded4 ,but ,dorothy1 beside me1 wriggled impatiently4 8,you two men are perfectly blind6 ,he's just waiting for ,aunt ,mary to lie down1 so he can see ,miss ,christie40 ,we both laughed4 8,what1 that sleepy thing80 8,yes6 ,if you had any eyes at all1 you could see he was perfectly struck on her4 ,and she may be a sleepy thing1 but just you watch her brighten up1 once there's a man around to notice her4 ,oh1 you can laugh6 ,but ,i tell you ,anne ,christie is a beauty1 if she'd just wake up a little40 8,she's too fat10 objected ,peter4 ,dorothy gave him a maddeningly superior smile4 8,and they say men are the best judges of a woman's looks6 ,wait till you see her in an evening dress1 instead of those horrid1 stiff1 old uniforms6 ,oh1 yes1 you will6 ,i'll just bet you ten pounds of candy against a carton of cigarettes she begins to dress up within a week60 ,we hunted up a very sheepish constable and told him our errand4 ,he handed the jail key over to me4 8,yeah10 he said1 8you jus' take it along1 an' bring it back w'en you git through4 ,don't forgit t' lock th' door after yuh4 ,yeah1 shore it'll be all right6 ,nobody don't need t' know you got it1 does they8 ,an' say0--coming closer and dropping his voice to a hoarse whisper--8they ain't no need o' tellin' about las' night1 is they80 ,it was a bribe1 ,i saw3 free access to the jail against silence as to ,rufe ,wakefield's inglorious part in last night's troubles4 ,he knew he was safe enough in giving me the key1 irregular as it seems2 for my nephew would not have dreamed of escaping1 even if ,i would have allowed it4 8,all right1 ,rufe10 ,i promised4 8,we'll keep quiet2 and ,i'll have the key back to you before noon40 ,all this had taken some little time4 ,as we drove back down ,main ,street1 ,dorothy nudged me sharply4 8,what did ,i tell you80 ,we swung round the corner1 past ,olsen's drug store1 to reach the jail1 which was almost directly behind it4 ,and on the drug store steps1 just going in1 stood ,miss ,anne ,christie1 while ,doctor ,somers held the screen door back for her1 with a long1 skinny arm4 8,she does carry herself well10 said ,peter critically4 ,dorothy sniffed4 8,i think he might be doing something for ,lewis1 instead of gallivanting round with that girl60 ,we drove on to the lockup1 to find my nephew haggard1 but fairly cheerful4 8,rufe brought me in a gorgeous breakfast10 he told us4 8,really1 he's not such a bad chap4 ,yes1 ,i got quite a bit of sleep1 too1 but ,i'll be glad of clean sheets4 ,there1 there1 honey60 ,dorothy had choked forlornly1 snuggling close to his shoulder4 8,don't worry any more2 old ,somers'll figure out some way of getting me out in a day or two40 8,but to-morrow was our wedding day60 she exclaimed disconsolately4 8,and1 besides1 your precious ,somers is just flirting with ,aunt ,mary's nurse2 he's not trying to do a thing for us60 ,however she did her bridegroom's prospective best man something less than justice4 ,it might have been an hour later1 while we four still sat with our heads together1 cudgeling our brains for a way out1 that he strolled casually in4 ,i heard the outer doorknob rattle and started up1 for ,i had forgotten to lock the door after us1 and ,i feared some official visitor4 ,before ,i could reach it1 the heavy door swung back1 and ,somers' black head appeared4 8,thought ,i'd find you folks here10 he said4 8,ought to be locked in1 though2 people might talk about our vigilant cop40 ,he turned the key on the inside and paused to laugh silently4 8,clever chap1 that ,wakefield10 he went on1 advancing4 ,his long1 grotesquely thin legs moved stiffly1 like a pair of compasses4 8,i heard him talking about that little affair last night2 he's out on ,main ,street1 holding forth right now4 #8,an' ,i stood right there beside the lockup1' he was saying1 #8ready f'r bus'ness4 ',at skinny feller come in on ,number ,seven1 he stood on th' steps 'ith a bumb1 darin' 'em t' come any furder4 ,they was all a-yellin'1 an' they wouldn't of paid him no mind1 but then ,i come out 'ith th' ole persuader'--and he showed them that rusty pocket cannon he lugs around--#8an'1 8,stan' back1 fellers60 ,i says4 ,we-ell1 they all knew me6 ,an' so they wa'n't no lynchin' las' night6'0 ,we all laughed4 ,somers' imitation of the constable's rumbling drawl was irresistibly comic4 8,so that's what he's telling60 ,a light struck me4 8,no wonder he didn't want us to talk about last night6 ,he bribed us to keep quiet1 doctor1 by letting us take the jail key40 8,i told you you had a clever constable1 unk4 ,oh1 ,i've learned lots of things this morning6 ,i've talked with a number of your leading citizens1 so ,i have40 8,when we saw you1 you were otherwise occupied10 said ,dorothy cruelly4 8,or is ,miss ,christie one of the #8leading citizens' you meant80 ,somers merely smiled at her4 8,oh1 that6 ,i took her to the drug store to get some thyroid extract4 ,the girl's sick1 and ,i'm going to cure her4 ,wait a couple of weeks2 you won't know her60 8,and after you got the medicine80 ,i prompted1 curious to know how he had forgathered with ,wakefield4 8,oh1 ,miss ,christie introduced me to the druggist1 ,olsen1 then she went on home4 ,and ,i hung around1 making myself agreeable4 ,just a little fishing expedition1 ,uncle ,george--that's all60 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,some ,,clews1 ,,and ,a ,,suggestion ,his light eyes sparkled at us1 and gratified pride replaced his usual look of acute dissatisfaction with the world4 8,old ,doc ,somers is a great man60 he boasted4 ,we all stared at him1 breathlessly eager4 8,what have you found out80 ,i demanded4 8,a whole lot of things2 enough so we can begin planning a defense for ,parker40 ,peter straightened at the word4 8,a defense6 ,of course he'll have to be tried now1 won't he8 ,folks1 we've got to hire a lawyer right away60 ,dorothy and ,i nodded agreement4 ,lewis said nothing at all4 8,there'll be a trial1 yes10 said ,somers2 8that is1 if the grand jury indicts4 ,and ,i haven't much doubt that it will2 you see1 your man ,vanbrugh1 your prosecuting attorney that pleased you all so much at the inquest1 will present the evidence against ,parker4 ,yes1 he'll be indicted--,i haven't a doubt of it40 8,so we need a lawyer10 insisted ,peter4 8,we-ell1 not to be too modest about it1 ,i'm a tolerable lawyer myself1 ,mc,gregor4 ,you see1 ,i started out to make myself a medicolegal expert2 to specialize in medical jurisprudence4 ,i studied law first2 ,i was admitted to the bar six years ago1 and ,i practiced a little while before ,i entered the medical school40 ,i looked at him more closely4 ,last night1 knowing him to be my nephew's classmate1 ,i had thought him thirty1 at the most4 ,no doubt my knowledge of ,lewis' age had influenced me2 moreover ,somers had one of those lean1 dark faces on which the years leave little mark4 ,but now1 by the morning sun which streamed through the unshaded windows of the jail1 ,i could see that he was older4 ,his black hair was shot with gray over the temples2 there were fine lines in his forehead and about the corners of his deep-set eyes4 ,he must be at least thirty-eight--perhaps older4 ,no wonder he had impressed me as more mature than ,peter or ,lewis6 8,yes1 ,i'm a lawyer10 he went on1 8and not such a bad lawyer1 either4 ,in a case like this1 where the medical testimony will be so important1 perhaps ,i'd do as well as another4 ,that's up to you1 of course1 ,parker4 ,if you want somebody else1 ,i'll do all ,i can to help1 just the same40 ,lewis shook his head vigorously4 8,no6 ,i don't want anybody else1 if you'll only help me out1 old man40 8,well1 then0--he made no protest of willingness1 no fervid promises of success2 he took the matter as settled1 and ,i liked that in him--8to begin with1 we'll take it for granted that there'll be a trial--unless in the meantime we manage to find the murderer40 8,you think he was murdered1 then80 asked ,dorothy fearfully4 8,he must have been4 ,he surely didn't shoot himself and then swallow the gun40 8,but you--but ,lewis----0 she faltered4 8,but ,lewis didn't do it6 ,of course not4 ,gaskell was dead before he got there4 ,but our trouble will be to prove that4 ,if ,uhlman here gets up and swears ,gaskell's body was cold when he got to it1 five minutes after he heard the shot1 your prosecuting attorney--your solicitor1 as they call him--will ask why he didn't say so at the time2 why ,wakefield didn't notice it2 why it wasn't brought out at the inquest4 ,and what can you say1 ,uhlman1 except that you didn't think of it until ,i asked you about it8 ,then your man ,vanbrugh will say3 #8,ah1 you didn't remember this very important point until the learned counsel for the defense explained it to you8'--with a significant glance at the jury4 ,and then3 #8,and you're related to the prisoner1 aren't you1 ,mr4 ,uhlman8 ,his uncle1 ,i think1 yes8 ,and you're fond of him1 aren't you--very fond of him1 in fact8 ,exactly6' ,and he'll give the jury another wise look and tell you to step down40 ,i nodded soberly4 8,but--but then they'll convict him60 said ,dorothy4 8,oh1 no--at least we'll hope not4 ,but the best way to defend him is to find out who really committed the murder2 don't you see8 ,so let's talk it over40 ,somers settled himself more comfortably and re-crossed those extraordinary legs4 8,to begin with ,i had a chat with your constable4 ,had it occurred to you to wonder how he happened to be coming past ,fort ,house at five in the morning1 just at the right time to hear ,parker shoot8 ,no8 ,well1 ,i thought of it4 ,he'd been out at a little poker party1 an all-night session at ,tulliver's1 back on the hill4 ,he lost fifty dollars1 too2 it made him mad1 and that1 ,i suspect1 was behind his zeal in enforcing the ordinance about discharging firearms in the corporation4 ,he had been drinking6 ,officially1 ,i've no doubt that the amiable ,rufus is an ardent prohibitionist2 but unofficially he likes his toddy4 ,corn liquor was plenty up on the hill1 it appears2 and ,rufe was too much under its influence to notice details2 didn't you know that1 ,uncle ,george80 8,i--,i----0 ,i stammered4 8,we were all so upset that ,i didn't think it odd that he seemed so1 too4 ,but1 now that you speak of it1 he did seem rather--rather uncertain40 8,humph6 ,it makes it bad for us1 too4 ,when ,vanbrugh gets hold of him1 ,wakefield will swear to almost anything1 just to prove he was sober enough to know all that happened4 ,well1 here's another thing4 ,you know this chap ,satterfield--,ralph ,satterfield8 ,he led the mob last night4 ,did he have any grudge against ,gaskell80 8,why1 yes10 answered ,lewis and ,i together4 8,gaskell was one of the town commissioners4 ,and during ,may he was acting mayor4 ,satterfield was brought before him for being drunk and disorderly and for bootlegging1 and ,gaskell gave him thirty days on the roads40 8,and that's not all1 ,uncle ,george10 my nephew went on4 8,remember there at ,olsen's he bragged that he was going to settle with ,gaskell80 8,all right10 said ,somers4 8,satterfield was at the poker party1 too4 ,tulliver has a phone2 about four o'clock somebody called ,satterfield up there1 and he went out in a great hurry1 saying he'd be back in an hour4 ,what's more1 he went out the back door1 and ,tulliver's shotgun stood right beside it4 ,i got all this firsthand1 by a little judicious questioning1 partly from ,rufe1 and partly from another chap who was there4 ,mind you1 we don't know that ,satterfield took that gun2 but he might have taken it and brought it back with him4 ,nobody was out that way while he was gone4 8,he came back in an hour or so1 very much out of breath4 ,when somebody asked him where he'd been1 he drew a pistol and threatened to kill the fellow4 ,they quieted him down2 but1 as they were all more or less drunk1 they didn't think much about it4 ,but it's worth looking into1 especially as it seems ,satterfield's daughter1 ,minnie1 is your night telephone operator4 ,olsen phoned for ,doctor ,gaskell to come and see his sick baby2 and this girl put the call through1 and no doubt listened in2 night operators usually do4 ,right after that1 as ,i figure it1 she called up ,tulliver's house and gave a message to her father40 8,why1 it's open and shut60 ,i exclaimed excitedly4 8,she told her father ,gaskell was going out4 ,satterfield knew he'd take the short cut1 that path through the ,fort ,house grounds2 it's the nearest way to ,olsen's4 ,he took ,tulliver's gun and ran down there1 while the doctor was dressing1 and lay in wait for him and killed him60 8,it's possible10 conceded ,somers4 8,we'll investigate1 at least4 ,and1 if we can't hang it on him1 we'll bring it up at the trial1 anyhow4 ,it will go to show that somebody else might have done the shooting40 8,oh1 the trial1 the trial60 ,it was ,dorothy1 impatiently tearful4 8,you keep talking about a trial1 and that'll be weeks and weeks1 maybe months6 ,and all that time my poor ,lewis will have to stay in this horrid old jail1 and--and t-to-morrow was our wedding day6 ,oh1 dear1 oh1 dear6 ,what shall ,i do80 ,the poor girl broke down completely and wept without restraint1 hanging upon her lover's neck4 ,somers looked at her keenly4 8,what do you want to do80 ,she sobbed4 8,i was going to be married to-morrow1 and my wedding dress is all ready1 and the cake baked1 even6 ,and now ,lewis is in j-jail for weeks and months--and maybe they'll c-convict him or something1 and we c-can't ever be married at all6 ,and ,i'll die an old maid1 because ,i won't ever marry any other body60 8,humph6 ,get married1 then40 8,and it's just awfully unlucky to put off your wedding day1 and--and----0 ,she broke off suddenly1 raising a tear-stained face1 as the meaning of ,somers' words struck home4 8,get m-married8 ,what do you mean80 8,what ,i say4 ,your wedding dress is ready1 you say1 and the cake is baked4 ,well1 here ,i am1 too1 a perfectly good best man4 ,and there's ,parker2 and here's the jail4 ,there's a preacher in town1 ,i suppose4 ,we've got the freedom of the lockup1 thanks to ,rufe ,wakefield2 why not have your wedding right here to-morrow1 on schedule time80 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,an ,,unusual ,,wedding ,a big tear still undried on her cheek1 ,dorothy stared at the tall1 lanky ,somers4 ,her blank wonderment gradually merged into admiration1 and a very becoming blush crept over her fair face4 8,get married to-morrow--anyway80 she asked4 8,why--why not8 ,i think it would be just lovely40 ,she grew more animated as this new idea shaped itself before her imagination4 8,we couldn't have a big wedding anyway1 after all this horrid trouble--not for months and months6 ,and just think of the expense6 ,new invitations1 new flowers1 another wedding dress1 and everything4 ,and ,aunt ,mary's been so upset1 getting ready for the house guests1 and there'd be that to go through with again4 ,and think1 ,lewis6 ,we'd have to pay rent on our house all that time1 without being able to live in it4 ,oh1 ,i think it would be just lovely6 ,we can bring the flowers down here and decorate the place and have our wedding breakfast right here2 just the family1 and maybe ,marie and ,sally ,westfall10 naming her bridesmaids4 8,we'll do it6 ,of course we will6 ,peter1 run over to the depot and see if the flowers have come4 ,i'll have roses over there1 and a bank of ferns1 and----0 ,her happy1 excited voice trailed away1 as she ran a calculating eye about the bare1 cramped place1 planning her decorations with truly feminine adaptability4 ,but my nephew caught her hand4 8,no1 ,dorothy60 he cried miserably4 8,no1 honey girl4 ,you know ,i'd just love it1 but ,i can't let you4 ,you're forgetting2 ,i'm in prison1 charged with murder4 ,i'll have to stay here for weeks1 anyhow2 and then ,i may be convicted and executed1 or worse yet1 given life imprisonment4 ,and then you'd be tied for life to a convict1 honey2 you'd be worse than a widow4 ,no1 you must give me up1 and maybe1 in a year or two1 you'll find somebody else and be married and find happiness after all4 ,and it would be a comfort to me1 there in prison1 to know your life hadn't been ruined1 too40 ,the boy straightened1 looking very noble and self-sacrificing4 ,his eyes were moist2 ,i fancy that he found a dismal enjoyment in the thought of this great renunciation4 ,he pictured himself in stripes1 no doubt1 wandering alone down the long corridor of years1 upborne by his own self-sacrifice4 ,the young have a way of enjoying tragedy--in prospect1 at least4 ,but ,dorothy only laughed at him4 8,fiddlesticks6 ,you're not going to be convicted4 ,you're not6 ,i won't have it6 ,you won't even have to be tried2 ,doctor ,somers will find the man who really did it1 and you'll be home with me in a week1 maybe6 ,and1 if you're not1 ,i won't ever1 ever1 ever marry any other body--so there6 ,i guess ,i can be noble too6 ,and we're going to be married at noon to-morrow1 right here in this jail1 so you might as well make the best of it60 ,dropping on the narrow bunk beside him she began to whisper eagerly into his ear4 ,well1 that was all of that4 ,there are limits to any man's capacity for self-abnegation1 and ,lewis was very human4 ,who could have resisted ,dorothy ,mc,gregor's sweet pleading1 her flushed1 bright-eyed anticipation of this pitiful wedding1 so different from that she had planned8 8,and really10 she argued wisely1 8it'll be lots nicer than a big church affair--lots6 ,i shan't have to get all tired out running around1 looking after a lot of guests we don't care anything about1 getting ice cream spilled on my wedding dress1 and having the ushers put all the wrong people into the wrong pews4 ,i've been worried out of my life for weeks1 just imagining what would happen if they should seat ,cousin ,john beside ,uncle ,will ,marshall4 ,they haven't spoken for twenty years1 you know4 ,oh1 this'll be so much better4 ,why1 it's just sweet60 ,lewis smiled bitterly4 8#8,sweet1'0 he repeated1 8marrying a man--in a jail60 ,but his protest was uncertain1 and ,dorothy paid no attention to it whatever4 ,he had capitulated2 she knew it well enough1 and we all recognized it4 ,from that time on my nephew had no more voice in the arrangement of his wedding than has any other well-conducted bridegroom4 ,in the midst of our excited talk some one tried the jail door4 ,we all stopped short1 alarmed1 the memory of last night's attack fresh in our minds4 ,then ,somers1 shrugging resignedly1 opened the big door1 which he had locked again after ,peter's exit4 ,in the aperture appeared the wide-brimmed hat and leathery1 lined face of ,high ,sheriff ,redden4 ,he blinked at us queerly1 his red-rimmed1 rheumy eyes taking in the unusual scene before him2 for ,dorothy and ,lewis sat hand in hand on the narrow bunk1 while ,i huddled uncomfortably on the floor1 my back to the cage bars1 with a bundle of the ,mc,gregors' best bed linen for a divan4 ,it was a curious spectacle for a well-conducted jail1 to say the least4 ,the sheriff swept off his hat and bowed deeply4 8,mornin'1 ma'am10 he said to the girl deferentially4 8,howdy1 folks6 ,you-all aim t' be comf'table as you kin1 ,i see40 ,he fingered his wispy white mustache and turned to ,somers4 8,howdy1 stranger6 ,f'om ,rufe's story you an' him saved my pris'ner f'om gittin' lynched las' night--or1 anyways1 it was ,rufe mostly1 accordin' to his tell40 ,he winked elaborately at the physician4 ,over his shoulder appeared the anxious face of the huge constable4 ,wakefield shook a leonine head in agonized appeal1 winked frantically1 laid a finger to his lips1 begging dumbly for our silence4 ,somers grinned4 8,oh1 yes6 ,mr4 ,wakefield showed the best part of valor1 certainly40 8,h'm6 ,yuh cain't tell me nothin' about ,rufe ,wakefield1 stranger4 ,but ,i'm obliged to yuh1 sir4 ,they'd of been right smart talk round ,carabas ,county if anythin' had happened to one of ,hank ,redden's prisoners4 ,ain't aimin' t' have no lynchin's hereabouts1 w'ile ,i'm sheriff6 ,nossir60 ,he extended a gnarled hand gravely1 looking ,somers up and down4 8,yo're lengthy enough t' give anybody a battle1 stranger10 he drawled1 8even if they ain't s' much to yuh crossways40 ,somers laughed4 8,we can't all be fat1 sheriff40 ,redden fingered his wispy mustache4 ,he was thin to emaciation4 8,h'm1 ,i reckon not4 ,an' now1 folks1 this here ain't quite reg'lar4 ,i know it's all right1 but ,rufe hadn't ought to of give you-all that key4 ,i'm responsible f'r havin' ,doc ,parker here guarded right4 ,cain't let things go on this a way2 folks 'ud talk40 8,oh1 ,mr4 ,redden10 said ,dorothy prettily1 8you won't make it any harder for us8 ,why1 ,lewis and ,i are going to be married to-morrow60 8,h'm10 said the sheriff4 ,his watery eyes blinked rapidly1 but ,i fancied that their pale gaze softened4 8,h'm6 ,aimin' t' git married here80 8,uh-huh10 said ,dorothy1 like a little1 bashful schoolgirl4 ,peter pushed in1 breathless4 8,the flowers have come4 ,shall ,i bring 'em here80 8,we-ell1 ,i be dogged6 ,h'm6 ,yessum60 ,the sheriff's face cleared4 8,i reckon ,i c'n fix it up1 ma'am--anyways1 if you'll invite me to it40 8,why1 of course6 ,i was counting on you to give me away10 declared ,dorothy shamelessly4 8,my aunt can't come2 she's paralyzed1 you know2 and ,uncle ,george couldn't do it very well because he's ,lewis' uncle4 ,will you1 sheriff80 8,i jus' reckon ,i will1 ma'am6 ,w'y1 twenty mewels couldn't keep me away4 ,hold up yore right hand1 stranger1 and you1 ,mc,gregor1 an' you1 ,mr4 ,uhlman4 ,i deppytize you-all4 ,yo're depitty sheriffs of the ,county of ,carabas1 ,state of ,no'th ,carolina1 charged with th' guardin' of this here pris'ner an' responsible fer his body to me4 ,you c'n keep them keys now1 gentlemen4 ,rufe1 you got to feed 'im yit2 you c'n fix it up 'ith them t' let you in1 mealtimes40 ,and with no more formality than this1 we became deputy sheriffs4 ,mr4 ,redden departed presently1 promising to return for the ceremony to-morrow2 and1 before we had settled all details and departed homeward for lunch1 an ancient roadster rattled up to the jail door and the lean1 tobacco-chewing deputy sheriff from the county jail appeared in the doorway4 8,here10 said he laconically1 as he thrust a package at me4 8,sheriff says t' wear 'em whenever yuh come round th' jail40 ,i unwrapped the newspaper to find three stars2 ,peter1 ,somers1 and ,i pinned them to our coat fronts1 not without pride4 ,we were officers of the law6 ,the preparations for this most unconventional wedding went merrily on4 ,we ate a hurried lunch1 scarcely heeding ,aunt ,mary's acid comments4 ,she would never have given her consent to such an insane proceeding1 if she'd been asked4 ,but no one ever considered her2 she was used to being ignored4 ,such a disgrace--to be married in a common jail6 ,what were young people coming to1 anyhow8 ,no modesty1 no idea of common decency1 even4 ,why1 the very thought of this monstrous proceeding sent queer feelings all up and down her spine6 ,she could feel the knots coming in her neck already4 ,but of course that was nothing2 she'd be the last to expect any consideration for her sufferings4 ,thank ,heaven she was given strength and patience to bear them without a murmur6 8,take me to my room1 ,miss ,christie1 please2 ,i can't eat one mouthful4 ,i don't believe ,i shall survive this blow1 but1 no doubt1 it's for the best4 ,a poor1 crippled old woman like me--,i shall be glad to die and find rest in the grave6 ,ah1 well1 you might wait until ,i finish my tea1 nurse60 ,presently ,miss ,mc,gregor was wheeled away1 and we all sighed our relief at her going4 8,don't forget to take your tablet1 ,miss ,christie60 ,somers called after them4 ,the nurse nodded and smiled over her shoulder1 a becoming color in her round cheeks4 8,in-deed60 murmured ,aunt ,mary to herself1 quite audibly1 as the wheel chair disappeared4 8,every one needs medical attention except me1 it appears4 ,pity her sufferings wouldn't keep her awake60 ,after lunch we hurried back to the jail1 of which we were now free officially and regularly4 ,and all that afternoon and evening ,i risked my aged1 rheumatic limbs upon a wabbly stepladder1 arranging draperies1 hanging wreaths1 tacking up ferns1 until the lockup had become a bower of beauty4 ,peter ran errands indefatigably1 and ,somers1 whose lathy length needed no ladder1 worked at my side1 performing prodigies of reaching with those lank arms4 ,dorothy bossed us all unmercifully2 and poor ,lewis was driven from one corner to another4 ,his toes were trodden on1 he was abused roundly for getting in the way1 and generally made to feel as useless and unnecessary as any other bridegroom4 ,the last straw was added when ,dorothy ordered us to heap his bunk with roses and ferns4 8,where'll ,i sleep to-night80 he inquired mournfully4 8,why1 we'll make you up a nice bed on the floor1 dearest1 with both mattresses and all the covers ,i brought from the house4 ,it'll be just as comfortable2 and we've got to hide that horrid old bunk40 8,whose jail is this1 anyhow80 asked ,lewis of me1 being very careful1 however1 to keep his voice down4 8,you're one of my stern jailors now1 unk4 ,tell me1 hasn't a poor prisoner any rights80 8,as a prisoner1 yes1 my boy2 but as a bridegroom1 no60 ,i said to him firmly4 8,bridegrooms are only permitted to live at all on condition that they keep out of the way of their betters40 ,at last it was done1 and we went home1 flushed and tired1 leaving ,lewis to sleep on the floor4 8,it's going to be just lovely60 said ,dorothy4 8,i'll be awfully busy all morning1 seeing to the wedding breakfast2 we'll have to pack it all up and bring it to the jail in baskets4 ,peter1 ,i want you to go after ,mr4 ,duncan4 ,no1 you'd better do that1 ,uncle ,george2 there will be some explaining to do40 ,i sighed resignedly4 ,i could see myself explaining to the ,reverend ,percy ,duncan that ,miss ,mc,gregor's wedding was to be solemnized after all--in the village lockup1 and that he was invited to officiate4 8,you1 ,peter10 our inexorable task-mistress went on1 8will have to keep ,lewis' flivver going2 ,rosina and ,i'll be back and forth with baskets and things4 ,and1 ,doctor ,somers1 you go down first thing and stay with ,lewis2 see that he doesn't upset any of our decorations40 8,i'll take care of him10 replied ,somers4 8,yes10 to ,dorothy's mute1 questioning gaze1 8yes1 ,i've got the ring and all that4 ,don't you worry4 ,i've been best man before now40 8,i--,i wish ,i could come1 too60 said ,miss ,christie wistfully4 ,aunt ,mary1 ostentatiously resigned1 had retired for the night1 and the nurse had joined us in the living room1 which was not her usual custom4 ,her blond hair was coiled about a shapely head2 she had discarded her unbecoming white uniform and wore a simple dress of some soft1 clinging blue stuff--chiffon1 ,i suppose4 ,her violet eyes were unwontedly bright2 the bovine calm of her face had melted1 so that she seemed almost animated4 ,dorothy nudged me4 8,look60 she whispered4 8,i told you60 ,i knew what she meant4 ,and1 indeed1 to-night ,miss ,christie was very near to being a beauty4 8,i wish ,i could go10 she repeated softly1 her big eyes on ,doctor ,somers4 8,i wish you could10 he answered sincerely4 ,dorothy rose abruptly1 tugged at my arm and beckoned to ,peter1 and dragged us both incontinently out of the room4 8,go to bed1 both of you60 she ordered4 8,there's a hard day ahead of you40 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,somers ,,disgraces ,,himself ,dorothy's prophecy was fulfilled4 ,wednesday dawned clear and hot1 and we sweltered through a long forenoon1 doing all those thousand last trifles which every wedding demands4 ,the news had run through all ,pinelands2 curious eyes followed our every movement1 as we hurried through the streets1 variously laden4 ,i should have liked to hear the comment of some of the town's strait-laced matrons2 but sentiment generally seemed much in our favor4 ,the romance of this marriage had caught the fancy of our villagers4 ,many an eye beamed upon ,dorothy as she raced back and forth in ,lewis' flivver2 many a man and woman stopped me1 as ,i limped hurriedly by1 to wish her good luck by proxy4 ,i was glad that ,doctor ,gaskell's quiet funeral had been held yesterday1 so that sight of his hearse need not mar ,dorothy's joy4 ,a crowd gathered before the jail2 it separated respectfully1 as our few guests arrived1 then closed again1 craning curious necks4 ,on my final trip ,i found ,somers in the heart of the throng1 hail-fellow-well-met with them all1 passing rude jests back and forth4 ,i fancied that ,i saw the glint of a black bottle circulating1 but ,i could not be sure4 ,then ,dorothy came1 a thin silk coat over her wedding finery1 and we went in4 ,the ceremony went off excellently1 ,i thought2 the more impressive and solemn for its unusual setting4 ,sheriff ,redden1 in an ancient double-breasted frock coat of voluminous skirts1 gave the bride away1 with an old-fashioned gallantry1 which was very pleasing2 ,lewis looked handsome and manly enough1 albeit a bit pale and nervous2 and the bride was charming4 ,when they were safely married1 a shyly importunate messenger from the crowd without begged them to show themselves4 ,so the big door was swung back1 and bride and groom stood for a moment on the jail steps1 and a very striking couple they made4 ,hearty cheers greeted them4 ,there was nothing which could be resented in the town's spontaneous sympathy2 these cheering folk without were honestly1 whole-heartedly rejoicing in the happiness of our young people4 ,they paid their tribute of sincere admiration to this daughter of ,pinelands1 who had had courage to stand up for her lover4 ,dorothy turned back with moist eyes4 8,after all1 they're my home folks1 and ,i love them all--to-day60 ,i1 too1 had warmed toward the town of my adoption2 and1 for some reason1 it only convinced me further of its sincerity when ,i saw in the crowd ,satterfield1 ,bates1 and ,conover1 and a dozen others1 who less than forty-eight hours ago had surrounded this very jail with intent to hang the man they were cheering now4 ,i chose to believe that this1 and not the sullen menace of that night1 was their normal mood4 ,still in her wedding finery1 ,dorothy1 aided by her two bridesmaids1 fell to laying out the wedding breakfast on card tables2 and an extraordinary fine breakfast it seemed to all of us1 ,i think1 and we did ample justice to it4 ,the crowd outside lessened1 but did not entirely disperse4 ,we heard a rumble of conversation1 an occasional outbreak of laughter1 and at last a vociferous cry3 8,we--want--,somers60 ,renewed laughter4 8,cut it out1 fellers10 urged some one4 8,don't bust up th' party60 ,more yells3 8,we--want--,somers6 ,hey1 ,shorty6 ,come on out1 ,splinter6 ,oh1 you bean pole60 ,thus variously adjured1 ,doctor ,somers unfolded his lean length4 8,i guess ,i'd better go10 he said4 ,suddenly ,i observed that the bright eyes he turned upon us were suspiciously unsteady of focus4 8,i--,i'm afraid it's partly my fault their hanging round this way4 ,i'll persuade them to go away40 ,he turned toward the door1 his long stork legs moving stiffly1 as if he preserved his equilibrium by an effort4 ,i wondered whether ,somers had been drinking1 then abused myself for the disloyal thought4 ,just inside the door he paused and pinned his deputy-sheriff's star to the left breast of his immaculate morning coat4 ,the effect was unusual in the extreme1 but he seemed wholly satisfied therewith4 ,then he bowed profoundly1 recovered himself with difficulty1 and disappeared1 leaving poor ,dorothy to look after him in accusing wonder4 8,why ,lewis1 what makes him act so queer80 she demanded4 ,renewed clamor without4 8,yeay1 ,splinter6 ,hooray1 ,somers6 ,atta boy--let's go60 ,the raucous voice of ,ralph ,satterfield predominated4 8,your friend ,somers seems to be--ah--popular10 ,i remarked grimly to my nephew4 ,lewis flushed4 8,oh1 he's all right1 unk10 he replied4 8,let him alone2 he knows what he's doing40 ,no doubt he did2 and1 remembering all that he had already accomplished1 ,i could not blame him much4 ,yet---- 8,he's awfully thick with ,satterfield and that bunch10 ,i said4 8,and he's been drinking this morning1 or ,i miss my guess4 ,does he--is he taken this way often80 8,nonsense1 unk6 ,somers is no drunkard1 if that's what you're getting at4 ,he's an odd sort2 ,i told you that4 ,he's got some scheme on hand1 that's all40 8,some scheme with that low-down bootlegger60 ,i replied4 8,with the very crowd that wanted to hang you the other night6 ,humph6 ,i don't admire his choice of friends40 ,our festivities went on2 but some way the zest of them had departed4 ,the ,reverend ,mr4 ,duncan felt called upon to make a little speech1 extolling ,dorothy's heroic sacrifices for the man she loved1 gushing about my conduct ,monday night--though it was little enough ,i did to protect ,lewis--and generally making himself oratorically obnoxious1 and the rest of us uncomfortable4 ,then the bridesmaids must weep over ,dorothy1 as bridesmaids1 ,i suppose1 have wept over brides since the first wedding day in history2 and ,dorothy cried a little1 too1 because they cried2 and ,peter and ,i wrung ,lewis' hand and choked--and ,i1 for one1 was considerably relieved when the ,reverend ,mr4 ,duncan kissed the bride once more and departed1 leaving us his blessing4 ,then the bridesmaids went1 too1 and our handful of guests4 ,peter and ,i were alone with the happy couple4 ,dorothy cried again because she must leave her husband and go back to ,fort ,house2 and ,peter stood amazingly erect and blew his nose sonorously2 and ,lewis looked lonely and tired and miserable2 and ,i could have cried myself without making the slightest effort4 ,at last ,dorothy concealed her finery under a coat and went out to the flivver1 her little nose pink with weeping4 ,and ,peter and ,i followed1 after locking the bridegroom into his cell once more4 ,poor ,lewis4 ,it must have been lonely enough there1 locked in with only the drooping flowers of the wedding decorations to keep him company4 ,we drove silently back to ,fort ,house1 and ,dorothy went upstairs to change1 while ,peter and ,i thankfully shed our formal clothes1 and came downstairs in soft shirts and linen trousers4 ,dorothy remained invisible2 but we two sat on the porch1 through a long1 hot afternoon1 waiting for a best man who failed to appear4 ,supper time came and passed4 ,we ate in silence1 except for ,aunt ,mary's resigned monologue4 ,miss ,christie wore another dress2 pale pink this time1 with a low1 square neck1 which displayed her round1 dimpled throat4 ,she looked very nice1 ,i thought2 it was really marvelous how she had changed and brightened in two days4 ,she said almost nothing2 but her big blue eyes kept turning toward the door4 ,that was an unpleasant meal4 ,dorothy kept her reddened eyes upon her plate2 ,peter was grumpy2 the omelet was scorched1 and ,rosina was defiantly1 ostentatiously conscious of our lack of appetite4 ,she flounced in and out1 and set down the dishes with a bang4 ,every movement said3 8,well1 cain't have parties every meal4 ,i done cooked one spread to-day60 ,we finished1 and ,aunt ,mary1 still prophesying evil and acidly gratified by our evident disheartenment1 had herself wheeled back to her own room4 8,i might as well go to bed and read there10 she announced4 8,it does seem1 after being left alone all day1 that ,i might find somebody to exchange a civil word with me4 ,but there6 ,i'm used to being ignored40 ,miss ,christie put her to bed and presently came out to where we sat forlornly on the front porch4 ,and still no ,somers4 8,whatever can be the matter80 asked ,dorothy anxiously4 8,do you suppose he's hurt80 ,i thought the nurse's color faded2 her big eyes grew bigger4 8,oh1 ,i hope not60 8,humph60 said ,i sourly4 8,drunk1 more likely40 8,why1 ,uncle ,george ,uhlman6 ,that's horrid6 ,it's not like you4 ,of course he's not drunk40 ,i sighed4 8,well1 ,dorothy1 ,i hope not4 ,but--there he comes now60 ,i rose and pointed4 ,there he came1 sure enough1 up the street toward us1 still in his braided morning coat1 a wilted flower in his button hole1 and that ridiculous police badge pinned on his narrow chest4 ,his silk hat was cocked to one side of his head1 and he held his head canted far to the other side1 as if to balance it4 ,his long legs wabbled grotesquely2 he advanced in erratic jerks1 tacking from tree to tree1 and1 as he came closer1 we could hear him sing1 not unmusically3 8,an' 'twas from ole ,satterfield's bootleg party1 ,i was takin' th' ole doc home60 8,oh1 dear60 said ,dorothy helplessly4 8,what shall we do80 ,somers advanced to the foot of the steps and paused there1 weaving back and forth on wide-set legs1 like a pair of intoxicated dividers4 8,how do1 f-folks80 ,he was gravely polite and tried to bow4 ,then he knocked off his silk hat1 stumbled1 and stepped fair upon its crown4 8,dear me1 dear me60 he mumbled4 8,s-shockin'6 ,shockin' spectacle1 horrid sight6 ,young p'fesshun'l man1 brightes' prospec's1 ever'thing fine1 an' all gone t' pot account of th' demon drink60 ,he laughed wildly1 then collected himself by a tremendous effort4 8,i am very sorry1 ,mrs4 ,parker40 ,dorothy started at the sound of her new name4 8,i apologize profoundly40 ,for a moment his enunciation was elaborately exact2 he spoke with drunkenly deliberate care4 8,not my fault entirely2 due to un-for-tun-ate mis-cal-cul-a-tion ca-pa-ci-ty40 ,poor ,dorothy rose1 her face deadly white with disgust1 and swept into the house4 ,somers looked after her ruefully4 8,sorry10 he repeated4 8,here1 ,pete--unk--good f-fellows6 ,h-help me in2 get sobered4 ,got n-news40 ,i hesitated1 angry and ashamed2 ,peter rose obediently4 ,but ,miss ,christie was before us both4 ,she ran down the steps and caught the drunken man's arm4 8,i'll steady you1 doctor4 ,that's right6 ,now the other foot4 ,are you coming1 you two1 or will you sit up there and stare like two old prudes8 ,i'm ashamed of you10 she declared1 and her angry face once more shone with that vivid beauty1 which emotion alone seemed able to bring to it4 8,come60 ,she stamped her foot4 8,that's right1 doctor2 just one more step now4 ,come6 ,not two days ago this man saved your nephew's life1 ,mr4 ,george ,uhlman2 he saved the life of your sister's husband1 young man6 ,oh1 you make me sick6 ,j-just because he's--he's overtaken like this60 ,we hurried to her aid1 ,i1 at least1 a trifle ashamed of myself4 ,for ,doctor ,somers had been invaluable1 whatever his personal habits might be4 ,we helped him in and upstairs to his room1 ordered about unmercifully by the erstwhile sleepy and indifferent ,miss ,christie4 8,g-good girl60 mumbled ,somers4 8,she un'stan's1 anyhow4 ,col' towels1 please--an' basin4 ,goin' be s-sick40 ,and sick he was4 ,miss ,christie attended him1 quietly efficient1 as if the handling of drunken men had been a large part of her training4 8,more cold towels10 she ordered4 8,mr4 ,mc,gregor1 run down and get ,rosina to make some coffee1 very strong4 ,quick1 now60 ,we hurried to obey her4 ,somers sat all huddled in a chair1 his long legs limply outthrust4 ,he groaned and pressed the wet towel close against his temples1 fighting hard for self-possession4 ,i saw the perspiration start out all over his lean1 sallow face4 ,presently he raised his head4 ,his color was ghastly1 greenish-white1 but his eyes were clear and steady4 ,i saw that he was completely sobered1 and ,i marveled at the man's self-control4 8,oh1 my60 he groaned4 8,what rotten1 rotten booze6 ,and how ,i did hate it60 8,you conquered your dislike1 apparently10 ,i said to him4 8,humph60 ,he stared at me whimsically1 but there was a hurt look in his eyes4 8,do you suppose ,i did this for the fun of it8 ,oh1 well1 ,i oughtn't to blame you40 8,i didn't60 said the nurse serenely4 8,i knew why you did it40 ,peter returned1 bearing coffee2 and the sick man gulped it down1 black and scalding4 8,you knew80 ,somers looked at the girl gratefully4 ,i think there were tears in his eyes4 8,i'm pretty sick yet10 he said4 8,say1 it does cut1 to have you folks think that of me40 ,he rose unsteadily1 leaning on ,miss ,christie's arm4 8,good girl60 he repeated1 with that sudden1 flashing smile4 8,well1 ,i'm ,ralph ,satterfield's very best friend now1 and1 oh1 what a head it's cost me6 ,that man's a tank2 he's copper-lined40 ,he passed a hand across his forehead with a whimsical smile4 8,but ,i've learned a lot4 ,i can give a pretty good guess as to ,satterfield's whereabouts at the time ,gaskell was shot60 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,an ,,explanation ,somers groaned1 rubbed his aching head1 and drank another cup of black coffee4 ,he was collecting himself momently2 save for a very pale face he was once more the coolly casual1 brusquely friendly chap we all knew4 8,not later than nine1 is it80 he inquired4 8,right6 ,let's go downstairs4 ,call ,dorothy2 ,i've got lots to tell you all1 and ,i'd better make my peace with her at once40 ,he made a wry face4 8,she doesn't exactly admire me right now1 ,i'll bet60 ,so we all repaired to the big sitting room1 and presently ,dorothy appeared1 urged in by her brother1 and still looking hurt and disgusted4 ,somers rose4 8,let me apologize1 ,mrs4 ,parker10 he began4 8,no--,i'm perfectly sober now60 ,he smiled his warming1 whimsical smile as she made a little movement of distaste4 8,just let me explain4 ,i had reason to think that this man ,satterfield knew more about the murder than he'd told4 ,you knew that8 ,well1 the only way to find out was to make friends with him4 ,if ,i could get his confidence1 he might let something out inadvertently4 ,so ,i had to chum up with him and his crowd2 ,i had to drink with them1 though ,i assure you it wasn't an unmixed pleasure1 by any means4 ,lordy1 that raw corn whisky60 ,he rubbed his head again ruefully4 8,i thought ,i could drink with that bunch and keep my head2 but ,i was mistaken40 8,oh1 ,i suppose it was all right10 replied ,dorothy1 only half mollified4 8,but it was just awful1 doctor1 to think of you off somewhere1 drinking with the very man who was going to hang my--my husband1 two days ago60 8,that's just why ,i did it6 ,satterfield hadn't any love for ,doctor ,gaskell1 and it seemed odd to me that he should be so bitter against ,lewis--unless he thought he'd be safer himself if somebody else was hung for that shooting4 ,but wait till ,i tell you4 8,in the first place1 ,satterfield was out drinking and playing poker that night1 and somebody phoned him about four in the morning1 and he went out4 ,i told you all that1 and that there was a shotgun beside ,tulliver's door8 ,yes4 ,well1 ,satterfield took that gun with him6 ,that's one thing ,i learned by getting drunk1 ,mrs4 ,parker40 ,i noticed that he had dropped the familiar 8,dorothy20 perhaps ,somers resented the girl's attitude just the least bit in the world4 8,well10 he went on1 8,charlie ,bates went out back to the pump for a drink1 and he noticed that the shotgun was gone4 ,and1 when they all left1 after ,satterfield got back1 the gun stood in its place again4 ,and that's that60 8,look here1 ,somers10 ,i cut in4 8,satterfield went out at four1 you say8 ,are you sure that was after ,gaskell got the sick call80 ,somers nodded4 8,i asked ,olsen about that4 ,he called ,gaskell up about ten minutes before four4 ,he thought it was queer he didn't come1 and finally he got dressed and came after him about six4 ,that's how he happened to be there so soon after ,gaskell's body was found40 8,well10 ,i continued triumphantly1 8if ,gaskell was sent for at ten minutes of four1 he must have started across lots toward ,olsen's place pretty soon after four o'clock4 ,and he never got to ,olsen's1 so he must have been shot on the way over4 ,that would fix the killing at four1 or very soon after2 and my nephew couldn't have done it1 because he didn't get there until five4 ,that's easy to prove1 because ,i saw him1 and both ,wakefield and ,i heard the shot4 ,doesn't that clear ,lewis80 ,somers nodded impatiently4 8,if we could prove it--yes4 ,don't you suppose ,i'd thought of that1 long ago8 ,but we can't4 ,gaskell was alone in the house2 his wife was away1 and the cook didn't get there until seven4 ,he was sent for at three-fifty1 all right1 but who's going to prove he didn't take an hour to get ready8 ,nobody saw him except the murderer1 and we can hardly expect him to come forward and testify4 ,now let me get back to it2 where was ,i8 8,oh1 yes6 ,satterfield's daughter1 ,minnie1 is your night telephone operator4 ,she's a nice girl1 too2 ,i made her acquaintance to-day4 ,and it was ,minnie who called him up at four in the morning2 he let that out to me1 talking about the affair4 ,i'm pretty good1 you know2 ,i have to admit it4 ,i pumped a tremendous lot out of ,satterfield and his gang1 and ,i don't believe one of them suspected what ,i was after4 ,satterfield is pretty bitter against ,gaskell1 even now that he's dead4 ,he more than hinted that the doctor knew more than was good for him2 and he said one rather odd thing about that1 too4 #8,if ,doc ,parker hadn't killed ,gaskell1' he said1 #8that is1 if he did kill him--why1 somebody else would have done it in a day or two4 ,gaskell was buttin' into what wasn't none of his put-in4' ,what do you think of that80 ,we all stirred excitedly2 ,dorothy glowed at him4 8,why1 that's just wonderful6 ,it was as good as saying he did it himself4 ,now you can clear my--my h-husband0--faltering a bit on the unfamiliar word--8as easy as anything60 ,that was like ,dorothy4 ,she was mercurial2 by turns exalted1 and again in despair2 inclined to jump at conclusions1 and1 by reason of that failing1 unjust at times4 ,i felt she had been unfair to ,somers to-night4 ,but it was an impulsive1 generous injustice1 for which she hastened to make amends4 8,will you forgive me1 ,f-,floyd80 she asked prettily4 8,i know it was horrid of me1 but ,i'm so upset60 ,he gave her that sudden1 flashing smile4 8,why1 of course1 ,dorothy6 ,i don't blame you one bit4 ,but it's not so easy as all that1 either4 ,we're gradually collecting information1 which may help the defense somewhat1 but we can't prove anything from what ,satterfield admits when he's drunk1 you know4 ,this only gives us a start for further investigation along those lines40 ,he reflected a moment1 his long1 dark face grave and mature2 looking at him ,i could scarcely realize that this man1 one short hour ago1 had staggered up to ,fort ,house1 uproariously drunk1 and had put a foot through his silk hat on the steps4 8,there's something back of it all10 he went on presently4 8,i'm beginning to feel that this murder is more complicated than we had thought4 ,satterfield knows something1 ,i'm sure1 whether he did the actual shooting or not4 ,but1 if he did1 ,i don't think it was merely revenge for being sent up for thirty days4 ,a month in jail isn't any terrible disgrace to a chap like that2 he's been in jail before1 ,i'm told4 ,no1 there is something else1 something bigger1 behind it all2 what1 ,i don't know4 ,it's irritating because it's so vague4 ,for example1 ,satterfield was quite apologetic about that mob4 ,we laughed a lot to-day about his lynching that didn't come off2 my back's sore from being pounded4 ,well1 he hadn't anything against ,doctor ,parker1 he told me--not a thing4 ,rather grateful to him than otherwise1 because ,gaskell was due to die anyhow4 ,but he had to stir up the mob1 just the same4 #8,couldn't git outa that1' he told me4 #8,things bein' as they were1 w'y1 ,i just hadda start somepin that a way4 ,so ,i passed round some white liquor ,i had4 ,have 'nother drink1 doc6 ,lots more where that come f'om4 ,i give th' boys s'm' corn liquor and talked it up1 and ,i got 'em all goin' till they was jus' wild and r'arin' to lynch 'im4 ,i just hadda do it1 doc6' ,now that was a queer way to put it1 ,i thought4 ,why did he have to start a lynching bee8 ,and who put him up to it8 ,for1 from the way he talked1 ,i'm quite sure it wasn't his own plan4 ,i'm as sure as ,i can be that he stirred up that mob because somebody else1 somebody in the background1 somebody we know nothing about--yet1 ordered him to do it4 ,or1 at least1 because he thought the lynching would please this mysterious somebody40 ,somers sighed and rubbed his head1 which ached furiously1 no doubt4 8,it's all so confoundedly vague10 he went on1 scowling around at our blank faces4 8,can't you think of something1 any of you8 ,miss ,christie1 what's your idea8 ,hello6 ,what's become of her80 ,we all turned1 but the couch was vacant4 ,some time during our talk1 while we were all absorbed in ,somers' narrative1 perhaps1 the nurse had slipped unobtrusively out4 8,she's gone to bed1 ,i suppose10 said ,dorothy4 8,you know1 she's an awful sleepyhead40 ,somers nodded4 8,just wait till she begins to get the effect of those tablets10 he declared confidently4 8,she won't be then4 ,she was mighty good to help me out1 a little while ago1 and ,i was beastly drunk1 too40 ,he rose and stretched his long1 emaciated arms above his head1 groaning4 8,i'll go to bed1 too4 ,i'm about done up4 ,but ,i'm going on with this thing2 ,i'm going to find out what's behind it all1 what mysterious person planned ,gaskell's death4 ,for ,i'm sure his death was planned and ordered4 ,satterfield thinks so1 anyhow4 ,and ,i'll have it out of him yet2 ,i'll find out all he knows1 even if ,i have to get drunk on his moonshine seven nights in the week60 ,he paused1 fingering his chin1 and looked half humorously1 half apprehensively1 at the new ,mrs4 ,c4 ,lewis ,parker4 8,i forgot10 he drawled4 8,after all ,i'm here1 officially1 only as ,parker's best man4 ,now the wedding's over ,i ought to be going4 ,besides1 it'll be unpleasant for you1 to say the least1 if ,i have to come back half-seas-over every night4 ,i'll go to the hotel1 or perhaps ,uncle ,george will let me bach in with him for a while80 ,but ,dorothy would have none of that4 8,you're being mean10 she declared1 8and you needn't be horrid1 just because ,i was4 ,you'll stay right here at ,fort ,house1 both of you6 ,we've got lots of room1 and ,i don't care what ,aunt ,mary says1 either6 ,i'm a married woman now2 and1 besides1 ,peter's here2 and ,i guess ,i can have company if ,i want to6 ,and ,i'll be so l-lonesome until ,lewis comes back1 and s-scared1 too1 with that nasty ,poltergeist1 and thinking of ,doctor ,gaskell killed right under my windows1 almost1 and--and everything60 ,she dabbed at her eyes1 and patted her brother's hand1 as he murmured something4 8,oh1 you're good1 ,peter1 dear1 and it's a comfort to have you1 but ,floyd would be just miserable over there1 with nobody but an old colored woman to look after him4 ,you'll stay here1 won't you1 ,floyd1 and you1 ,uncle ,george80 ,we promised1 of course2 who would not8 ,,chapter ,,xx ,a ,,flirtation ,next morning ,doctor ,somers rose early4 ,i heard him splashing in the bathroom1 slapping his razor against its strop1 whistling louder and shriller than the ubiquitous quail outside4 ,i was fagged out and irritable2 his cheerfulness annoyed me4 ,a man who had been drunk last night should be more subdued1 ,i thought4 ,i pounded on the bathroom door4 8,shut up1 man60 ,i called4 8,you're worse than the bobwhites60 ,i heard a chuckle from within4 8',smatter1 unk8 ,get up on the wrong side8 ,cheer-i-o1 old thing6 ,so you prefer the birds1 do you80 ,and straightway he fell to imitating the shrill call of the quail3 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 ,i grinned helplessly4 ,what could be done with such a man8 8,better cut that out10 ,i warned him4 8,you'll catch it at breakfast1 if ,aunt ,mary hears you40 ,that silenced him4 ,presently he emerged1 shaved to a miracle1 the heavy beard showing blue beneath his dark skin4 8,aren't ,i pretty1 unk8 ,going out in society to-day60 ,he came down to breakfast in a gorgeous pongee silk suit1 whose fitted coat and tight1 creased trousers made him more incredibly thin and angular than usual4 ,he bowed grotesquely1 struck an attitude1 knuckles on hip1 looking rather like those tiny figures of some cartoonist1 whose bodies are made of one straight line2 he was almost as thin as that4 ,the slender ,malacca cane1 which he brandished1 seemed as thick as his long legs4 8,uncle ,george1 ,i want the flivver to-day10 he announced4 8,i'm going for a drive with my best girl40 8,humph60 said ,i4 8,is she blind80 8,not yet1 but this rig may put her eye out40 8,very likely10 ,i told him grimly4 8,all right2 take the car40 8,who's going with you80 asked ,dorothy curiously4 ,aunt ,mary had not appeared2 she was taking breakfast in bed1 it seemed4 ,but the nurse was there1 quiet and unobtrusive as always1 eyes on her plate4 ,at our hostess' question ,i fancied that the color rose in her cheeks4 8,miss ,minnie ,satterfield10 said ,somers4 8,she works at night1 unfortunately2 but she's going to get up early this morning1 and we're driving to ,jackson ,springs for lunch40 ,he ate hurriedly and pushed back his chair4 8,excuse me8 ,i've got a lot of running round to do2 ,i want to drop in and see ,parker1 too4 ,it would never do to keep ,miss ,satterfield waiting4 ,she's a very pretty girl40 ,somers disappeared1 and ,dorothy looked at me askance4 8,he doesn't seem exactly reluctant10 she murmured4 8,oh1 ,i know1 ,uncle ,george1 he's doing it to help ,lewis1 but it does seem as if he could go about it some other way than getting drunk at night and chasing round with pretty girls all day4 ,i keep thinking of my poor husband1 locked up alone in that horrid j-jail1 and ,doctor ,somers enjoying himself like this6 ,you needn't tell me that he hated so to get drunk10 she went on stubbornly4 8,and now it's that ,minnie ,satterfield6 ,you've seen her1 ,peter8 ,she's just awfully pretty1 and you know what her father is60 ,my nephew's bride was rather uncharitably inclined4 8,my dear10 ,i told her mildly1 8that's not the poor girl's fault40 ,miss ,christie rose abruptly and pushed back her chair4 8,i--,i must see to ,miss ,mc,gregor10 she murmured4 ,her plump face was scarlet1 her big eyes flamed4 ,we saw no more of ,doctor ,somers that day4 ,the time went slowly enough4 ,dorothy and ,i visited my nephew4 ,the wedding decorations had all been taken down1 but the young lady's housewifely eye detected dried leaves and petals in a corner1 and straightway she dispatched me after a broom and dustpan4 8,if my very own husband's got to live in this miserable old jail1 ,i'm going to keep it clean for him1 at least60 she announced4 ,i brought the required implements1 and ,dorothy fell to work in a cloud of dust4 8,a fine sort of jailer1 that man ,wakefield10 she declared4 8,the place hasn't been swept out in months60 ,while she bustled about1 setting things to rights with the prideful1 loving care of the new-made housewife1 ,lewis watched her slim form with wistful eyes4 ,poor boy6 ,already his confinement was telling on him4 ,his face was pale and worn1 and he seemed thinner1 older1 more conscious of his responsibilities4 ,i fancied that1 if he were free1 my nephew's hot temper would be under better control4 ,this experience1 however bitterly bought1 was maturing him fast4 ,i sat back1 watching this pitiful bride and groom2 and the girl's happy activity1 her housewifely care1 the whole pathetic travesty of a honeymoon1 brought tears to my old eyes4 ,i rose abruptly4 8,this dust is too much for me40 ,then ,i blew my nose4 8,i'll sit on the steps a while1 children1 till you get through40 ,on the steps ,i sat and glowered down at the absurd deputy-sheriff's star which ,i wore4 ,i have no doubt that ,i was the unhappiest jailer who was ever forced to sunder loving hearts4 ,aunt ,mary appeared at luncheon in an unusually subdued1 amiable mood4 ,indeed the old lady seemed much changed of late2 the cloud of trouble1 which had settled over ,fort ,house had left its mark upon her1 also4 ,at times she was more querulous1 more irritable and exacting1 than ,i had ever seen her2 and again she was kinder1 more thoughtful of others4 ,in the midst of her sharpest mood she would soften suddenly and be so kindly1 so pathetically sweet1 that one could not but pity her and forgive her the stabs which she inflicted upon us all4 ,her face had changed subtly1 grown thinner1 more sharply lined4 ,its former expression of sweetly pathetic resignation1 which ,i had grown to believe1 uncharitably1 was assumed for the provoking of sympathy1 was in evidence less often4 ,now her softly faded countenance wore a look of honest pain1 of mental anguish1 not unmixed with human resentment4 ,and ,i1 for one1 fancied it much more than the old expression of strained1 angelic sweetness4 ,to-day she merely played with her food2 though1 as a rule1 even when she suffered most from the 8knots in her neck10 her appetite was not visibly affected4 ,she said nothing2 and1 when ,dorothy spoke sadly of ,lewis' lonely meal in the lockup1 she burst quite suddenly into broken weeping and had to be wheeled back to her room4 ,dorothy looked at me1 then at ,peter1 almost with awe4 8,why10 she exclaimed1 8auntie is really upset6 ,she's really thinking about somebody else for once4 ,oh1 ,peter1 we must be kinder to her40 ,and she was1 ,i think1 even more thoughtful of her aunt than usual1 all through that long1 weary week1 though to my mind she had never failed in forbearance4 ,it was a long week1 that one6 ,a tedious1 dreary time1 that taxed the patience of us all4 ,lewis grew somber1 depressed1 almost morose4 ,he could see nothing before him but darkness3 the meeting time of the grand jury came closer and closer1 and he would not be convinced but that they would bring in a true bill against him4 8,that district attorney1 solicitor1 as they call him down here1 that man ,vanbrugh will see to that10 he predicted gloomily4 8,there's no possible chance that they won't indict me2 we might as well make up our minds to that40 ,at once ,dorothy would strive to comfort and encourage him2 and then she would break down and cry on his shoulder and beg him indignantly to send for a lawyer1 to hire detectives--anything6 8,because1 dearest1 that ,doctor ,somers isn't doing one thing to help us--not a single thing6 ,he's just out riding round all day with that ,satterfield girl1 the bold1 hard thing6 ,and in your flivver1 too6 ,and out till all hours1 every night1 and coming in drunk1 and everything like that4 ,he's a fine friend1 ,i must say60 ,lewis and ,peter and ,i would try to soothe her1 pointing out all ,somers had done1 reminding her that even this intimacy was carried on in the hope of extracting further information from ,ralph ,satterfield4 ,but ,dorothy would shake a stubborn head4 8,you needn't tell me he's doing it all for ,lewis6 ,it's just because he likes to get drunk and chase over the country with that--that thing6 ,so there60 ,a mercurial young person was ,dorothy1 as ,i have said1 prone to injustice at times4 ,but she was not too much to blame1 perhaps2 it was a terrible situation for any bride4 ,and ,somers' conduct rather worried me1 also4 ,day after day he rose late1 flattered and cajoled ,rosina into preparing him an extra breakfast1 climbed into ,lewis' flivver and disappeared4 ,sometimes he would be back for lunch or dinner--often late--and again he would not return until midnight or later4 ,then he would stumble in1 half drunk4 ,he never returned again in the condition which had disgraced ,dorothy's wedding day2 he was always able to navigate after a fashion1 and he made no great disturbance getting to his room4 ,but every night he had been drinking2 that was not hard to know4 ,once or twice ,peter and ,i waited up for him2 then we gave up in disgust4 ,curiously it was ,miss ,christie1 the somnolent nurse1 who used to doze the evenings through on the couch1 it was this girl who never failed to sit up against ,somers' erratic appearances4 8,go to bed if you like10 she would say1 8,i'll wait4 ,he--he might need somebody4 ,and ,i remember1 if the rest of you don't1 that he's doing this for you60 ,miss ,christie1 too1 had altered greatly4 ,i saw the change in her from day to day4 ,whether it was ,doctor ,somers' pills or some more subtle medicament1 she grew more vivid1 more alive4 ,her bovine calm altered2 she yawned no more2 life seemed to have taken on newer1 fresher colors to her4 ,no longer did she doze the evenings away2 and in the mornings she appeared at breakfast as fresh and alert as ,dorothy1 not dull and somnolent1 as a fortnight ago4 ,she lost flesh2 her overplump figure grew willowy4 ,her round face changed1 and with the passing of its superfluous flesh grew shapelier4 ,it was as though some delicate1 spiritual chisel were at work1 carving new planes of beauty1 bringing out clearly the rare loveliness her moments of deep feeling had hitherto promised4 ,i rhapsodize1 no doubt1 and rhapsodies are out of place1 coming from a battered1 disillusioned old rheumatic4 ,but ,i cannot exaggerate the change wrought in ,anne ,christie4 ,even in that time of deep discouragement the miracle impressed me4 ,she was no longer stolid1 unresponsive2 a new mobility curved her lips1 a new light shone in her violet eyes2 a new animation imbued her fair face1 as her expression changed constantly with each nuance of thought1 and her delicate color ebbed and flowed charmingly4 8,i'll wait up for the doctor60 she insisted4 8,he's doing this for you1 but look at what he's done for me4 ,i feel so much better in every way2 it's wonderful6 ,and ,i'm grateful1 if you-all aren't60 ,and so the time passed until the meeting of the ,carabas ,county grand jury for ,july was only one day off2 and still nothing more was done for ,lewis4 ,it was settled that his case should be considered first2 and ,i could see nothing ahead of him but an indictment4 ,that evening ,doctor ,somers appeared in time for supper2 and1 for once1 he was cold sober4 ,he left the flivver at the curb1 climbed the broad steps wearily and entered the big sitting room1 where ,i sat with ,dorothy and ,peter4 8,oh1 lordy60 he groaned1 thrusting his long1 lean legs straight out before him4 8,i'm done up4 ,but it's over now1 thank goodness60 ,he did look tired4 ,his sallow face was almost colorless2 his thin cheeks were hollower than ever1 and his eyes were sunk deep into their sockets4 ,even his arms and legs seemed thinner1 if that were possible4 ,miss ,christie came in1 her color a trifle higher than usual4 ,her eyes brightened at sight of ,somers1 ,i thought1 and ,i wondered if she had heard him enter4 ,the doctor looked her over critically4 8,you're improving10 he drawled1 with impersonal approval4 8,i knew thyroid was what you needed40 ,the girl stood silent1 eyes downcast1 her cheeks pink4 8,well10 continued ,somers1 and paused to yawn4 8,it's over now4 ,if we ought to get a bit of action to-morrow1 as ,i hope1 ,i shan't have to drink any more of ,satterfield's beastly liquor4 ,you know0--with one of those sudden changes of subject so characteristic of him--8they put chewing tobacco into this moonshine down here--and concentrated lye1 to give it a bead4 ,bah6 ,and ,i'm through with ,minnie1 too--shan't have to listen to her giggle any more atall60 ,he looked vastly relieved at the prospect2 and so1 ,i thought1 did ,miss ,christie4 8,but10 protested ,dorothy maliciously1 8that's not quite kind1 is it8 ,here you've been making love to that girl for a week and more2 you've engaged her young affections1 and now you're going to jilt her60 8,yes10 declared ,somers1 in his characteristic drawl1 half whimsically1 half bitterly1 8,i'm a fine figure of a lover1 ain't ,i8 ,handsome1 robust1 and muscular60 ,his eyes traveled down over the lank1 skinny length of him4 8,i'm a handsome devil1 what80 8,you are so60 exclaimed ,anne ,christie4 ,then she bit her lip1 and a hot flush dyed her face to the very roots of her fair hair4 8,but you may set your mind at rest1 ,mrs4 ,parker10 ,somers went on1 mercifully ignoring ,anne's confusion4 8,it's me that's jilted1 not the fair ,minnie4 ,a burly person1 named ,conover1 has cut me out4 ,you see1 he owns a real car1 and ,i only had a borrowed flivver4 ,minnie won't miss me4 ,and ,i've found out what ,i wanted to--all ,i hoped to1 at any rate4 ,peter1 do you want to go out scouting with me to-morrow80 8,it's about time something was done60 exclaimed ,dorothy4 8,the grand jury meets to-morrow60 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,an ,,illicit ,,enterprise ,next morning1 very early indeed1 we three men set out in ,lewis' faithful little car1 for ,i refused to be left behind4 8,maybe ,i am old10 ,i protested1 8and ,i know ,i'm rheumatic2 but ,i can keep up with you fellows yet4 ,i'm just as much interested in getting ,lewis out of jail as you possibly can be40 ,somers accepted my company rather ungraciously1 commandeered the field glasses1 which ,peter had brought back from ,france1 and his army automatic4 8,for10 he explained1 8we might have trouble40 ,he drove the panting flivver up the hill behind ,fort ,house1 then along the main road toward ,hokesville1 ten miles away4 ,two miles outside the village he turned abruptly to the left1 into one of the innumerable sandy tracks1 which wound away through the stumps and scrub oaks on either side4 ,this country was all lumbered over1 thirty years ago2 for miles our roads run through a bleak desert of oak saplings and dwarf pines1 too small even for firewood1 with here and there a tall1 lone1 half-dead pine tree1 whose trunk bears the old scars of the turpentiners1 mourning the vanished forest1 dying of loneliness for its mates1 who have long since been changed into houses and mine timbers and the spars of ships4 ,it is a desolate country1 which has been burned over and reburned1 until no grass will grow1 and the pale sand lies naked and arid between the scrub oaks and dwarf pines1 or stretches for acres1 black and forbidding1 with the ash of recent fires1 which rises in choking clouds at every step4 ,through it the main roads wind as through a wilderness1 though in the sand hills one finds the best land for peaches1 tobacco1 or cotton1 which our ,state affords4 ,but the roads run over the hills1 and the arable land lies in bottoms1 perhaps a quarter of a mile away4 ,the farmhouses are there1 too1 quite out of sight from the roads4 ,to reach them one must turn into a narrow1 sandy track1 such as ran on before us now1 winding between blackened stumps2 a track indistinguishable to the stranger from the dozens of tote roads made by long gone lumbermen1 which lead nowhere4 ,it is a difficult country for the motorist with engine trouble4 ,the road we followed brought us to no farmhouse4 ,it wound on and on among pine stumps and scrub oaks1 swerving to dodge rotten logs here and there1 leading us through unexpected patches of vivid bloom1 through burnt-over areas1 where the dust rose blindingly4 ,at last it dipped into a hollow1 where tall pines still grew1 untouched by the ax1 and ran across a creek--a 8branch10 they call them here--through which the flivver splashed vigorously and stopped abruptly on the rise of the hill beyond4 ,somers snapped off the ignition and clambered out4 8,come on10 he said2 8we walk from here40 ,he led the way up a steep1 sandy slope1 which gave treacherously beneath our feet4 ,burrs clung to my trousers1 and ,i clutched at brambles and tore my hands4 ,then we came suddenly and simultaneously to the top of the hill and the edge of the pine grove4 ,before us was a thin screen of bushes and scrub oaks1 and beyond that a wide1 bare1 rolling plain4 ,below us was a small cornfield2 and a quarter of a mile away ,i saw the dark green of tobacco2 but1 for the most part1 the ground was fallow1 covered thinly with bunch grass1 already turning yellow in the ,july sun4 ,near the tobacco field was a small1 bare1 log structure1 its interstices well plastered1 a brick fireplace opening outward upon its hither side1 a drying house for tobacco1 such as are scattered all over this ,state4 ,save for that the plain was empty2 it held no human habitation1 nor any sign of man4 8,humph60 said ,i4 8,what are we going to do here80 ,somers grinned4 8,looks innocent enough1 doesn't it8 ,a tobacco field and a drying house2 some cotton0--he pointed to a field beyond the tobacco1 which ,i had not noticed--8and a little of last year's crop piled under a shed4 ,bad year for cotton1 you know2 farmers are holding that in hopes of another forty-cent market4 ,but just you wait and watch60 ,even as he spoke ,i saw a team of mules emerge from the pines beyond the clearing4 ,they drew a creaking wagon loaded with something bulky2 at that distance ,i could not make out what it was4 ,somers focused ,peter's field glasses4 8,one1 two1 five bales10 he counted4 8,there's money on that wagon1 unk6 ,what8 ,bales of cotton1 that's what they are4 ,but you watch60 ,the wagon creaked slowly on2 it seemed to crawl4 ,i waited impatiently for what seemed an hour1 but was really fifteen minutes1 ,i suppose4 ,then the mules reached the drying house and stopped4 ,i heard very faintly that queer1 crooning whistle our teamsters use instead of the ,northern 8,whoa60 ,the door of the log hut opened2 two men emerged4 8,who are they1 man80 ,i asked eagerly4 8,here1 give me the glass60 8,wait60 ordered ,somers4 8,ralph ,satterfield and ,charlie ,bates4 ,i don't know the man on the wagon--some old chap with a long beard4 ,now they're beginning--now look60 ,he thrust the glasses into my hands1 and ,i focused them with trembling fingers4 ,then the distant scene leaped into my eyes--the log house1 the mules1 the men1 almost lifesize4 ,they had unloaded the wagon and were cutting the wires1 tearing the bales of cotton apart6 8,what on earth80 ,i asked in a whisper4 ,they seemed so close that ,i feared they would hear me4 8,what are they doing8 ,ah-h60 ,i could see now4 ,the loose cotton of the first bale fell away1 revealing the rounded outlines of a keg--no1 a full-sized barrel4 8,is--is it----0 ,somers nodded grimly4 8,it is6 ,whisky1 a barrel in each bale4 ,worth two thousand dollars a barrel at bootleg prices4 ,they're doing this by wholesale1 unk6 ,pinelands could never consume all that booze4 ,they must be shipping it ,north4 ,i wonder1 now1 how they camouflage it on the next lap80 ,peter reached impatiently after the glasses1 but ,i put him back4 8,wait1 just one minute1 boy4 ,i want to see40 ,the back of that huge1 booted stranger1 who had driven the wagon1 seemed oddly familiar4 ,satterfield and ,bates ,i recognized readily enough2 they faced me4 ,but this other8 ,i felt that ,i must know him1 too2 if he would only turn6 8,ah-h-h60 ,i sighed4 8,i know him1 too6 ,here1 ,peter40 ,i thrust the field glasses at him and turned to ,somers4 8,man1 ,i know that big fellow with the whiskers6 ,that's ,lafe ,rutledge--,roaring ,lafe1 he calls himself4 ,and the last time ,i saw him1 the only time ,i ever saw him1 was on ,doctor ,gaskell's front porch1 the day before the murder4 ,he was shouting at the maid that ,gaskell had until sun-up to settle with him60 8,humph60 said ,doctor ,somers4 ,then he drew us back1 and we retreated cautiously through the pines and down the long slope to where the flivver stood4 ,here our leader stopped4 8,you both got a good look80 he asked4 8,you could swear to all three of those men80 ,we nodded4 8,but of course we don't know there was whisky in those barrels10 objected ,peter4 8,we couldn't swear to that40 ,somers chuckled4 8,you needn't1 old son4 ,i'm no prohibition agent1 you know1 but we've got to convince ,satterfield that we've got this on him4 ,uncle ,george there would be a bad liar1 ,i'm afraid4 ,no doubt you'd do better at it40 ,peter bowed in mock acknowledgment of this dubious compliment4 8,but what are you after80 he asked4 8,let's get it straight1 so we can back you up2 the virtuous ,mr4 ,uhlman to the limits of fact1 and me all the rest of the way40 8,i'm as good a liar as either of you boys60 ,i protested1 somewhat hurt1 and they both laughed uproariously4 8,here it is1 then10 said ,somers more seriously4 8,by hanging around ,minnie ,satterfield and drinking with her father ,i've learned a lot about this business4 ,they're handling corn whisky1 moonshine1 by wholesale4 ,it's made up in the mountains and brought down here once or twice a week1 sometimes by truck and sometimes1 like to-day1 on a lumber wagon4 ,it's only about forty miles1 you know4 ,they make the trip a different way every time1 and a different man drives1 so nobody'll notice4 ,the whisky comes in barrels1 hidden in a fake cotton bale1 or in kegs put up in grocery boxes1 like canned goods4 ,they notify ,satterfield by phone1 at night2 makes it awfully handy to have ,minnie as operator1 you see2 saves a leak at this end4 ,and ,satterfield meets them out here4 ,i had a time locating this place and finding a way to get out here without being seen4 ,then ,i wasn't sure but the booze would come out that road we took1 and they'd find the flivver2 in which case1 ,peter1 your pistol might have been useful4 8,well1 they repack the liquor here2 ,i don't know how4 ,bates hauls it down to ,pinelands1 or over to ,hokesville1 along with his peach crop--he has an orchard over beyond the clearing--and ships it ,north4 ,oh1 it's a flourishing business which they do6 8,and here's my scheme4 ,if ,satterfield didn't kill ,gaskell himself1 and ,i'm beginning to doubt that--,i got pretty intimate with him1 you know--if he didn't do it1 he knows who did1 and why4 ,doctor ,gaskell found something1 ,i imagine2 located this cache1 perhaps1 and the gang decided to wipe him out before he could squeal4 ,gaskell was a mighty decent chap1 they say1 not one to stand for bootlegging4 ,i don't think ,satterfield did the killing himself1 but he knows something4 ,now to-night we'll corner him and call for a showdown4 ,then what we find out will depend on whether he's more afraid of being arrested for murder or of losing his job4 ,and these mountaineer liquor runners are pretty tough characters1 some of them4 ,it's quite possible that he will take a chance of being tried for the shooting1 rather than let the rest of his gang believe he's turned them up4 ,get me80 8,we do1 old top60 declared ,peter4 8,we sure do6 ,oh1 boy1 you've got a bean4 ,we'll have this little old murder cleared up like winking1 and ,parker ready to take his wife into that little red-and-white bungalow as soon as they planned--even if this has been a pretty tough honeymoon for both of them40 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,showdown ,somers clambered into the little car4 8,you crank her1 ,pete10 he ordered languidly4 8,i'm the brains of this combination2 you can be the brawn40 8,long-legged1 lazy beggar60 retorted ,peter4 ,he stooped his five feet four in front of the hood1 set his hundred and twenty pounds against its crank1 and stopped to grin4 8,and the brains match the brawn10 he jeered4 8,both lightweights40 ,somers' retort was lost in the roar of the motor4 8,climb in1 ,peter60 he yelled4 8,those chaps might hear us2 it isn't more than half a mile4 ,we want to be out of gunshot before they come barging over that hill60 ,turning the little car he bumped off at a round pace1 splashing through the branch1 bouncing and creaking over tree roots1 and skidding through the loose sand4 ,the pace he maintained was racking to my old bones1 and ,i prayed for the springs of ,lewis' flivver4 ,but the bones and the springs held1 by the especial grace of ,heaven1 though ,i heaved a deep sigh of relief when we swung at last into the clay road4 ,we got back to ,fort ,house without mishap1 and there ,somers left us4 8,i'll drive around and leave word for ,satterfield10 he said4 8,he'll be busy out yonder for a while yet1 but we ought to catch him before evening4 ,where would be a good place for a quiet talk80 8,why not at our house80 ,i asked4 8,we could have him in my nephew's office there4 ,the place has been closed up since ,lewis was arrested4 ,there's nobody there40 8,that'll be fine10 replied ,somers4 8,i'll leave word for ,satterfield1 and after lunch we can go over there and wait for him40 ,he rattled off in a cloud of dust and evil-smelling smoke1 while ,peter and ,i went into the house4 ,it was almost noon2 the morning had passed quickly enough4 ,somers returned in time for lunch4 8,they expect him back about two10 he reported4 8,i told them to send him over to your place1 ,uhlman1 as soon as he comes in4 ,i hinted at a little quiet game2 that'll bring him1 if anything40 8,show-down10 declared ,peter grimly4 ,we evaded ,dorothy's eager questions as best we might2 all three of us felt1 ,i suppose1 that it was best not to raise her hopes too high1 for fear of the inevitable reaction1 should our enterprise fail4 ,she had been bubbling with optimism so often2 and so often she had drooped again1 disappointed and inclined to blame us for her disappointment4 ,directly after lunch we slipped out4 ,somers pacified his hostess by handing her the jail key1 which he still kept much more constantly than did the constable4 8,here1 child1 ,i appoint you a deputy-deputy sheriff for this afternoon4 ,parker had his breakfast1 and his lunch2 ,i routed out ,wakefield and saw to that4 ,now trot down there and keep him company for the afternoon4 ,if we're not back1 you can see to his supper2 picnic there with him1 if you like4 ,how's that80 ,the poor child thanked him warmly1 glowing at the thought of one single meal alone with her husband4 ,it was pitiful4 ,i unlocked my house1 which held already the queer1 dank smell of disuse1 and we three entered and disposed ourselves comfortably upon dusty chairs to await ,satterfield's coming4 ,he kept us long enough2 he had not appeared at two1 or at four4 ,indeed it was close upon sunset1 and ,dorothy1 no doubt1 was already arranging her pathetic supper party in the lockup1 before we heard a heavy step on the porch1 followed by his loud knock4 ,somers went to the door4 8,hello1 ,satterfield6 ,come right in this way40 8,h-howdy1 doc60 said ,satterfield boisterously4 ,his gruff voice was blurred with liquor4 ,he slapped ,somers' lean back and swaggered into the darkened room4 8,howdy1 gents6 ,aim t' have a li'l' game1 huh8 ,have drink80 ,producing a quart flask he thrust it forward uncertainly1 weaving back and forth upon booted feet4 ,then he perceived suddenly that we were not of his intimates4 8,wh-what's this here80 he demanded4 8,thought you was gointa have s'm' reg'lar sports1 doc80 8,i have10 replied ,somers equably4 8,come in the office1 ,satterfield2 we want to talk with you a bit40 ,and1 as the other lurched past him through the doorway1 he passed a deft hand over both hips1 then slipped it under the loose coat with surprising speed and whipped out a big revolver4 ,the bootlegger whirled1 snarling4 8,here6 ,whaddaya mean80 8,sit down1 friend40 ,somers waved him amiably to a chair1 using the pistol to gesture with4 8,we're going to have a nice1 quiet talk1 and ,i'd hate to have it interrupted by gun play40 ,blinking at him uncertainly1 ,satterfield subsided4 8,you done drank a right smart o' my liquor10 he said4 ,the doctor made a wry face4 8,yes--for my sins6 ,now1 ,satterfield1 we know all about your bootlegging business2 where the liquor comes from1 who makes it1 how it's brought to ,pinelands1 and where it goes from here4 ,we know you got five barrels of whisky this morning2 it's in the old drying house1 back of ,bates' orchard1 right now4 ,we know all about it2 we've got it all over you like a tent60 ,our victim scowled belligerently4 8,huh6 ,dirty revenue sneak1 are yuh8 ,spy6 ,revenuer60 ,somers grinned4 8,not that10 he said4 8,i'm no prohibition-enforcement agent4 ,i don't care how much booze you peddle1 though ,i do think it's a pretty bad job for any man1 especially1 considering the kind of stuff you're putting out6 ,i don't want to squeal on you1 ,satterfield1 and ,i shan't--unless----0 ,the other eyed him closely1 tugging at his piratical mustache4 8,an' ,i thought you was my friend60 he said1 apparently on the verge of maudlin tears4 8,well1 gwan2 how much8 ,i c'n git a bunch o' money f'r ye1 ,i s'pose40 ,somers shook his head4 8,not that1 either4 ,all ,i want is the truth about ,doctor ,gaskell's murder4 ,did you kill him1 ,satterfield80 ,the man sat up suddenly1 with a queer1 galvanic jerk4 ,beneath its grizzled stubble1 his face turned a pasty white2 his fierce eyes roved uneasily1 fear-filled1 looking about for escape4 8,i cain't60 he protested4 8,i cain't tell you-all nothin' 'bout it4 ,ain't healthy4 ,nossir60 8,very well6 ,i'll drop over to ,raleigh to-morrow--no1 to-night6 ,i'll hunt up the collector of internal revenue there1 and ,i'll tell him all about this wholesale booze business of yours4 ,and1 ,satterfield10 as the other shook a stubborn head1 8,i'll say you told me about it60 ,at the threat1 delivered with terrifying earnestness1 ,satterfield leaped up wildly4 ,his truculence had disappeared2 he was cold sober and in deadly fear4 8,ah1 no1 no1 no60 he exclaimed1 his face ghastly4 ,he literally went down upon his knees1 groveled on the floor1 plucking at ,somers' shoes with shaking hands4 8,ah1 don't6 ,don't1 doc1 he'll k-kill me shore--he'll cut my heart out--he'll b-burn me alive4 ,you don't know 'im1 doc--he'd skin me6 ,don't you1 now6 ,ain't we been good frien's1 an' drank together1 an' all8 ,yuh wouldn't do that t' me8 ,you-all ain't a-goin' to let him1 will yuh80 ,he turned to us1 tears trickling down his cheeks1 a revolting1 pitiable spectacle4 8,you'd better talk1 then10 said ,somers inexorably4 8,oh1 yeah--yeah6 ,anythin' on'y that6 ,i'll give up anythin'1 if you-all won't turn 'im loose onto me40 8,get up60 ordered our leader disgustedly4 8,sit over there and quit wallowing2 act like a man40 ,satterfield obeyed4 8,i ain't scared o' many things1 doc10 he said unresentfully1 but with a certain rude dignity4 8,there's them could tell yuh ,i ain't no coward1 but ,i am a-scared o' him6 ,whaddaya want80 8,did you shoot ,gaskell80 8,nossir60 he replied emphatically4 8,did you see him shot80 8,nossir60 8,well10 said ,somers impatiently1 8your daughter phoned to you that he was going out1 about four that morning4 ,you borrowed ,tulliver's shotgun without asking for it1 and you started off down the hill1 meaning to kill him1 didn't you80 ,satterfield stared in wonder tinged with admiration4 8,was you there8 ,naw1 yuh didn't come till next day4 ,it beats my time how yuh found out1 doc1 but that's straight--all of it40 8,well1 go on6 ,what did happen8 ,what did you do8 ,whom did you see8 ,come out with it all1 or ,i'll go to ,raleigh on the eight-ten60 ,somers pulled his watch4 8,i've just nice time to catch it40 8,aw1 now1 doc1 lissen6 ,i come down th' hill with ,tulliver's gun1 jus' like yuh said1 an' hung round ,gaskell's house waitin' f'r him t' come out4 ,but ,i never shot him1 doc--,i never seen him shot2 ,i never seen him come outa th' house1 even6 ,i--,i saw a--another feller hangin' round1 an' ,i knew it wa'n't healthy f'r me around there1 an' ,i beat it4 ,honest1 that's all60 8,humph60 said ,somers4 8,who was it80 ,but there ,satterfield balked4 ,he would say no more2 nothing could move him to give the man's name1 he protested4 ,we would go to the collector2 to the prohibition enforcement agents8 ,very well6 ,that would be the death of him1 but it would do us no good4 8,i tell yuh ,i'm a-scared o' this feller10 he repeated4 8,i ain't a-goin' t' say nothin' about 'im--not one thing6 ,he might as well kill me f'r squealin' about one thing as another1 an' ,i ain't a-goin' t' squeal1 neither6 ,you-all c'n git me killed if yuh like1 but ,i ain't done nothin' t' deserve it40 ,his final protest was not without its dignity4 ,he was adamant2 he admitted1 white-faced and shaking1 that a horrible death awaited him if it should be thought that he had betrayed his confederates in the illicit liquor traffic4 ,none the less1 he would tell us nothing4 8,you seem as much frightened of this man you saw waiting for ,gaskell as you do of the leader of your gang10 declared ,somers at last4 ,then he added a shrewd suggestion3 8,perhaps they're the same man80 ,satterfield threw up his hands4 8,for law's sake1 doc60 he exclaimed4 8,naw--yes--naw6 ,i don't know what t' say60 ,and he fell to weeping openly4 8,well1 tell me this3 ,why did you plan to kill ,gaskell80 ,he looked up sullenly4 8,i had my orders4 ,th' feller knowed too much40 8,it wasn't just because he sent you to jail1 then80 asked ,somers4 8,huh8 ,that wa'n't s' much4 ,i been in jail afore that40 8,you had orders to shoot ,gaskell1 then4 ,and1 when you got down there1 you found the man who gave you those orders1 and you decided he was going to take the matter over himself4 ,is that right80 ,satterfield nodded reluctantly4 8,did the same man order you to lynch ,parker80 8,we-ell1 no1 not exactly1 but ,i figgered mebbe he'd like t' have it seed to40 8,exactly6 ,so you think the chief of your bootlegging gang killed ,doctor ,gaskell8 ,but you're afraid to admit it1 even though we don't know the fellow40 ,somers rose4 ,the other1 completely cowed1 gazed at him in fear4 8,no10 said ,somers1 with a grim laugh1 8we shan't turn you up this time4 ,but listen closely1 ,satterfield3 ,you keep quiet6 ,if you drop so much as a hint to this mysterious boss of yours1 that you're so scared of1 if you suggest to him that we're after him1 ,heaven help you6 ,and now1 get out60 ,satterfield rose with alacrity1 half in doubt that he was to be let off so easily4 8,i won't say nothin'10 he replied4 8,ain't got to6 ,you go monkeyin' round with him1 an' that'll be th' last of yuh60 ,he disappeared1 and we locked up the place and started back toward ,fort ,house4 ,at the corner1 ,peter turned4 8,i'll trot down after the mail10 said he4 8,be back in five minutes40 ,we found ,dorothy and ,miss ,christie in the living room4 ,both looked up at us expectantly4 8,progress10 said ,somers4 8,i think we're on the trail of the murderer at last40 ,and he told them briefly of to-day's work4 ,as he finished1 a thought struck me4 8,look here1 ,somers2 remember that third man out there8 ,i told you he was in town the night of the murder4 ,he was over at ,gaskell's1 and he made some sort of a threat2 you remember my telling you1 ,dorothy8 ,a tremendous old man with a long1 white beard1 called himself #8,roaring ,lafe' ,rutledge8 ,what if he were this mysterious leader of the whisky smugglers8 ,he was in town1 and he threatened ,gaskell40 ,somers did not reply4 ,his eyes were on ,anne ,christie1 who had grown very white4 ,i had seen her flinch at the name of ,rutledge1 and now ,i recalled her strange conduct of that other night1 when she had dashed from the house after hearing that name4 ,what did she know of this thing8 8,are you sick80 asked ,somers4 8,miss ,christie--,anne6 ,what's the matter80 ,her lips opened1 but ,peter dashed in with a black face4 8,grand jury proceedings are out10 he announced4 8,and they've indicted ,lewis ,parker for murder in the first degree60 ,the news stunned us all1 though we had been more or less prepared for it4 ,then1 in the sudden silence which greeted this bombshell1 ,anne ,christie spoke4 8,i--perhaps ,i could help a little10 she said4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,anne ,,christie',s ,,story ,we all turned upon the nurse4 ,beneath our wondering gaze the bright color rose high1 flooding her fair face2 then receded once more1 leaving her very pale4 ,but she faced us bravely4 8,i--,i----,you see1 ,i've hated so to talk about it all1 even to think about it1 and especially this last two weeks40 ,she spoke to all of us1 but her big violet eyes were fixed upon ,doctor ,somers4 8,and now1 to make you-all understand1 ,i'll have to go back to the very beginning1 ,i'm afraid1 and tell you about me4 ,you won't mind80 ,i suppressed an exclamation4 ,truly this quiet1 somnolent nurse had changed6 ,i wondered what explanation she was about to offer for her queer conduct of that night before the murder1 when the name of 8,roaring ,lafe0 ,rutledge had driven her from the house2 of her excitement next morning1 when she had fainted at the news of ,doctor ,gaskell's death4 ,and ,i wondered the more what had moved her to volunteer any information about herself1 for ,i remembered--and the thought had puzzled me more than once--that never1 save once1 during all her six months at ,fort ,house1 had she spoken so much as a word about her past life4 8,you won't mind80 she asked again1 eyes wistfully fixed upon ,doctor ,somers4 8,and you'll try to make allowances--not to think little of me8 ,i----0 ,she stopped and bit her lips1 then went bravely on1 slender hands clenched at her sides4 8,i was born in the mountains1 up near the ,tennessee border1 in a log cabin on ,lick ,run4 ,my mother came from the settlements2 ,i never knew my father4 ,he died when ,i was a baby4 ,i've heard mother say he was educated2 that he'd been to college1 even4 ,but why they went up into the mountains to live she never would tell me4 ,all ,i know is that she wouldn't go back to the settlements even when he died4 ,a tree fell on him1 mother said4 ,when ,i was a little girl ,i used to go out and climb up to the very peak of ,snagtooth ,mountain and sit beside his grave and wonder--about so many things6 ,he was buried there1 on the very top of the mountain1 under a big1 lone pine tree4 8,after that we were very poor1 mother and ,i4 ,i used to go barefoot1 summer and winter2 and so did she4 ,we never wore shoes1 either of us1 for years and years40 ,she looked down at her slender1 high-arched feet1 now so trimly shod1 as if in wonder at their being covered4 ,we were all very still4 ,somers' deep-set gray-green eyes were inscrutable4 ,i blew my nose hard1 seeing in fancy that little slim girl1 barefooted and ragged1 huddled on the peak of a wind-swept mountain beside the grave of the father she could not remember1 hugging bare1 brown knees and staring off across the jutting hills1 wondering about so many things6 8,i wore the same dress for two years10 she went on dreamily4 ,her tragic eyes were all for ,doctor ,somers2 she was telling her story to him1 watching him for sympathy1 for approval1 for scorn4 ,she would tell him all4 ,i fancied ,i could read the determination in her white1 set face4 ,and then1 if he turned from her--well6 8,i wore the same dress for two years4 ,mother patched it and patched it--poor mother--until ,i'd forgotten its original color4 ,there were homespun patches1 ,i remember1 and blue-jean ones1 bits of flour sacking and burlap4 ,we were very poor4 ,there was only the small piece of cleared land1 and mother wasn't strong enough even to take care of that4 ,the weeds grew higher than the corn4 ,and she'd take my father's ax and try so hard to chop down a little tree and blister her poor hands and cry4 8,we couldn't live that way4 ,then this ,lafe ,rutledge began coming4 ,they called him ,roaring ,lafe even then1 fourteen years ago4 ,he was a great1 big man and strong6 ,i remember once there were two city men out hunting4 ,they were so wonderfully dressed1 ,i thought6 ,i'd never seen such clothes4 ,they stopped for a drink of water from our spring and stood talking with mother4 ,she was so pretty1 my mother6 ,and they talked and laughed1 and seemed so surprised that mother spoke like a lady1 had read books1 and everything4 ,and she stood there with her poor cheeks so pretty and pink1 and ,lafe ,rutledge came through the woods behind these two men1 looking as big as both of them together1 with his great beard blowing in the wind--it was black then--and he just made an awful1 roaring noise like some great bear4 ,then he ran at those poor men and caught them1 each by his neck1 and swung them right up off the ground and carried them off like that1 at arms' length4 ,and then we heard a scuffling and sliding1 as he just threw them down the mountain1 and he came back1 laughing1 and threw their guns after them4 ,i ran away and hid4 ,i was always afraid of him4 8,he used to come like that1 twice every week1 with his big boots greased1 his hair slicked down and shiny1 and bear's grease and cheap perfumery in his beard4 ,i remember still how it smelled4 ,i was afraid of him1 and ,i think mother was1 too4 ,he didn't know how old he was2 he couldn't write or figure1 and he couldn't read much4 ,i suppose he was fifty1 even then4 ,he'd had two wives already1 and both were dead4 8,i don't know how it came about4 ,perhaps she did it for me4 ,we were very poor--starving1 almost1 and ,lafe ,rutledge was rich1 as the mountain folks count it4 ,we didn't know then how he made his money6 ,anyway1 mother married him4 ,that was twelve years ago4 ,she married him1 and we went to live in his house on the ,devil's ,branch4 ,she was his third1 he said1 with that awful1 roaring laugh he had2 but1 then1 he was her second1 so that was all right4 ,poor mother6 ,after all she'd told me about my kind1 gentle father1 to marry ,roaring ,lafe ,rutledge6 ,i hated it even then2 ,i ran away and hid and wouldn't go there until ,i was starved to it4 ,but ,i didn't know1 ,i couldn't understand then1 what it meant to her4 8,and yet the man was good to her1 according to his lights4 ,he never beat her2 he bought her a new dress every year4 ,but he used to go down to the store and get drunk1 and then come home running his mule and beating the poor beast4 ,he was dreadfully cruel to animals1 and it was hard enough for any horse or mule to carry him2 he was so big and heavy4 ,and he'd come up the ,branch1 beating the mule and shouting and roaring worse than a wild bull2 that's why they called him ,roaring ,lafe1 ,i suppose4 ,and then he'd sit by the fireplace1 with a jug at his elbow1 and he'd drink and drink4 ,we didn't dare go to bed2 mother would sit beside me in a corner1 very still--frightened1 ,i suppose1 just as ,i was frightened--until at last he'd drop over right where he sat4 ,then we'd drag his boots off and get him to bed some way40 ,she stopped and wet her lips1 looking round at us in apology4 8,you see1 ,i've had plenty of experience in caring for drunken men10 she said4 ,somers flinched visibly4 8,it was like a nightmare10 she went on1 8and it only got worse4 ,mother got thinner and thinner and whiter and whiter4 ,she knew long before ,i did2 she tried to keep it from me1 but it wasn't a year before ,i found it out1 too4 ,lafe ,rutledge was running a still4 ,he made moonshine whisky up on the slope of ,snagtooth ,mountain1 made it by the barrel and sold it all over that country4 ,and nobody dared do anything about it2 they were all afraid of him4 8,ten years ago the revenue officers made a big raid up there1 and they nearly caught my--my stepfather4 ,he shot one of them and killed him4 ,he had to hide out in the laurel for months and months1 but they never caught him1 and pretty soon he'd started up another still in a new place4 ,then he came home to live1 quite openly4 ,i think that killing had been too much for mother4 ,she died about six months later4 8,i lived on with him4 ,there was nothing else to do4 ,i was growing up1 and ,i was strong2 mother'd taught me to cook2 ,i had to stay2 ,i'd nowhere to go1 and ,i was afraid of him4 ,when he was angry with me he'd threaten to get married again and bring another woman home with him to keep me from getting #8uppity4' 8,and then ,doctor ,gaskell came4 ,he was on a hunting trip1 and my stepfather brought him home to supper one night4 ,i'd never supposed there were such men in the world4 ,he was wonderful6 ,i lay awake all night1 just thinking about him4 ,he told my stepfather he was forty-nine1 ,i remember2 and that was just the age my father would have been if he'd lived4 ,i lay there--,i was only eighteen--and pretended ,doctor ,gaskell was really my father1 and we were just visiting up there1 just camping out1 and in a few days we'd go back home1 down the mountains1 into the settlements1 which mother used to talk about sometimes1 into a real house1 with carpets and hard-wood floors and a bathtub and a furnace and all the wonderful furnishings ,i'd dreamed about and never seen4 ,it was a very beautiful dream4 8,things were worse than ever just then2 my stepfather was #8sitting up1' as they call it1 with a widow on ,lick ,run1 and ,i just couldn't bear to think of another woman in the house where mother had died4 ,and so ,i slipped away and went to ,doctor ,gaskell's tent on the other side of the mountain1 and ,i talked to him4 ,i'd never been to school a day2 for one thing1 we were too poor1 and ,i had no dress to wear1 and then my stepfather wouldn't let me4 ,he didn't believe in schooling2 said it made women high-toned and finickin4 ,he used to laugh and sneer at my poor mother1 because she wasn't strong1 and say it was book learning made her that way4 ,but mother'd taught me a lot4 8,and ,doctor ,gaskell was so good to me6 ,if he'd really been my own father he couldn't have been better4 ,he offered to take me down to the settlements with him and find me work there and fix it so ,i could go to night school4 ,i didn't dare at first2 ,i told him ,roaring ,lafe would kill us both4 ,but he just laughed4 ,that was the most wonderful thing of all--he wasn't afraid of ,lafe ,rutledge6 ,until then ,i'd supposed everybody in the world must be afraid of him4 8,so1 the end of it was1 ,i slipped out in the night1 and ,doctor ,gaskell took me with him down the mountain and into ,asheville4 ,i was so frightened2 ,i thought that must be the biggest city in the world4 ,i'd never dreamed of anything so grand4 ,and we took the train there and went to ,raleigh1 and the doctor got a place for me in the hospital as an attendant4 ,i studied at night and worked hard6 ,after a year or two ,i got into the nurses' training school1 and ,i went through it and graduated4 ,the whole world seemed going just right for me2 ,i was very happy40 ,she paused and sighed4 ,her dreamy eyes seemed to dwell on that vision of past happiness4 8,but it didn't last10 she went on4 8,i knew all the time1 some way1 that it couldn't last4 ,i don't know how he found out1 but one night my stepfather came to the hospital and asked for me1 just as ,i was going on duty2 ,i was charge nurse on a ward then4 ,i came out1 wondering who it could be1 for ,i hadn't many friends1 and thinking perhaps ,doctor ,gaskell might have come down from ,pinelands--,i hadn't seen him for a year almost--and it was ,roaring ,lafe6 ,i just stood there dumb4 ,he told me to get my bundle and come with him4 ,i was frightened to death4 ,i've been afraid of him all my life4 ,but ,i think ,i'd have found courage to refuse1 to call the police1 to do something1 rather than go back with him1 but he just stood there1 pulling at that great1 bushy beard1 and he laughed that awful1 roaring laugh1 so that the orderly ran out to see what the noise was4 ,then he caught my arm--,i wore the mark of it for a month--and dragged me close and whispered in my ear4 ,the smell of raw corn whisky was on him1 and his eyes were terrible4 8#8,you come along quiet1' he told me4 #8,if you don't1 to-night that mis'able furriner1 ,gaskell1 will git his comeuppance6 ,i'll go plumb f'om here to ,pinelands1 a-puppose t' waylay him2 ,i'll fill his gizzard with buckshot4 ,you comin'1 you huzzy1 or do you aim t' stay here with these furriners in th' settlemints8' 8,so ,i went with him4 ,what else could ,i do8 ,i could have screamed for help1 though ,i don't believe he'd have laid his hand on me in anger4 ,but ,i knew he'd keep his word4 ,i knew he'd leave me there at the hospital and go straight here to ,pinelands and kill ,doctor ,gaskell1 just as he said4 ,and ,i couldn't bear that1 after all he'd done4 ,why1 ,i wouldn't be alive1 if it weren't for him6 ,because ,i might just as well be dead1 as buried up there in the hills1 as ,i was till he came4 ,and ,i've always made believe in my own mind that ,doctor ,gaskell was my own father come to life again2 ,i've always thought of him as a father2 it was just like hearing my own father had been killed1 that morning1 when you told us1 ,mr4 ,uhlman40 ,she turned to me1 as if to apologize for her fainting that fateful morning1 and her big violet eyes were tragic4 8,so ,i went back10 she said1 as she took up her pitiful tale4 8,i went back to the log house on the ,devil's ,branch and put by my nice clothes and wore homespun again and cooked salt pork and corn pone4 ,at night ,i waited alone for my stepfather to come home1 shouting and roaring4 ,i used to sit huddled in a corner1 shaking all over1 while he drank raw corn liquor until he fell over1 dead drunk1 and ,i pulled off his boots and put him to bed4 ,and all the while ,i was frightened1 frightened out of my wits1 though he never laid his hands on me4 ,but there was a devil peeping out of his eyes at me4 ,oh1 he's a terrible man6 8,and yet ,i do believe that he thought he was doing the right thing by me4 ,he always used to say he'd saved my soul by bringing me back there4 8,it went on from week to week and month to month1 for three whole years4 ,at first it was unbearable1 and ,i used to cry all night and think of killing myself4 ,after a while ,i got sort of deadened and lost interest in things4 ,the days slipped by1 and ,i dropped into a daze and went on like some machine1 without even thinking any more4 ,i put on flesh1 and my stepfather gloated over the fact1 saying how strong ,i was1 as if ,i'd been a horse or a mule6 ,he insisted that ,i was outgrowing my finical ways and book learning1 and getting to be a healthy1 honest woman4 ,if he could have had my poor mother earlier1 he used to say1 before she was plumb ruined with education1 she'd have been healthy1 too4 ,and even that didn't rouse me much4 ,i felt so dull and stupid1 and ,i got so ,i'd sleep all the time4 ,there are women like that in the mountains1 strange1 fat1 stupid-looking creatures1 with wide1 flat faces1 who just sleep and mope around all the time1 like cows1 without ever caring about anything4 ,they look almost deformed2 they're unnatural4 ,some of them have great goiters4 ,i used to wonder if ,i'd ever be like them1 but ,i didn't care much1 even for that40 ,her voice fell4 ,behind the impassive1 commonplace words ,i felt such a bitterness of desolation1 such a gripping1 terrible memory of those monotonous1 lifeless days1 that my throat closed upon the words of sympathy ,i strove to utter4 ,doctor ,somers raised his head1 his gray-green eyes impersonally alight4 8,i thought so6 ,a goiterous region6 ,mighty interesting1 that6 ,you know there is a similar region in the mountains of ,switzerland1 where most of the women have goiter4 ,we used to think it was the water2 but we know better now4 ,i must go up there and investigate4 ,you haven't any struma1 ,miss ,christie10 said ,somers1 stooping forward to touch her rounded throat1 at which the girl blushed vividly1 8but you developed a condition of hypothyroidism instead40 ,and he went on didactically into a maze of 8hormones0 and 8endocrines0 and 8internal secretions10 which nobody understood4 8,but you're safely out of that hole now10 he concluded practically1 8and your condition is practically cured1 thanks to the thyroid ,i gave you4 ,you've changed wonderfully in just this ten days1 child6 ,you're a hundred per cent brighter1 less somnolent4 ,and10 as if the idea had just struck him1 8you've grown mighty pretty4 ,why1 ,anne1 child--you're really beautiful60 ,the girl's first name came from his lips unhesitatingly1 as if he thought of her thus1 and not as ,miss ,christie4 ,his tone was one of nave surprise at this discovery4 8,you're a raving beauty1 ,anne60 he repeated4 ,the girl blushed vividly1 the bright color sweeping up to the very edge of her fair hair4 ,her eyes1 which had been so bravely1 so candidly fixed upon ,somers throughout her pitiful story1 dropped modestly and were veiled by long1 curved lashes4 8,do you think so80 she asked demurely4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,a ,,projected ,,excursion 8,don't interrupt10 ordered ,dorothy peremptorily4 ,like the rest of us1 she was eager for the end of the nurse's tale4 8,you can talk about her good looks later2 we want to hear what happened next4 ,go on1 ,miss ,christie60 ,and ,miss ,christie went on1 rather less sadly1 ,i thought4 8,well1 ,i'd have been up there yet1 ,i reckon1 if last fall my stepfather hadn't wanted me to get m-married40 ,she blushed4 8,there was a man1 ,calvin ,collender1 whom they called #8,cal ,col4' ,he used to work with my stepfather4 ,since prohibition1 you see1 my stepfather had been making corn whisky faster than ever4 ,he bought up corn from all over the mountains and put up a bigger still1 and they used to smuggle it out some way and sell it down in the settlements4 ,he used to come back with his pockets just bulging with money1 all in gold2 he had no faith in paper money1 and he'd bury the gold somewhere4 ,why1 he must have made thousands and thousands of dollars--is making it yet1 ,i suppose4 ,and this ,collender1 this ,cal ,col1 was his chief helper1 a tall1 thin man1 with a sharp nose and a short chin1 like those mountaineers have1 and little1 mean-looking eyes4 ,he was lots older than ,i2 he was a widower1 too4 ,and my stepfather kept after me and after me4 ,he said ,i ought to be grateful2 that it wasn't every man would marry a woman like me1 who'd had book learning and knew things it wasn't fitting for a woman to know4 8,i couldn't stand that4 ,it was bad enough with ,roaring ,lafe1 but to go to this other man1 this ,cal ,col1 who wasn't even brave1 ,i couldn't6 ,i remembered my poor mother1 and how she'd just faded away1 and ,i thought it was better to die right then4 ,and ,lafe ,rutledge was a man2 you had to respect him1 in spite of all his terrible ways4 ,but this ,cal ,col was just like a creeping1 crawly snake1 afraid of my stepfather1 afraid of the law1 afraid of everything1 even of me1 ,i think4 ,he used to look at me sideways1 with those dry1 bright little eyes1 just like a rattlesnake4 ,and ,i knew he'd beat me if he dared4 8,so one night last winter ,i just ran away1 down the mountain all alone4 ,it began to snow while ,i was climbing down toward ,asheville1 and ,i was so glad6 ,i knew the dogs couldn't follow me then4 ,my stepfather had a dozen bloodhounds4 ,and ,i got clear away1 somehow1 and bought a veil to put over my face2 then ,i took the train and came right here to ,pinelands2 ,i didn't know what else to do4 ,if ,i went back to ,raleigh1 ,i knew my stepfather would find me4 8,and ,i got off the train here and went to a hotel4 ,it was in the winter1 you see1 and the town was full of tourists from the ,north2 nobody noticed one more4 ,i phoned to ,doctor ,gaskell1 and he came right away and told me about this place4 ,miss ,mc,gregor had asked him to find a nurse for her that very day4 8,so he recommended me1 and ,i got the place and came to ,fort ,house4 ,i've been here ever since4 ,perhaps you've wondered why ,i kept so close in the house and never went anywhere8 ,or1 perhaps1 you just thought ,i was too sleepy and sluggish to want to go out4 ,but ,i saw that man ,satterfield downtown one day1 and ,i didn't dare show myself after that1 for ,i'd seen him on the ,devil's ,branch1 at my stepfather's1 twice4 ,he had something to do with disposing of the liquor they made2 ,i don't know what4 8,i couldn't change my name1 you see1 because ,i'm a registered nurse and have to have a license4 ,but my stepfather has never lived out of the mountains1 and he doesn't know anything about registration and all that2 so ,i wasn't afraid he'd trace me through the ,state board4 ,i kept right close in the house and hoped ,satterfield wouldn't see me or think of my being the same one1 if he heard my name4 ,nobody much knew my name1 anyhow1 ,i kept so quiet4 ,people just thought of me as that stupid nurse up at ,fort ,house4 8,and ,i lived in fear that some day my stepfather would find me out1 or come here and kill ,doctor ,gaskell anyway1 as he'd threatened2 and ,i think ,i'd have gone crazy if it weren't for this stupid1 sleepy feeling ,i always had4 ,i suppose it was a disease1 as you said1 ,doctor ,somers1 but ,i think it saved my reason4 8,and at last he did find me out4 ,was it any wonder ,i was frightened1 ,mr4 ,uhlman1 when you came in that night and said you'd seen ,roaring ,lafe ,rutledge on ,doctor ,gaskell's porch1 threatening to #8settle with him before sunup8' ,and now you know why ,i ran right out without stopping to explain4 ,i went over to the doctor's house1 right across the road1 and told him my stepfather was here1 and ,i begged him to hide1 or have him arrested4 8,he only laughed1 for he was never afraid of my stepfather4 ,but he did promise not to go to the hotel and see him4 ,and then1 next morning1 you found him out there--dead6 ,i thought right away it must have been my stepfather who did it1 and ,i suppose ,i fainted4 ,i was almost glad0--she looked at ,dorothy in wistful apology--8when they said ,doctor ,parker had done it by accident4 ,the--the other seemed so terrible2 to think he'd been killed because of me6 ,and then1 afterward1 when the solicitor made it look like murder1 ,i didn't know what to do4 ,and ,i hoped you-all could prove it was ,satterfield who was guilty1 or anybody in that gang except my stepfather1 and for any reason except because of me4 ,and it seemed harder and harder0--her beautiful1 appealing eyes were fixed upon ,somers once more1 as in mute explanation of her difficulty--8harder than ever to have to tell all this1 and to have to admit that ,i was only a poor1 uneducated girl from the mountains1 without any relatives in the world that ,i know of except my stepfather40 ,she stopped and bent her fair head1 sobbing desolately4 ,somers patted her shoulder4 8,you poor child60 he said1 his casual tones suddenly deeper1 softer1 charged with sympathy4 ,she looked up at him adoringly1 with the wistful1 worshiping gaze one sees in a dog's eyes4 ,but he seemed blind to its significance4 8,don't you fret any more10 he went on4 8,you needn't marry this ,cal ,col fellow or any other man4 ,and if ,lafe comes roaring round here1 he'll get into trouble4 ,i'm not afraid of him1 either60 8,oh1 you don't know him4 ,he's terrible--just terrible6 ,sometimes ,i wonder if he's quite human4 ,if he comes for me1 ,i'll just have to go back1 that's all1 and marry ,cal ,col1 if he says so4 ,i--,i can't have anybody else murdered for me40 8,humph60 said ,somers4 8,i begin to feel that ,i ought to have a bit of a chat with this ,mr4 ,rutledge60 8,oh1 no1 no1 no60 ,the girl's voice rang sharp with fear2 she clutched at his arm4 8,he--he'd kill you1 too60 8,i think not40 ,somers freed his arm gently and rose4 8,but look here1 ,anne1 if ,rutledge knew you were here1 why hasn't he come after you8 ,i don't believe his business with ,gaskell had anything to do with you2 ,i don't believe he knows where you are at all4 ,satterfield admitted that ,doctor ,gaskell had found out about their whisky-smuggling business2 he said his mysterious chieftain had ordered ,gaskell killed for that4 ,if ,rutledge is this leader whom ,satterfield's so afraid of--and it looks that way--he ordered the killing because ,gaskell knew too much4 ,you hadn't a thing to do with it4 ,and then he came down here to do it himself2 wouldn't trust ,satterfield1 ,i suppose40 ,he began to pace the floor2 six long1 loose strides this way1 a turn1 and six more back4 ,on the hearthrug he stopped4 8,it's plain enough now4 ,gaskell was murdered by the moonshiners for fear he'd break up the business4 ,and ,rutledge did the killing4 ,now all we've got to do is round up ,roaring ,lafe and fetch him down here to stand trial4 ,once he's safe in jail1 ,satterfield will probably get over his fright enough to testify against him2 nobody looks quite as dangerous1 once he's been quietly arrested and locked up40 ,anne ,christie cried out upon him4 8,oh1 no1 no6 ,you mustn't1 you can't6 ,you'll be killed6 ,and1 anyhow0--plucking up courage at the thought--8it wouldn't do any good2 you can't find anybody to serve a warrant on ,roaring ,lafe4 ,the sheriff wouldn't go up on ,devil's ,branch for anything1 and1 if he did1 nobody could find ,lafe ,rutledge1 once he'd taken to the laurel40 8,humph60 said ,somers4 8,you're forgetting something40 ,he touched the star on his breast4 8,i'm a perfectly good deputy sheriff myself4 ,i can serve a warrant4 ,even if that is another county1 ,i guess we can stretch a point of law4 ,maybe the sheriff over there will deputize me1 too40 ,he cut her further protests short4 8,it's getting late2 why1 it's after midnight6 ,we'll all go to bed and make our plans in the morning40 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,a ,,trip ,,to ,,the ,,mountains ,next morning at breakfast ,doctor ,somers set forth his plan4 ,for once all the people of ,fort ,house sat down together2 even ,aunt ,mary appeared in time to be wheeled to her place before we were seated4 8,i will go up into the mountains10 he announced4 8,i'll start this evening1 spend the night in ,asheville1 and go on to-morrow4 ,how far is it1 ,anne80 8,all of twenty miles1 the way one has to go1 and no roads worth speaking of4 ,you can't drive a car40 ,the girl was very pale2 there were bluish shadows beneath her eyes4 ,she spoke reluctantly and seemed determined to make the way as difficult as might be4 8,and you'd never find the place without a guide40 8,humph6 ,if ,i can't drive a car1 ,i can ride a horse4 ,they taught us equitation in the army--what1 ,peter1 old son8 ,also1 ,i can walk2 my legs are long enough4 ,and1 if you'll draw a map1 ,i'll engage to find the ,devil's ,branch4 ,i'm not easy to lose1 even in the mountains40 ,miss ,christie still objected1 and ,dorothy seconded her4 8,it won't do any good10 she declared4 8,you'll get lost1 or killed1 and ,lewis needs you here4 ,why not just go to the sheriff or the district attorney and swear out a warrant1 and let the police arrest him8 ,that's their business40 ,somers shrugged4 8,swear out a warrant8 ,on what grounds8 ,he was in town--,rutledge1 ,i mean--and he had threatened to shoot ,doctor ,gaskell several years ago4 ,that's all we could prove4 ,satterfield won't testify2 he wouldn't even admit to me that ,rutledge was the man whom he saw4 ,and1 if we could get a warrant on that1 your name would have to be signed to it1 as complaining witness1 and ,rutledge would know where you are1 ,anne4 ,and1 if the sheriff's afraid of him1 as you say1 ,rutledge wouldn't be caught anyhow4 ,he'd be warned1 have a chance to hide out1 and maybe to slip down here and make trouble for you4 ,i wish old man ,redden were the sheriff of ,whitfield ,county up there6 ,i'll bet he wouldn't be afraid of ,roaring ,lafe60 ,he paused1 looking about the table1 with half-whimsical seriousness4 8,and1 furthermore1 my children1 have you considered that ,i shan't be perfectly safe here in ,pinelands from now on8 ,no1 nor you two1 either40 ,he jabbed at ,peter and me successively with a long1 bony finger4 8,when ,satterfield reports to his mysterious chief and tells him that the three of us know all about this whisky-running game of theirs1 it's quite on the cards that ,mr4 ,roaring ,lafe may decide we could all be spared1 just like ,gaskell4 ,suppose we just stayed here and did nothing1 and a couple of sturdy bootleggers ambushed ,fort ,house and shot us up80 ,here ,aunt ,mary interposed4 ,she had been waiting1 open-mouthed1 for a chance to interrupt4 8,i won't have it60 she declared shrilly4 8,i can't stand it6 ,my rest is broken enough now2 those miserable birds are driving me frantic2 ,i haven't a bit of rest1 and nobody cares if ,i die of exhaustion4 ,but this is too much4 ,you'll have to go1 all three of you6 ,you'll have to leave ,fort ,house at once4 ,no1 ,dorothy1 ,i insist4 ,i will be heard for once4 ,i've submitted to being ignored and put aside and slighted long enough4 ,nobody considers me any more2 nobody seems to care whether ,i live or die4 ,as if ,lewis ,parker1 a big1 healthy young man1 weren't lots more comfortable in jail than ,i am here1 lying on my bed of pain6 ,it's absurd--it's monstrous6 ,but ,i will assert myself for once3 ,either you men leave this house1 all three of you--,peter's no more help or comfort to me than you others--either you leave ,fort ,house1 or ,i will60 ,we stared uncomfortably1 the others1 no doubt1 as much amazed as ,i was by the old lady's colossal1 callous selfishness4 ,for she had not a cent of her own1 and she was a pensioner upon the bounty of her nephew and niece4 8,you can stay10 she went on1 8but if you do1 ,i go to a hotel this very morning4 ,i won't have my life endangered2 ,i won't have my rest broken any longer6 ,why1 this whole affair of the murder has annoyed me beyond endurance40 ,one would have thought that we had planned ,doctor ,gaskell's death1 with malice aforethought4 8,but ,i've stood all ,i can4 ,dorothy1 phone to the ,pinelands ,house at once and engage two rooms and bath for me4 ,and you'd better pay them a week in advance1 too40 8,humph10 said ,doctor ,somers1 placidly4 8,you see80 ,dorothy nodded reluctantly4 ,miss ,christie said nothing4 ,she was very pale4 ,somers rose4 8,it's settled1 then4 ,i start for the mountains to-night4 ,and1 ,peter1 you and ,uncle ,george had better come along1 ,i think4 ,you can put up at a hotel in ,asheville4 ,i really think you'll be safer there than to stay in ,pinelands just now40 8,oh1 we'll come10 ,i answered for both of us4 8,but you needn't think we're going to stay at any hotel and let you go off alone4 ,you need somebody to look after you1 man60 8,humph6 ,well1 we can settle that later40 ,he pushed back his chair and bowed to ,aunt ,mary4 8,and now1 madam1 we'll relieve you of the distress of our presence4 ,come along1 you chaps1 we'll stay at ,uhlman's house until train time40 ,he bowed ironically and stalked out4 ,as ,i followed1 ,i saw ,dorothy turn upon her aunt1 her face white with anger1 her eyes flashing4 ,i grinned inwardly1 feeling that for once the old lady was about to hear some sharply wholesome truths4 ,i hurried after my companions4 8,pack a bag1 each of you10 ordered our leader4 8,put in things for a week1 anyhow4 ,and bring your field glasses1 ,peter1 and that pistol of yours4 ,wish we had three of them60 8,i've got one at home10 ,i said1 8a police revolver4 ,i'll bring that40 ,miss ,christie hurried past us1 as we stood in the hall1 and returned in two minutes4 8,here60 ,she thrust something into ,somers' hand4 8,take that and use it if you must4 ,and1 oh1 my dear1 be careful60 ,she was gone in a breath1 leaving the lanky physician staring down in bewilderment at a businesslike revolver1 whose wooden butt was battered and worn4 ,our few preparations made1 for we were to go in light marching order1 we spent the day perfecting our plans1 such as they were4 8,for we don't know what we'll find up there10 explained ,somers4 8,the best we can do is to get in touch with ,rutledge in some way1 avoid suspicion if we can1 and trust to luck for the rest4 ,maybe he'll talk2 maybe we can get him out alone1 hold him up and take him down the mountains1 at pistol's point4 ,i'll be a #8lunger1' ,i guess2 ,i look the part40 ,he surveyed his lean face1 hollow chest1 and extraordinarily thin limbs in my mirror4 8,yes1 ,i'm a consumptive1 ordered up into the mountains to live4 ,you're my uncle1 ,uhlman1 and ,peter--oh1 he can be the builder who's going to put up a cabin for me4 ,we're up in the hills looking for a site1 so ,i can have a house there1 live alone in the balmy pine woods1 and strive to recapture my lost health--and all that rot4 ,how about it80 ,he grinned and went on humorously4 8,you know1 dear ones and kind old things both1 ,i fancy my health is in considerable danger1 at that6 ,if ,i should meet ,satterfield in the dark somewhere1 ,old ,man ,trouble and ,i would meet just about the same time4 ,what80 ,and he spoke even more truly than he knew4 ,for at dusk that night1 as the train pulled out of ,pinelands1 ,somers sat beside me in the smoking car1 his lean1 bold profile clearly outlined against the lighted window4 ,from the dark without it must have made an excellent mark4 ,no one had loitered about my house that day2 no one1 as far as ,i could see1 had watched us climbing into the 8shoo-fly0 train4 ,but1 as we panted out of the village and began to labor up a steep grade between high embankments1 gathering speed slowly1 a round hole sprang suddenly into being in the window1 just beside ,somers' head1 and a bullet sang past my nose1 like an angry wasp1 bit through the window opposite1 and whined away into the night4 8,humph60 said ,somers calmly1 brushing bits of glass from his lap4 ,he looked at the window1 where a star of cracks radiated from that sinister hole4 8,humph6 ,a couple of inches this way1 and one of the best little old medico-legal experts extant would have ceased abruptly4 ,i told you we'd be safer outside of ,pinelands for a while60 ,the brakeman hurried through1 stopped to survey his damaged windowpanes1 and scowled blackly4 8,some darn fool gettin' fresh60 he muttered4 8,lettin' off a rifle gun that a way an' never lookin' to see where th' bullet'd go4 ,the fool6 ,they's too much cawn liquor round ,pinelands these days60 8,quite right1 my friend10 replied ,somers solemnly4 ,some one touched ,somers' shoulder4 ,we both turned to face the man in the seat behind us1 a quiet1 unobtrusive person1 gray-clad1 gray-haired1 with a very keen gray eye4 8,did you know that bullet was meant for you80 he asked casually4 ,the physician nodded4 8,oh1 yes1 certainly60 ,he was as cool1 as detached of manner1 as the stranger1 and those keen eyes gave him an admiring glance4 8,i happened to get a good look at the fellow10 the other went on4 8,he showed up against the sky line1 there on top of the embankment1 and he had a fine bead on you40 ,somers nodded equably4 8,thanks1 old man60 8,broad-brimmed felt hat10 continued the other2 8big1 bushy mustache2 looked like a pirate4 ,know him80 ,my companion nodded again1 but showed no disposition to satisfy the gray man's curiosity further4 ,as the crow flies1 ,asheville is not much over forty miles from ,pinelands2 but to reach it one must go to ,raleigh1 and there you change from one line to another1 making it a trip of several hundred miles4 ,somers' estimate of time was too sanguine2 we could hardly reach ,asheville before morning4 ,as we disbarked at ,raleigh1 ,i saw the man in gray once more4 ,he had followed us from the train2 he stood in whispered talk with another quiet1 inconspicuous person1 and ,i thought that he pointed us out4 ,it may have been my imagination2 no doubt it was4 ,for the other stranger1 after loitering about1 while we bought tickets and berths1 stepped up to the window and asked a question1 then strolled out of the station1 and we saw him no more4 ,no doubt it was a mere coincidence1 also1 that the quiet gray-haired man entered the ,asheville sleeper with us and deposited a modest leather hand bag in the section across the aisle4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,roaring ,,lafe ,we reached the city of ,asheville in the early morning and1 upon ,somers' direction1 entered a taxicab and had ourselves driven to a hotel4 8,we'll breakfast there10 he decided1 8and find out a few things4 ,then ,i'll get a saddle horse and start1 and you two will wait for me here40 8,not much60 said ,i4 8,nix60 declared ,peter4 8,you can't lose us2 why1 man1 where's that gorgeous idea of being a consumptive1 unless we're along80 ,somers shrugged4 8,have it your own way1 but it's taking a long chance1 fellows4 ,this thing is serious2 ,i hardly believed1 myself1 that they'd go so far1 until that chap shot at me last night4 ,it was ,ralph ,satterfield1 all right1 and no doubt he thought we were on our way to ,raleigh to see the collector4 ,he'll have hurried over here cross-country before this1 in ,conover's car1 no doubt4 ,if we should meet up with him in the hills we're as good as dead men40 ,i nodded soberly4 8,and if we give that fellow1 ,vanbrugh1 a free hand1 my nephew is as good as a dead man1 too4 ,no1 ,somers1 ,i'm going along4 ,peter can stay here if he likes40 ,but ,peter did not consider this suggestion worthy even to be scorned4 8,after breakfast1 what1 chief80 he asked4 8,we hunt up a revenue agent40 ,wondering if our leader would report the activities of ,satterfield and ,rutledge after all1 we went to see the revenue agent4 ,when we were shown into the quiet1 businesslike office of the department of internal revenue1 ,somers merely asked for information as to one ,lafe ,rutledge4 8,i'm told he killed a revenue agent some years ago10 he explained4 8,was he tried for that80 ,the clerk eyed us dubiously4 8,i can't give out any statement10 he told us4 8,you can see the chief if you like4 ,what are you1 newspaper men80 ,somers handed him a card1 and presently we were shown into an inner office4 ,facing us from behind a flat-topped desk sat the same quiet1 gray-haired man who had sat behind us on the train4 8,what do you want to know about the man ,rutledge80 he asked1 looking at ,somers' card4 ,then3 8,hel-lo6 ,you're the chap ,satterfield was potting at last night60 8,so you knew the man's name all the time80 asked ,somers1 a bit taken aback4 ,the other nodded4 8,this office is deeply interested in ,mr4 ,ralph ,satterfield10 he said grimly1 8also in the gentleman after whom you are inquiring this morning4 ,suppose we have a showdown1 doctor8 ,i'm not the local chief2 ,i'm on special duty here1 but ,i can tell you all this department knows about ,roaring ,lafe4 ,what's your interest in him80 ,our leader sat down4 8,perhaps you know who ,i am1 too80 8,oh1 yes2 ,doctor ,floyd ,somers4 ,you came from ,new ,york to be the best man at ,doctor ,parker's wedding2 and this1 no doubt1 is the doctor's uncle1 ,mr4 ,uhlman--and ,peter ,mc,gregor80 ,we bowed1 wondering4 8,we looked you up1 doctor10 explained the revenue agent1 8because you were pretty thick with ,satterfield for a while4 ,what was the idea80 ,somers leaned forward4 8,you know about ,doctor ,gaskell's murder1 and the arrest of my friend ,parker80 he asked4 8,oh1 yes6 ,in fact1 this investigation was begun upon information furnished the collector by ,gaskell40 8,well1 then60 ,somers told him everything frankly1 including our suspicions of ,rutledge4 ,the government man listened with grave interest4 8,h'm10 said he1 when the tale was done4 8,our local men seem to have overlooked a lot4 ,we didn't go behind the verdict of the coroner's court and the grand jury2 took it for granted ,parker killed ,gaskell because of some personal quarrel4 ,coarse work1 very6 ,some one will get a stiff call for this6 ,of course ,rutledge did it4 ,i should have thought of that myself4 ,well1 after all1 that is merely incidental2 it doesn't affect the main work of this office1 which is to break up the illicit manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors4 ,and now1 gentlemen1 what can ,i do in return80 8,tell us about ,rutledge4 ,is he in hiding8 ,is there any criminal charge against him8 ,did he really murder one of your men80 ,the agent nodded soberly4 8,there's not a doubt of it in my mind1 but we've no legal proof4 ,no1 gentlemen1 there's no criminal charge out against ,roaring ,lafe--as yet4 ,and he's not in hiding2 he's living openly in his own house1 on ,devil's ,branch1 back in the hills40 ,somers rose4 8,i thought this was the safest place to make inquiries10 he explained4 8,thank you1 sir40 8,hold on a minute6 ,this office is indebted to you for your information1 though ,i may say we knew most of these things before1 except your suspicions about ,gaskell's murder2 can't we help you some way8 ,what are your plans80 ,the physician grinned4 8,why1 just to find this ,roaring ,lafe and have a chat4 ,i'll tell him ,satterfield has admitted that he saw ,gaskell shot1 and that ,rutledge did it--and see what happens4 ,then ,i'll try to induce him to come along to jail with us1 if ,i can40 8,you'll get yourselves killed1 the three of you60 ,somers shrugged4 8,it's quite possible1 but it is my business in life to extract information from folks who don't want to give it4 ,after one has practiced enough at getting statements from lunatics who haven't spoken a word for years1 it ought not to be so hard to badger an ignorant old man into confessing murder4 ,i'm game to try1 at least40 8,h'm6 ,i think you're a fool1 but go ahead1 if you insist4 ,remember this1 though3 ,that you never saw a lunatic as dangerous as ,lafe ,rutledge40 ,with that pleasing assurance in our ears we left the revenue office and hired saddle horses for our trip into the hills4 ,it was noon before we had topped the long slope1 which leads up past the 8,castle10 and left the concrete road to strike back along zigzag red clay roads1 which led us into the hinterland4 ,we paused for one look back toward civilization4 8,well10 said ,i1 staring down at the ordered streets1 centering in ,pack ,square1 with its tall granite obelisk1 8we may not all of us come back this way40 8,cheerful old soul60 replied ,peter1 shifting in his saddle4 8,this nag has a beastly sharp backbone2 ,i can feel it right through the leather4 ,you might have stopped for lunch1 at least1 ,somers40 8,have another sandwich10 suggested our leader callously2 for he had vetoed a further stay in the city4 8,eat as you ride4 ,we want to get somewhere before dark1 and we've twenty miles to go40 ,we struck back into the hills4 ,our patient horses scrambled up precipitous slopes1 panting1 sliding in the rough red clay2 we slid down other slopes as steep1 where the zigzag paths1 that ran back and forth1 seemed sharper than the pitch of a roof1 and the hillside itself was almost straight up and down4 ,the roads grew rougher and stonier and narrower1 until they were mere bridle paths1 mere trails1 which wound and separated and forked and joined bewilderingly4 ,mile after mile we rode1 growing horribly saddle sore in the riding4 ,the country about us was wild1 primeval2 tall pines masked the hillsides1 interspersed with spruce and live oak and great1 dense growths of that rhododendron which the mountain folk call 8laurel40 ,here and there1 huddled upon the steep slopes1 a tiny1 unpainted shack overhung the winding road1 its cornfield miraculously clinging to the side of a precipice4 ,dozens of lop-eared hound dogs regarded our passing with mournful gravity1 or made headlong dashes1 boiling out in baying mobs from beneath forlorn shacks to snap at our horses' fetlocks4 ,sometimes a slatternly woman in a calico dress1 roused to languid curiosity by their racket1 came to an open door and looked after us with indifferent1 lackluster eyes4 ,of men we saw nothing1 save once4 ,then ,i glanced up1 warned by the pricking of my horse's ears1 to catch a glimpse of a fierce1 bearded face1 which glowered down at us from the rhododendrons above the trail4 ,the sun1 just dropping below a peak1 glinted dully from a long rifle barrel1 as it moved slightly to bear upon us4 8,cough1 ,somers6 ,cough60 ,i whispered4 ,our leader1 quick to grasp my hint1 coughed nobly1 until he swayed in the saddle1 handkerchief to his lips4 ,i spurred forward to support him4 8,easy1 boys10 said ,i1 loudly enough to be heard from the hillside ,i hoped4 8,the mountain air is hard on those lungs1 but we'll find a good place for your house to-morrow1 ,i hope4 ,remember1 the doctor said these hills were the only place you could live40 ,we rode on2 ,i1 for one1 with my heart in my throat4 ,my back muscles quivered and flinched4 ,but no bullet pierced them2 no gunshot cut through the silence of the hills4 ,after a mile or two ,i explained4 ,somers shrugged4 8,they don't seem to welcome strangers10 he admitted4 8,it's a cheery country40 ,his eyes followed the sharp-toothed1 jagged hills1 which ringed us in2 the abrupt1 bleak mountains of ,north ,carolina1 whose ridges are too sharp-edged for concealment1 were all about us1 and the blue sky showed between the trunks of the single1 straggling row of slender trees1 which found difficult life there4 8,the hills look about as friendly as their people4 ,still1 ,i don't believe they'll shoot us without stopping to ask questions first40 ,with this dubious encouragement we rode on through the long shadows of sunset1 which comes so early there2 for the sun dropped behind the encircling hills in midafternoon1 they were so high4 ,the rough trails wound on1 forking and twisting1 and we rode slower and slower1 while our leader puzzled over the map ,anne ,christie had drawn4 ,dusk came on1 and then darkness1 and still we rode1 ,somers scowling uncertainly4 ,at last we made out a point of light in the distance4 ,our leader pulled up4 8,we're lost10 he admitted4 8,i haven't an idea which way to turn1 even if we could see the trails1 which we can't4 ,i move we stop at that house and ask our way40 ,so we blundered on through the darkness1 and that lone spark of light grew and became the oblong of an unglazed window1 toward which our tired steeds trotted1 unguided4 ,a yelping1 baying avalanche of dogs poured down the slope1 to bark and snap at our horses' legs1 and to jump viciously up for a grip upon our own4 ,we halted4 8,hello1 the house60 called ,somers1 reluctant to dismount because of the dogs4 ,abruptly the light above us went out4 ,we heard a door close somewhere4 ,then the clamor of the hounds lessened1 and presently it ceased4 ,they lowered their tails1 began to sneak away1 as ,i could see through the dusk4 ,and a harsh voice was raised1 so close to us that ,i jumped involuntarily1 and my horse plunged4 8,what's yore business here1 strangers80 ,somers coughed promptly4 8,we're honest travelers10 ,i explained4 8,my nephew here has consumption2 his doctor has sent him into the mountains to live1 and we're hunting a place4 ,can you tell us how to reach ,devil's ,branch80 8,devil's ,branch80 ,the man's voice held a queer1 interrogative note4 8,huh6 ,strike a light1 stranger2 le'me look at you-all4 ,hit's a right onhealthy place for sick folks1 the ,devil's ,branch4 ,uh-huh60 ,i despair of reproducing in print his twanging drawl1 his quaint idiom1 his pronunciations1 so different from the speech of the lowlands1 less than fifty miles away4 ,somers lit a match obediently1 and its flickering light shone on his lean1 sallow face1 exaggerating the hollows of his cheeks1 throwing his bold1 hooked nose into high relief4 8,huh80 asked the mountaineer4 8',member ,i got a bead on you-all agin' th' sky line6 ,are puny lookin'1 hain't yuh80 ,then with renewed suspicion3 8,what you-all lookin' for on ,devil's ,branch80 8,a place to build a cabin10 ,i told him4 8,down1 ,tige60 he said1 as one of the hounds began to yap again4 8,hit's a right cur'us place fer furriners4 ,don't look right t' me1 nohow4 ,huh8 ,hain't my lookout1 no ways2 hit's ,lafe's bus'ness4 ,you-all jus' keep a-goin' up th' ,branch yander an' pass two li'l' runs2 at th' next run don't go no furderer1 but turn up hit an' foller 'long40 8,how far80 8,hit's right smart of a piece--mebbe two set-downs an' a long look4 ,yassuh1 hit's all o' that40 8,and how'll we know when we get there80 ,the mountaineer chuckled4 8,ho1 you-all'll know4 ,ho1 yas6 ,hain't no wonderment 'bout that60 ,i asked another question1 but there was no reply4 ,the man had vanished as silently as he had come2 his long gun barrel no longer showed faintly1 menacing us4 ,i was relieved4 ,we rode on1 our tired horses stumbling and laboring among the loose pebbles1 following directions as best we might in that ,stygian blackness4 ,we passed by the two runs and turned up the third1 which seemed to lead steeply up through a narrow valley1 almost a caon4 ,on either side long1 sharp ridges stood blackly out against the sky4 ,the way grew rougher1 steeper2 the horses stumbled over fallen logs1 brambles tore at our clothing1 unseen branches whipped back and cut smartly across our faces4 ,at last we stopped again1 unable to advance another step through this tangled maze4 ,somers dismounted4 8,looks like we sleep out1 unk10 he remarked1 forced cheerfulness in his tired tones4 8,we're stuck4 ,i wish ,i could lay my hands on ,roaring ,lafe ,rutledge60 ,a deep voice answered him from the bushes4 ,we all started violently1 and ,i think ,i cried out4 8,you kin1 stranger60 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,in ,,the ,,hands ,,of ,,the ,,enemy ,somers turned slowly1 and1 though it was so dark1 ,i could see that his hands were held high4 ,peter and ,i hastened to elevate ours4 8,who are you80 he asked quietly4 8,what do you want80 ,a gruff laugh answered him4 8,you done said my name1 stranger4 ,an' what does you-all want1 an' what fer are ye calling ,roaring ,lafe80 8,doctor ,major1 down in the city1 said you were the man to see10 replied ,somers coolly4 8,my name is ,winters1 ,john ,winters4 ,i've got consumption1 and they sent me into the mountains to live4 ,this is my uncle1 ,george ,winters and ,mr4 ,scott4 ,we want to buy land for a cabin for me1 and ,mr4 ,scott's going to build it40 ,an incredulous grunt replied1 as the bushes crackled1 and a huge shape emerged4 ,straining my eyes through the dark1 ,i made out the pale blur of a white beard1 which the man stroked thoughtfully4 8,don't yuh pay 'em no mind1 ,lafe10 said another voice1 a shrill1 ugly voice1 with a tremor in it4 8,shoot 'em down6 ,them's revenooers60 8,you hark1 ,cal ,col6 ,i aim t' tend my bus'ness my own self4 ,git on them hosses1 you-all1 an' foller me4 ,we-all'll fetch 'em up to th' cabin an' look 'em over there40 ,we obeyed exactly4 ,though ,roaring ,lafe had not thought it necessary even to warn us1 the repeating rifle in his hand was eloquent2 and1 as we spurred after his huge figure1 another man and another broke through the laurel behind us1 until we were flanked and followed by at least half a dozen1 all carrying rifles4 8,in for it now60 said ,peter4 8,shut up60 replied our leader4 ,we went on in silence1 save for the creak of saddle leathers1 the stumbling footfalls of our horses2 the men all about us moved like wraiths1 noiselessly4 ,we mounted a steep grade1 for ,i had to lean forward to keep the saddle2 then we wound through a tangle of laurel and came out into a clearing1 which seemed almost light in contrast with the blackness below4 ,before us loomed the dim outlines of a big log cabin4 ,when we had reached it our captor said3 8,light down1 you-all6 ,git in60 ,he scorned to threaten1 even to warn us1 but his rifle barrel pointed his request4 ,we obeyed without words1 ducked our heads to pass the low lintel1 and entered a bare1 puncheon-floored room1 with a rough stone fireplace at one end4 ,i looked about it curiously1 as at some remembered spot4 ,a rude homemade armchair stood before the fire1 and on a stand beside it rested a gallon jug4 ,there ,roaring ,lafe had sat many and many a night1 year after year1 talking and drinking4 ,in that corner1 perhaps1 ,anne ,christie had huddled1 a tattered1 brown-legged girl beside her mother2 a half-grown maiden1 dreaming her dreams of the 8settlements20 a woman full grown1 dainty and fair1 recalling bitterly her free1 broad life1 which seemed so hopelessly behind her1 and always frightened2 shivering with fear of this hulking1 ignorant1 bullying brute1 ,lafe ,rutledge4 ,it was very pitiful2 it made her story more real1 more terrible in its quiet pathos4 ,my eyes smarted1 and ,i think that ,somers' thoughts must have run in the same channel1 for he faced ,rutledge with a new defiance4 8,now what do you mean10 he demanded1 8by stopping honest folks in this fashion80 ,rutledge grinned1 showing long1 yellow teeth in his beard4 8,w'y1 wa'n't you-all a-wishin' an' a-honin' fer to find ,roarin' ,lafe80 he asked4 8,what do you-all aim to see him about8 ,what's yore bus'ness8 ,speak up1 now60 ,the man called ,cal ,col interrupted again1 his dry eyes darting hither and thither1 his lean features working hungrily4 8,kill 'em1 ,lafe6 ,kill 'em right off6 ,them's revenooers1 ,i tell ye2 hain't no use o' waitin' fer 'em to lie to ye40 ,somers turned upon him fiercely enough3 8,you lie yourself60 ,cal ,col stepped swiftly behind the bulky form of his leader4 8,you le' me be60 he whined4 ,the other mountaineers1 rough1 bearded men in homespun and cowhide boots1 laughed and nudged each other4 ,i judged that ,cal ,col was not a general favorite4 8,hush yo'r yap1 boys6 ,hit hain't healthy fer furriners here on ,devil's ,branch1 stranger4 ',f you got consumption1 ,i shore am sorry fer hit2 but we-all cain't have no furriners up here4 ,hit was a furriner done stoled my gyurl40 ,the craggy1 beetling brows drew down over hot eyes2 ,roaring ,lafe's deep voice grew deeper1 louder1 more unfriendly4 8,you-all kin git1 right now6 ,hank1 guide 'em out an' onto th' trail fer ,azalea4 ,they-all can fetch hit1 come mornin'40 8,but not to-night60 protested ,somers4 8,our horses are beat out40 8,git60 repeated ,rutledge sternly4 ,but now his men began to murmur4 8,look-a-here1 ,lafe60 began the fellow called ,hank4 8,hit hain't safe6 ,mebbe they hain't revenooers1 but they sure kin----0 ,rutledge snorted4 8,hain't got sense60 he replied contemptuously4 8,an' they don't know nothin'40 8,revenooers60 repeated ,cal ,col shrilly4 ,he made a dash at ,peter1 the smallest of us1 and gripped his coat4 8,kill 'em6 ,a-a-a-ah60 ,it was a howl of triumph4 ,for ,peter's coat tore open under that clutch1 and on his vest shone the deputy-sheriff's star which he had forgotten to conceal6 ,the mountaineers growled ominously4 8,sneaks6 ,spies6 ,revenooers60 ,half a dozen menacing rifle barrels thrust out at us4 ,all was lost2 but we would sell our lives as dearly as we might4 ,we whipped out the pistols1 which ,rutledge's contemptuous confidence had left us1 and stood with backs to the wall4 ,the door burst open1 and ,ralph ,satterfield dashed in1 panting4 8,lafe6 ,hank6 ,all here8 ,lissen1 fellers1 it's all up60 ,he paused in wonder at the tableau2 then a malevolent grin plucked at his piratical mustache4 8,well1 dog my cats6 ,you-all got 'em a'ready6 ,lissen1 ,lafe1 them fellers is spies6 ,they bin watchin' an' doggin' round an' seen us handlin' that liquor an' run straight t' ,raleigh las' night to squeal6 ,hull revenue bunch'll be onto our necks directly4 ,an' they come up here60 he exclaimed1 with gloating malice4 8,ain't that nice1 huh8 ,kill 'em60 ,roaring ,lafe gestured the rifles aside1 and beneath the shaggy brows his eyes flamed coldly4 8,git back60 he said4 ,i saw how he had earned his title4 8,git back6 ,le' me settle this here60 ,the cabin echoed to his roar4 ,he advanced upon us1 alone1 empty-handed4 ,his fierce old eyes glowed1 his thick beard fairly bristled with inhuman rage4 ,on he came1 full in the face of ,somers' leveled pistol1 heeding it no more than a pointed finger4 ,there was something terrible1 superhuman1 in that slow1 implacable advance4 ,the power of the man shone out2 ,i tasted to the full that paralyzing fear ,anne ,christie had tried to voice4 ,i felt that this huge old man was invulnerable1 unconquerable2 his absolute certainty beat down my will4 ,i suppose a rabbit feels thus1 watching the advance of a stoat2 a bird1 charmed by some venomous snake1 could be no more helpless than ,i was then4 ,despite me1 the pistol barrel dropped4 ,i could not resist2 he had only to stretch out his hand4 ,beside me ,peter's face showed white and slack2 beads of perspiration shone on it4 ,his hands dropped nervelessly4 ,but ,somers grinned4 8,i'd hate to shoot my father-in-law10 he drawled1 8but----0 8,you needn't10 said a dry1 quiet voice from without4 8,hands up1 all6 ,you're covered60 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,rutledge ,,talks ,the mountain men whirled4 ,roaring ,lafe ceased his advance to look over a burly shoulder4 ,in the doorway of the cabin stood the quiet1 gray man1 the revenue agent4 ,beside and behind him were armed men2 rifle barrels bristled in all of the shack's windows4 ,the moonshiners were surrounded1 outnumbered1 helpless4 ,with one accord they dropped their guns and raised resigned hands above their heads1 all but ,roaring ,lafe4 ,bellowing1 he sprang toward the door1 the window1 only to turn back from ready gun muzzles4 ,then his bearded face horribly contorted1 his foam-flecked lips twitched back from long1 yellow teeth1 and he sprang full at ,somers' throat4 8,i'll tote yuh to death along of me1 anyhow10 he said4 8,you spyin' sneak60 ,the revenue agent cried out1 and ,i sprang forward4 ,but in that crowded room none dared shoot1 for the mountaineers milled already1 crouching for a dash4 ,i hovered over the whirling bulk of the raging moonshiner1 seeking to fire without endangering ,somers' lank1 convulsively thrashing limbs4 ,it was over in an instant4 ,the slender physician1 overwhelmed1 fell sprawling1 apparently helpless1 his left hand feeling along the other's huge arm4 ,a mere touch1 it seemed1 upon that mass of muscle1 a strangled roar1 and ,rutledge's right arm dropped helplessly4 ,somers twisted in his grip and freed a hand still holding the heavy pistol1 which ,anne ,christie had given him4 ,i gasped4 ,but he did not fire4 ,instead1 the pistol's lying barrel tapped his huge adversary neatly across the base of the skull1 and ,roaring ,lafe ,rutledge relaxed4 ,his great arms all abroad1 he settled slowly upon his back1 inert as a pole-axed steer4 ,the physician rose1 feeling gingerly of his throat4 8,it's all in knowing where to hit 'em10 he said hoarsely4 ,the captured mountaineers eyed him admiringly4 8,well1 dog my cats60 exclaimed the man called ,hank4 8,fust time ever ,i seed anybody best ,roarin' ,lafe6 ,i wouldn't 'a' believed it40 8,come1 men10 ordered the government agent briskly4 8,round these fellows up and search 'em4 ,you1 ,bailey1 ,gaines1 and ,lipkowitz1 stick around4 ,we've made a clean sweep1 ,i think2 but pick up anybody else who comes in here1 and in the morning destroy that still4 ,you know where it is1 ,gaines1 and now come along down4 ,you can ride the horses tied outside there4 ,somers1 you and your friends had better come with us40 ,the revenue men moved swiftly4 ,soon a little heap of pistols and knives lay on the floor beside the guns dropped by their prisoners4 8,take charge of these weapons1 ,bailey10 ordered the chief again4 8,you others1 rope these chaps and come along40 ,it was done forthwith1 and we all set out1 the gray-haired man in front1 carrying an electric belt lamp1 behind him the seven prisoners in single file1 the right wrist of each handcuffed4 ,each empty cuff was knotted to a long rope at four-foot intervals1 so that they made a long line1 fastened securely together4 ,revenue officers with ready rifles marched on either side1 while ,somers1 ,peter1 and ,i dragged wearily behind4 ,i soon saw why the prisoners were fastened thus oddly1 for we plunged straight down the mountainside1 on foot1 in a long line4 ,the slope was so steep that we all had to clutch at the close-growing trees1 climbing as if down a steep ladder4 ,the prisoners made heavy weather of it2 their shackled arms were hampered1 and the rope1 which bound them together1 was continually catching and retarding them4 ,but1 with both hands secured1 they could never have negotiated that dizzying slant2 and1 unless all had been fastened together1 one or more would surely have been able to make an escape on that dark1 wooded mountainside which they knew so well4 ,as it was1 after what seemed an age of sliding and scrambling down grades1 which just missed being perpendicular1 we reached a little clearing on comparatively level ground1 all breathless and scratched1 our clothes half torn off4 ,we had come ten miles1 ,i suppose4 ,already dawn was gray in the east1 and ,i1 for one1 was exhausted4 ,i hailed the motor cars which awaited us with a prayer of silent thanksgiving4 ,my comrades seemed almost as tired as ,i1 and the gray-haired revenue agent turned a drawn1 haggard face to the early light4 8,we're well out of that60 he said4 8,a couple more hours up there might have seen an attempt at rescue4 ,roaring ,lafe has plenty of friends on the mountain40 ,rutledge had preserved a somber silence ever since he returned to consciousness4 ,he stood with bent head1 his magnificent physique apparently unwearied by our forced march4 ,now and again he turned a queer1 almost admiring look upon ,somers4 ,he did not reply to the government man's remark1 but the fellow called ,cal ,col laughed jeeringly4 8,yah60 he said4 8,lafe ,rutledge hain't got no friends in th' mountains now1 no more'n he has kinfolks6 ,they's plenty will be glad that he's done cotched--roarin' an bullyin' round like he done60 ,his snaky eyes were filled with malevolence4 8,shut up60 ordered one of his guards and slapped him across the sneering mouth4 ,i think we were all disgusted by his haste to vilify his fallen leader4 8,yessir1 cap'n1 ,i kin tell you-all lots o' things4 ,i'd have turned up all this moonshinin' an' blockadin' meanness long ago1 on'y ,i done bin a-scaret o' ,lafe ,rutledge40 ,he fawned upon the government man1 crooked teeth showing in a repulsive1 insinuating smile4 ,rutledge smiled bitterly1 but did not speak4 ,i wondered what his thoughts might be2 if he regretted now that he had once tried to force his stepdaughter into a marriage with this--this reptile8 ,at the end of a rough wagon track stood three motor cars1 a couple of flivvers and a light express truck1 covered with wire gratings at either end4 ,into this the officers urged their prisoners1 still bound together1 and padlocked the grated door behind them4 ,the truck made a tolerable substitute for a ,black ,maria1 even if its passengers had to seat themselves upon the floor4 ,an armed man took his place beside its driver and faced backward to watch the prisoners4 8,drive on1 ,brownell10 ordered the gray man4 8,and1 remember1 you in there1 we're coming right behind1 with half a dozen rifles trained on that truck every minute60 ,we three piled into one of the flivvers1 and the rest of the government men followed1 filling every seat1 clinging precariously to the running boards4 ,that was a wild drive down the mountainside1 though we went slowly enough1 perforce4 ,but there was no more than a track1 rough and uneven1 winding among stumps and fallen trees2 huge roots and boulders lay athwart it1 so that we were shaken like corn in a popper1 and ,i wondered how these cars had ever been made to climb so high1 when the going down seemed about to wreck them at every turn4 ,the mountaineers1 huddled on the floor of that truck1 must have suffered cruelly1 with no seats to which they might cling2 but no murmur escaped them4 ,only ,cal ,col kept up a constant wail1 until the man nearest him struck him heavily across the mouth1 silencing him effectually4 ,at last we were down1 without having broken either a spring or any of our bones1 and by seven o'clock our odd procession pulled up before the ,asheville city prison4 ,the government agent clambered stiffly out4 8,i'll make a deal with the chief of police to take care of these birds until we can bring them before the commissioner10 said he4 8,doctor ,somers1 ,i'm greatly obliged to you and your friends4 ,it was risky1 of course1 to use you men as decoys1 but1 thanks to you1 we caught the whole gang together4 ,you brought in their sentinels for us1 and we had a clear field4 ,you might have been killed1 of course1 but it came out very well4 ,can ,i do anything in return80 ,somers nodded4 8,why1 yes4 ,you can turn that man ,rutledge over to me1 as a regularly appointed deputy sheriff of ,carabas ,county4 ,he's wanted over there4 ,i'll get a warrant first and serve it4 ,you'll keep him safe until then80 ,the other bowed a grim head4 8,oh1 yes1 and for the next twenty years1 at least60 ,while we talked1 the prisoners were being unloaded1 to the curious delight of a rapidly gathering crowd4 ,old ,rutledge descended ponderously1 his eyes upon ,somers4 ,meeting that odd1 almost friendly regard1 the lanky doctor started4 8,here1 man10 he said excitedly4 8,you can do this3 ,give me a chance for a quiet talk with ,rutledge now4 ,maybe ,i can get something out of him40 ,the revenue agent agreed readily1 and in ten minutes we faced the huge mountaineer in the little office of the jail4 ,a stalwart officer stood on either side of him1 pistol in hand2 for ,roaring ,lafe was too notorious to be guarded carelessly4 ,doctor ,somers leaned toward him impulsively4 8,look here1 ,rutledge6 ,there's a friend of mine in jail1 over there in ,pinelands1 waiting his trial4 ,he was married the other day1 and his bride is waiting for him1 crying her eyes out4 ,you're an old man2 won't you help them80 ,the moonshiner looked back at him squarely1 his bright old eyes curiously wistful and soft4 8,i hain't havin' no truck 'ith furriners10 he answered slowly1 8but ,i'll do whut ,i kin for you1 stranger4 ,yore th' fust one ever bested ,roaring ,lafe yit2 ,i cain't tell now how yuh done hit4 ,whut kin ,i do80 8,confess60 said ,somers swiftly4 8,you might as well2 we've got you anyway4 ,confess1 and let poor old ,parker out now1 instead of keeping him until you're tried40 ,rutledge laughed hoarsely4 8,confess8 ,w'y1 stranger1 hain't no need o' me confessing hardly4 ,they done cotched me1 still an' all60 8,yes1 for blockading1 ,i know1 but not for murder40 8,murder8 ,what-all ye talkin' 'bout1 stranger8 ,i ain't done no killin' meanness--not in ,carabas ,county40 8,i'm talking about the murder of ,doctor ,gaskell10 said ,somers impatiently4 8,don't try to pretend you don't know that6 ,we can prove it on you1 only it'll take longer40 ,roaring ,lafe stared at us4 8,but ,i hain't done no killin' in ,pinelands10 he repeated4 8,i'm a-tellin' ye th' truth1 stranger10 he declared1 not without a certain rude dignity4 8,don't ye go fer t' call ,lafe ,rutledge a liar1 suh60 ,and then1 seeing our puzzlement1 he leaned forward confidentially4 8,i'll tell ye10 he said hoarsely4 8,i'll tell you-all th' whole thing4 ,i did aim for t' kill ,gaskell1 account o' this here40 ,his wide gesture indicated his guards1 his handcuffs1 the jail4 8,he done found out more'n he'd oughter1 an' ,i sont word ,satterfield was t' fix 'im1 lessen he sh'd do whut he done4 ,an' 'en ,i come down t' ,pinelands my own se'f4 ,we'd had dealin's oncet1 ,gaskell an' me1 an' ,i didn't aim t' do no meanness lessen ,i jist hadda4 ,i went to 'is house1 an' ,i done sont 'im word to tell ,i aimed t' settle 'ith him come sunup4 ,an' ,i went to his house that night1 aimin' for to waylay 'im1 come mornin'1 like ,i said4 ,satterfield was there1 an' ,i sont 'im back1 aimin' t' do th' job my own self4 ,well1 after while--long mebbe a hour afore sunup--out come ,gaskell 'ith 'is doctor bag an' sot out th'oo th' pines acrost th' big road4 ,i follered after 'im1 'ith my pistol gun ready4 ,he traveled 'long th'oo them pines an' into th' bresh1 an' me after 'im1 ontwel ,i--,i seen th' ha'nt4 ,an' 'en ,i lit out a-runnin'4 ,yessuh60 ,he stopped1 curiously shamefaced1 and stared at ,somers1 with a sort of sulky defiance4 8,you--you saw a haunt--a ghost80 8,uh-huh60 ,the tough-souled old reprobate nodded violently1 so that his patriarchal beard wagged again4 8,yassuh6 ,i seen th' ha'nt1 all white1 like in a shroud1 an' blue smoke like brimstone 'round about1 an' eyes a-flamin' dreadful--an' ,i shore did light a shuck outa there4 ,gentlemen1 hush6 ,i don't aim t' have no truck 'ith ghosteses40 ,his big1 bold face was all twisted with superstitious awe2 the hand which clutched his beard was trembling4 ,there could be no doubt that he spoke the truth4 ,whatever loose newspaper or waving sheet had wrought upon his ignorant fancy1 he was fully convinced that he had encountered a spirit1 and had been driven by it from his intended crime4 8,and you didn't shoot ,gaskell8 ,did you see anybody else there8 ,was ,satterfield gone80 8,nossuh--yassuh4 ,i aimed fer to shoot 'im1 but ,i plumb didn't6 ,i jist tuck my foot in my hand an' lit a-runnin'4 ,ner ,i didn't see nobody1 neither4 ,i didn't look round1 lessen th' ha'nt was a-follerin' of me2 but ,satterfield1 he'd done gone back up th' hill long afore that40 ,somers groaned aloud4 ,i could have wept4 ,weary as ,i was1 ,i had been buoyed up by hope until now4 ,i had borne with all this strain and fatigue1 exulting within myself that now1 at last1 ,lewis would be freed4 ,this blow was too much4 ,the room whirled before me2 ,somers' face blurred1 grew monstrously big1 then receded from my sight4 ,i heard his voice faintly3 8,well1 then1 in ,heaven's name1 who did kill ,gaskell80 ,rutledge's reply sounded fainter yet1 a hoarse whisper1 trembling with superstitious dread4 8,i reckon hit musta been th' ha'nt60 8,the ghost60 ,somers' voice was reflective1 almost convinced4 8,i believe you're right1 ,rutledge2 it must have been the ghost60 ,the words seemed to come from an immense distance2 they rang in my ears like a knell4 8,poor ,somers60 ,i thought4 8,he's gone crazy2 he's off his head about this thing1 just like the rest of us60 ,then ,i lost consciousness4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,the ,,return ,i woke with a start1 in a strange room1 staring about me in dull wonder4 ,oh1 well1 it was scarcely daylight1 and ,i was still tired out4 ,i would go back to sleep and save my questions until breakfast time4 ,i turned over1 yawning1 but a familiar voice dragged me back from slumber4 8,get up1 unk60 ,it was ,peter ,mc,gregor4 8,you'll have to get going2 train leaves in an hour40 ,again ,i yawned4 8,what time is it80 8,seven o'clock40 ,then he laughed at my exclamation4 8,no1 unk1 seven at night4 ,you've only slept twelve hours4 ,hurry up1 now1 we've got to be back in ,pinelands by morning40 ,reluctantly enough ,i rose1 every stiff old joint aching1 and tumbled into my clothes4 ,peter and ,doctor ,somers were dressed and throwing their few belongings into traveling bags4 ,presently we set out for the ,asheville station and the eight-fifteen train1 which would take us to ,raleigh1 a silent1 disconsolate trio1 as much at sea as on the morning of ,doctor ,gaskell's mysterious murder4 ,we had followed trail after trail with such high hopes2 our suspicions had pointed here and there2 and each suspect had cleared himself4 ,i groaned aloud as we three sat in the ,pullman smoking room4 8,all we really know1 up to date10 said ,i1 8is that ,gaskell left his house1 and was killed an hour before ,lewis came out there40 ,somers nodded4 8,even that is going to be hard to prove10 he answered gloomily4 8,one point rests on the unsupported word of a notorious blockader1 a fellow more than suspected of one murder1 and now under arrest for making moonshine whisky4 ,vanbrugh will tear his evidence into tatters1 even if he'll testify4 ,and the other point3 that ,gaskell had been dead some time when ,parker fired2 it rests on your word alone4 ,and you'll have to admit yourself that you were pretty well upset40 8,maybe ,rutledge killed him1 after all10 ,i suggested weakly4 8,i doubt it4 ,and1 even if he did1 we can't prove it4 ,we can't prove he even saw ,gaskell that morning1 except by his own statement1 which wouldn't go far in law40 ,peter leaned forward1 scowling4 8,look here10 he began4 8,now don't get sore1 unk2 promise8 ,because1 even if he did1 ,i'm for him all the way1 and no doubt he had provocation we know nothing about4 ,but have you thought that maybe ,lewis did kill him1 after all8 ,no0--as ,i would have gone over the evidence once more--8no1 ,i don't mean then1 when you heard the shot4 ,but he might have gone out there at four o'clock2 it was quite light1 even at that time1 and he might have met ,gaskell and shot him4 ,then he was scared1 of course1 and he went to the house and cleaned his gun and reloaded it and came back at five1 meaning1 no doubt1 to pretend he'd just found the body4 ,he'd have said he just got up1 and1 when he went into that tangle after the quail1 he found ,gaskell's body by the path1 dead and cold4 ,his gun would be clean1 both barrels loaded1 and nobody'd have suspected him4 ,but1 when he got out there1 he tripped1 and the gun went off by accident2 that's the way it happened1 you said yourself1 unk4 ,and the constable just happened to be coming past and heard it1 and there he was60 8,nonsense60 said ,i4 8,that's absurd40 ,but was it8 ,i had to admit to myself that it was an adequate explanation1 that it fitted most diabolically into all we knew about the case4 ,i closed my eyes2 ,i could see the whole thing4 ,lewis1 gun in hand1 prowling through the dawn after quail2 ,gaskell meeting him on the path1 carrying his medicine case2 the quarrel4 ,there would have been hot words2 my nephew had not forgotten his anger of the day before4 ,a sneering laugh1 perhaps1 as the older man lost patience2 ,lewis' unruly temper flaming forth2 the shotgun in his nervous hands1 leveling itself2 the explosion6 ,and then my poor1 impulsive boy1 shuddering at the sight of a bleeding body2 creeping stealthily through the bushes1 cleaning and reloading the gun with hands that shook2 waiting for the body of his victim to stiffen2 whipping round the old house to advance boldly down that fateful path--with what inward tremors and self-loathings6 ,he comes on slowly1 looking for the body2 it should be about here4 ,and then a stumble2 the shotgun1 forgotten in his unsteady hands1 the finger tightening involuntarily upon its trigger2 the second shot6 ,and upon its heels an outcry1 the pounding run of ,constable ,wakefield2 the accusation6 ,no wonder ,lewis had seemed dazed6 ,he must have thought it retribution1 the accidental discharge of his gun bringing back upon him all the public guilt he had sought so cunningly to conceal4 ,and then ,i shook my head stubbornly4 ,lewis ,parker do that8 ,no6 ,he was my nephew1 almost my son2 ,i knew him as ,i knew myself4 8,nonsense60 ,i repeated sturdily4 8,my boy never did such a thing as that4 ,he might have killed ,gaskell in the heat of passion1 but he never sneaked and hid afterward1 or plotted out such a scheme as that to escape4 ,i don't--,i won't believe it60 8,i sure do hope you're right1 unk10 said ,peter heavily4 8,but it does seem beastly logical40 ,it did4 ,it was fiendishly1 horribly logical4 ,i could see that if such an idea occurred to ,vanbrugh1 the solicitor1 the poor defense we could proffer would become a boomerang to destroy us4 ,for1 on the face of it1 we could make the killing appear an accident1 perhaps2 at the worst an impulsive1 unpremeditated act4 ,but this other1 this sneaking off to reload and returning to discover the body--this cunning scheme frustrated1 as ,vanbrugh would make it appear1 by the accidental discharge of the gun--why1 it made my nephew a cold1 deliberate murderer6 ,shuddering ,i recalled my dream of the explosion of that cannon in my bedroom4 ,that must have been the first shot1 the shot which had killed ,gaskell6 ,had ,lewis pulled the trigger8 ,all this while ,somers had sat silent1 chin in his long1 bony hands1 a cigarette drooping from his sour1 discontented lips4 ,i turned to him impatiently4 8,what do you think1 ,somers8 ,you know my nephew2 is he capable of such a thing as that80 ,the lanky physician raised his head and stared at me with deep-set1 inscrutable1 gray-green eyes4 8,i told you this morning10 he replied4 8,from all we've found out ,i'm beginning to believe it was the ghost killed ,gaskell40 ,and his chin dropped again4 ,well1 there was little enough satisfaction in that6 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,an ,,agitated ,,household ,we descended from the train at the ,pinelands depot into a bright1 sunny morning4 ,and1 even above the throbbing of the train1 the sighing of released air brakes1 ,i heard the strident cry of those detestable quail4 ,i shook my fist in a paroxysm of unreasonable fury4 ,those cursed bobwhite6 ,if it hadn't been for them and ,aunt ,mary's fool complaints1 this thing would never have happened4 ,we climbed into the station's solitary jitney and had ourselves driven to ,fort ,house4 ,the family were all at table4 ,entering the dining room1 my eyes fell first upon ,miss ,mc,gregor2 and ,i was appalled4 ,her thin face1 beneath the crown of snowy hair1 was ghastly1 greenish pale1 and the delicate skin hung in bags beneath her eyes4 ,she had changed startlingly in these last two days4 ,poor old woman6 ,she was not long for this world1 ,i thought4 ,then my thoughts were interrupted by glad1 agitated outcries4 ,dorothy fell upon my neck1 weeping1 and clutched me tight2 and ,anne ,christie1 usually so self-contained1 hugged me1 too1 and ran on to grip ,doctor ,somers by both hands4 8,oh1 ,uncle ,george60 exclaimed ,dorothy4 8,oh1 ,peter60 ,and she put out a hand to him4 8,we're so glad you came1 so glad you're back1 all three of you6 ,it's been just terrible here60 ,miss ,christie nodded emphatically1 and they both wept and hugged us all and dragged us into the dining room and seated us4 ,they were both talking at once1 tremulously1 frantically glad of our coming4 ,and all this while ,aunt ,mary sat1 rigid1 staring at nothing1 her face terribly white and old1 too much absorbed in her own gloomy thoughts to be either glad or sorry we had returned4 ,but every time the quail whistled outside the windows1 she flinched visibly4 8,now1 then10 ,i began1 as the tumult subsided a trifle1 8what's all the excitement about8 ,and where's ,rosina80 ,for ,dorothy herself had gone to the kitchen for our coffee and ,miss ,christie was bringing in the toast4 ,at that the babble recommenced4 8,rosina's gone--left this morning4 ,said she couldn't stand it here4 ,too many #8ha'nts and ghostesses' for her10 the girls answered1 both talking at once4 8,and1 oh1 how ,i wish we could all go6 ,it's been just terrible60 8,hold on10 said ,somers1 and the two girls subsided momentarily4 8,one thing at a time4 ,first1 let us assure you1 ,miss ,mc,gregor1 that you won't be annoyed because we came back4 ,the gentlemen1 who would have liked to abolish us1 are all safe in jail40 8,oh1 goody6 ,then ,lewis is all right80 ,dorothy glowed at the idea4 ,somers nodded4 8,he'll be all right10 he replied evasively4 ,miss ,christie had turned pale4 8,and my--my stepfather80 8,yes1 ,anne1 ,rutledge1 too4 ,he can't trouble you now40 8,and did he----0 8,no1 it wasn't ,rutledge1 but he told me where to look4 ,however1 that will keep4 ,now tell us1 you first1 ,anne1 what's wrong here80 ,the nurse began obediently4 8,it's the ,poltergeist4 ,we've just been frightened to death6 ,night before last and last night1 too1 all over the house4 ,miss ,mc,gregor had sent me out1 and ,i was in the living room with ,dorothy1 and we heard awful shrieks from the basement4 ,we ran down there1 and the ,poltergeist had been in ,rosina's room and pulled the bedclothes off her and stuck pins into her legs1 and everything4 ,and this morning ,rosina packed up and left1 two hours ago4 ,wouldn't stay to get breakfast1 even40 8,that was last night10 ,dorothy took up the tale4 8,on the previous night the ,poltergeist was in my room and smeared cold cream all over my dresser and emptied my powder box into the clothes-press and s-stole my wedding dress and s-stuck it in the f-furnace4 ,it's just r-ruined and spoiled6 ,i don't believe any other body ever had such a time60 8,and we're all so frightened--so s-scared that we were just saying if you men didn't come back--if you-all left us alone any longer1 we'd go to the hotel to-night60 ,thus the duet continued4 8,humph60 said ,somers queerly4 8,ghosts again4 ,perhaps this ,poltergeist isn't as harmless as you said1 when ,i first came down here4 ,so it visited ,rosina and you1 ,dorothy4 ,how about you1 ,anne8 ,did you come in for its attentions80 ,the nurse nodded1 big-eyed4 8,i sat in the living room last night after ,dorothy got me up4 ,she was afraid to go back to bed and we sat in there and dozed off1 ,i reckon4 ,anyway the first ,i knew ,i was right on the floor6 ,the ,poltergeist had pulled my chair out from under me1 and ,dorothy never saw a thing1 either60 8,not one thing60 ,dorothy corroborated4 8,but then ,i expect ,i was asleep1 too4 ,we're all just used up1 ,doctor ,somers4 ,nobody in this house has had two hours of sleep in the last two nights1 unless it was ,aunt ,mary40 8,humph6 ,and where was ,miss ,mc,gregor when all these things happened80 ,all this while ,aunt ,mary had sat mute1 stonily calm1 showing neither pleasure nor annoyance at our return1 apparently quite uninterested in the pranks of the ,poltergeist4 ,but now she straightened1 with a queer1 hostile glance at the physician4 8,where was ,i80 she asked4 8,where could ,i be8 ,i lay helpless in bed1 where ,i'd been put1 as a poor old paralytic has to6 ,lay there all alone1 forgotten1 as usual6 ,i suppose10 she went on acidly1 8,i should have risen on my poor1 useless limbs and run out to protect three perfectly healthy women80 8,and did the ,poltergeist annoy you1 too80 8,never mind6 ,who cares what happens to me8 ,i'm nothing but a helpless cripple1 a drag and a hindrance40 ,her white lips worked pitifully4 8,but ,i won't trouble anybody much longer40 ,i believed her this time2 she looked ghastly4 ,and ,i pitied her sincerely1 in spite of her callous selfishness1 her bitter tongue4 ,doctor ,somers pushed back his plate and rose4 8,you've had a bad time10 he said1 taking the old lady's veined hand4 8,does your spine trouble you much to-day8 ,how are the knots in your neck80 ,his voice was inimitably gentle1 sympathetic1 winning4 ,aunt ,mary softened to it at once1 and1 after he had wheeled her into the sitting room1 discussed her ailments for an hour or more in quite her usual manner4 ,the strain of her pale face lessened2 a faint color returned to her lips4 ,if this were ,doctor ,somers' bedside manner1 ,i thought1 he must be a most successful practitioner4 ,gradually he led the talk from ,aunt ,mary's symptoms and drew her on to discuss the ,poltergeist and spiritualism generally4 ,the old lady expressed very positive opinions4 ,she had read widely on the subject1 ,i could see1 and her talk was interesting enough4 ,but what ,somers' sudden interest in spiritism might be1 ,i could not fathom4 ,presently he spoke of the ouija board4 8,i have one10 said the old lady4 8,i've had many very important communications through ouija40 ,next1 ,i scarcely know how it was brought about1 she had volunteered to give us a demonstration4 ,miss ,christie fetched the ouija board and set it upon her knees4 ,blindfolded1 ,aunt ,mary put her finger tips on the little three-legged indicator1 and ,somers1 also blinded1 followed suit4 ,they sat there1 knee to knee1 motionless4 8,some one put a question10 directed the old lady sepulchrally4 8,who--who spoiled my wedding dress80 asked ,dorothy1 a little thrill in her voice4 ,under our eyes the indicator began to move slowly1 mysteriously1 apparently of its own volition4 ,leaning over my shoulder1 ,dorothy read the letters it pointed out to the blindfolded operators4 8,p-,o-,l-,t-,e----,why1 ,uncle ,george60 ,her excited breath fanned my cheek4 8,it's spelling #8,poltergeist6'0 ,and so it did4 ,and the queer1 superstitious thrill of the unexplained caught hold of us all4 ,we breathed quicker1 impressed in spite of ourselves4 8,why does the ,poltergeist trouble us80 asked ,miss ,christie4 ,slowly1 mysteriously1 the ouija board answered4 ,the pointer moved from one letter to another deliberately1 surely1 as though guided by intelligence instead of by the finger tips of two blindfolded people1 of whom one1 at least1 was surely a skeptic4 8,b-,e-,c-,a-,u-,s-,e ,o-,f ,c-,r-,i-,m-,e10 it spelled4 8,oh-h60 gasped ,dorothy4 8,aunty1 quick6 ,ask it who killed ,doctor ,gaskell80 ,the old lady sat rigid1 motionless as a marble statue and as pale4 ,the pointer moved1 hesitated1 moved again4 ,her stiffened arms began to tremble4 ,then suddenly1 from beyond the window1 came the strident1 insistent call of a quail3 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 ,aunt ,mary screamed4 ,her hands flew up1 clawing at the bandage about her head4 8,i--,i can't stand it60 she exclaimed4 8,it's driving me mad6 ,oh1 oh1 oh60 ,her voice rose in a crescendo of agony4 8,that noise--that noise--it's killing me60 ,she drooped in her wheel chair1 head on a shoulder1 translucent eyelids flickering down1 unconscious4 8,humph60 said ,somers coolly4 8,she's fainted this time40 ,he felt her pulse1 lifted her fallen eyelids to peer at her pupils1 tapped her knees4 ,she moved convulsively4 8,get water1 ,anne4 ,we'd better lay her down4 ,no1 she's coming round all right40 ,aunt ,mary opened tragic eyes4 8,wh-what happened8 ,oh1 ,i know6 ,if ,i have to listen to those horrible birds any longer ,i'll die60 8,i'll see to that10 said ,somers4 8,but now you'd better go back to bed4 ,you're badly upset2 ,i'll just examine you a bit2 then ,i'll know just what to do40 ,that did not suit1 either4 8,no60 she answered1 almost screaming4 8,no1 no1 no6 ,get back1 get away1 don't touch me6 ,i won't have it--,i won't be examined--,i won't1 ,i won't6 ,you've been against me every minute1 ever since you came10 she went on wildly4 8,you shan't touch me1 ,i tell you60 ,in her excitement she heaved herself up by her arms1 half rising in her chair1 as if to flee4 ,but her legs failed her1 and she dropped back1 panting1 helplessly defiant4 8,don't dare to touch me60 she repeated4 8,humph60 said ,doctor ,somers1 rubbing his chin4 8,certainly not1 dear lady4 ,don't distress yourself4 ,i won't come near you at all4 ,but ,i can do one thing to help you1 anyhow4 ,i'll borrow a shotgun to-day1 and in the morning after breakfast ,peter and ,i will go out together and kill those quail1 so they can't trouble you any more4 ,they must have nested in the bushes back there40 ,the old lady looked at him more kindly2 but both girls cried out at this offer4 8,oh1 no60 said ,dorothy4 8,oh1 please don't60 implored the nurse4 8,look what happened when ,doctor ,parker started to do that4 ,he got into just terrible trouble60 ,somers only laughed and rose4 8,i'll run down and see ,parker10 said he4 8,you'd better lie down1 ,miss ,mc,gregor40 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,a ,,borrowed ,,shotgun ,i decided to accompany the physician1 though my night on the sleeper had left me pretty tired4 ,but ,i wanted to see ,lewis2 so we got out the faithful flivver and drove downtown4 8,hope the old chap's been well looked after10 said ,somers4 8,i left the key with ,wakefield before we went4 ,but no doubt ,dorothy's been there every day40 ,we stopped at the constable's house1 got the lockup key1 and went on to the jail4 ,poor ,lewis looked ill1 ,i thought4 ,confinement was wearing on his high spirits2 his greeting1 though hearty enough1 was subdued4 ,we told him of our trip to the mountains1 and its negative result4 ,he shook his head hopelessly4 8,mighty good of you both1 but it was no use4 ,nothing's any use now2 ,i can feel it2 ,i know it6 ,some dreadful fate is against me2 ,i'm doomed4 ,they'll convict me of this murder as surely as ,i sit here40 8,lewis10 said ,i impulsively1 8,peter suggested that perhaps you did kill ,gaskell at four o'clock1 then cleaned the gun and came back1 meaning to pretend to discover the body4 ,you--you didn't do that80 ,he smiled sadly4 8,you see8 ,even ,peter believes ,i did it4 ,and you had your doubts1 unk4 ,there's no hope for me--none at all4 ,no1 ,uncle ,george1 ,i didn't do that4 ,if ,i shot ,gaskell at all1 it was just as ,i told you3 at five o'clock1 and by accident4 ,i didn't even know he was there40 8,buck up1 ,parker10 said ,somers4 8,things are beginning to look bright for you40 ,just vague optimism1 ,i thought2 and so did ,lewis4 ,but before he could reply some one knocked on the jail door4 ,i unlocked it1 and ,wakefield appeared1 escorting the sheriff4 8,howdy1 people6 ,mr4 ,uhlman1 ,i hear you-all was up to the hills recent80 ,i nodded2 and in response to his keen questioning1 ,somers and ,i told him all that had transpired there4 8,h'm10 said he reflectively1 fingering his absurd white mustache4 8,h'm6 ,so ,satterfield an' ,roarin' ,lafe was thereabouts 'at mornin'8 ,yeah1 ,i kinda s'picioned them two4 ,y' see1 ,gaskell come t' me 'bout th' cawn-liquor trade2 it was me sent word t' ,raleigh on his say-so4 ,yeah1 ,i kinda reckoned mebbe one or other o' them two mighta done 'at killin'4 ,but they claimed it wa'n't neither of 'em done it1 an' you-all believed 'em both1 huh8 ,h'm6 ,i done studied about this here killin' a right smart1 one time an' another4 ,i reckoned ,vanbrugh was all wrong4 ,h'm6 ,well1 gentlemen1 ,i reckon you-all ain't a-goin' t' need them depitty stars no longer4 ,y' see th' county jail's 'bout fixed now4 ,oh1 they's a right smart o' work left--kinda sorry-lookin' place yit1 all scorched1 but ,i reckon we better carry ,doc ,parker over yonder ag'in4 ,h'm6 ,i better take them stars4 ,you-all c'n tell young ,mc,gregor he's resigned2 he ain't a depitty no more4 ,he c'n turn in his badge to-morrow4 ,rufe here c'n keep 'at lockup key1 an' ,i'll send a reg'lar depitty over t' keep him comp'ny an' carry th' doc t' jail ag'in to-morrow mornin'4 ,h'm6 ,good day60 ,he nodded slightly and waddled out4 ,lewis sighed dispiritedly4 8,you see1 unk6 ,redden was inclined to think me innocent until now4 ,he's been mighty decent4 ,i suppose he thought the bootleggers killed ,gaskell1 and was working quietly along that line2 now he thinks ,i did it4 ,did you see him look at me8 ,and ,i'm to be treated like any other prisoner awaiting trial40 ,we left him4 ,after all1 what comfort had we to offer8 ,doctor ,somers called after the retiring constable4 8,oh1 ,wakefield6 ,say1 ,rufe1 got a shotgun you'll lend me80 ,the big man nodded slowly4 8,w'y1 yes1 doc10 he replied amicably4 ,it was strange how ,pinelands had adopted ,somers2 already he was intimate with half the town and every one liked him1 as did this huge1 timorous1 boastful constable4 8,w'y shore1 ,i gotta gun--kind of a one1 leastways4 ,jist let me lock up1 and ,i'll git 'er1 'f you-all'll carry me home40 ,after a few minutes we returned to ,fort ,house1 ,somers holding in the crook of one long arm a dilapidated double-barreled shotgun4 8,not much to look at1 as ,rufe admitted10 he remarked1 displaying the weapon4 8,but ,i guess she'll shoot1 and ,peter's got lots of shells40 ,it was a dubious-looking affair1 whose stock had been split and wound with tape and wire1 both about the grip and above the lock1 where its barrels were hinged4 ,somers broke it and peered down the barrels4 8,a bit rusty10 he announced and snapped the barrels into place4 ,they dropped promptly back4 8,and the catch doesn't work properly4 ,i'll have to watch out1 or the old thing'll break when ,i fire it1 and ,i'll get beaned4 ,but it will do1 ,i expect40 ,we went on into the house4 ,aunt ,mary was nowhere in sight1 but the two girls fastened upon us at once1 demanding full details of our trip4 8,we didn't dare say much about it before ,aunt ,mary10 explained ,dorothy4 8,she acts so queer when we talk about the murder1 and ,peter is so aggravating4 ,he just keeps saying3 #8,wait2 let ,somers tell it4 ,he was the hero6' ,so go ahead1 doctor1 and tell us60 ,somers told our tale1 prompted now and again while the two young women listened1 spellbound4 8,satterfield showed us up10 said he1 8and the bunch was just about to eat us alive when the revenue agents stepped in and arrested all hands4 ,we slid down the mountain in the dark1 and----0 8,hold on60 interrupted ,peter1 grinning4 8,let me4 ,no1 doc1 you've got to be a hero1 that's all4 ,the government men came in and this ,roaring ,lafe1 this great beefy giant1 climbed ,somers here and got him by the throat4 #8,i'm going to kill you1 anyhow6' he said4 ,and nobody dared shoot1 they thrashed about so1 and poor feeble old doc here was being choked to death40 ,he stopped1 prolonging the suspense4 8,ah-h-h60 sighed ,anne4 8,go on60 8,and what do you think the old skeleton did8 ,why1 just poked ,roaring ,lafe in the armpit and paralyzed that arm2 and then he up with that pistol you gave him and tapped him on the back of his head1 just as gently1 and ,roaring ,lafe drifted off into dreamland1 right away1 quick4 ,behold the hee-ro60 ,somers looked annoyed4 8,it wasn't anything10 he said4 8,it's all in knowing where to hit 'em40 ,anne ,christie's big violet eyes hung upon him almost reverently4 ,this lanky doctor not only did not fear ,roaring ,lafe1 but he had vanquished him in single combat by force of arms6 ,he might have been a demigod1 so worshiping was her gaze4 8,look60 whispered ,dorothy4 8,and he doesn't even see it4 ,men are so blind6 ,don't he know she's in love with him80 ,if he did he made no sign4 ,he went calmly on while the dull flush faded from his cheeks1 telling of the trip down the mountain1 of our interview with ,rutledge at the jail4 8,but--but10 said ,dorothy1 8you s-said it was all right6 ,you said you'd found out who killed ,doctor ,gaskell1 so ,lewis could come home--and you didn't6 ,you haven't done a thing6 ,why1 we're worse off than we were before4 ,oh1 dear2 oh1 dear60 8,i have found out10 declared ,somers4 8,just wait60 8,wait80 she asked4 8,wait8 ,that's all you say--wait1 wait1 wait6 ,oh1 it's very easy for you to wait2 you're not in p-prison1 and he's not your h-husband1 either6 ,i'm going to send for a lawyer--a detective--somebody6 ,lewis shan't be c-convicted before my eyes like this4 ,wait1 you keep saying6 ,how much l-longer must ,i wait80 8,until to-morrow40 ,i started1 looked at the lanky1 imperturbable physician more closely4 ,for all his external calm ,i saw now that his strange1 gray-green eyes shone with excitement2 that some inner fever twitched at his lean hands and made them unsteady4 ,what had he discovered that was hidden from me8 8,oh-h6 ,honest80 asked ,dorothy incredulously4 ,he nodded4 8,honest6 ,just wait until morning2 you'll see1 unless ,i'm making a terrible mistake40 8,but--but who80 we all demanded1 excitedly4 8,who did it1 then80 ,somers grinned4 8,closer60 he ordered and whispered dramatically into our eager ears4 8,i think it was--the ,poltergeist60 ,and he would say no more4 ,i was disgusted at this ill-timed joking2 with my nephew in the county jail once more1 awaiting trial for his life1 this silly jest seemed in bad taste1 to say the least of it4 ,but there matters rested for the remainder of a most unpleasant day4 ,aunt ,mary appeared at supper1 looking very haggard1 but quite calm4 ,she smiled wanly and talked in a weak voice about spiritism4 ,she quite ignored this morning's outburst2 and so did the rest of us4 ,but ,i was still more disgusted with ,somers when he abandoned his pose of silly credulity and came out flatly to proclaim an utter disbelief in all spiritistic manifestations4 ,what ailed the fellow8 ,a few hours ago he had not only lapped up ,aunt ,mary's farrago1 but had declared with every appearance of sincerity that ,gaskell had been murdered by a ghost2 now he announced1 with a supercilious sneer1 that we had merely imagined the ,poltergeist2 that it was absurd to suppose that any spirit could have dragged ,rosina's bedclothes off her1 or destroyed ,dorothy's wedding dress4 ,we were all angry1 ,i think1 even ,peter4 8,i suppose ,i imagined myself on the floor when the thing dragged my chair from under me10 he said4 ,somers smiled maddeningly4 8,you went to sleep and fell off40 8,and how about my blankets80 ,i asked4 8,you saw yourself they were gone from my bed40 8,you walked in your sleep1 no doubt1 and carried 'em away40 8,do you think ,i'd sp-spoil my own wedding dress1 even if ,i was asleep80 asked ,dorothy indignantly4 8,and ,i suppose ,rosina stuck pins into herself1 too80 8,no doubt40 ,somers rose1 still grinning4 8,ghosts60 said he4 8,rot6 ,there are no ghosts4 ,you folks dreamed or imagined most of this stuff1 and there's probably a very simple explanation for the rest4 ,just superstition1 that's all4 ,you've exaggerated and dwelt upon these things until you're all convinced a ghost did 'em1 and you use all sorts of trifles to bolster up your belief40 ,there was just enough truth in the charge to irritate us all4 ,only ,aunt ,mary failed to protest1 but the strangely vindictive look which she bent upon ,somers made me catch my breath4 8,i shan't argue about it10 she said coldly4 8,i only hope1 ,doctor ,somers1 that you may never suffer for your disbelief4 ,sometimes the spirits resent disbelief1 doctor1 and punish it60 ,i shivered1 there was such prophetic menace in her tones1 but ,somers only smiled again4 8,i'm going to bed early10 he declared4 8,i left that shotgun in the cupboard on the back porch4 ,don't touch it1 you girls2 it's loaded4 ,i'm about used up2 ,i'm going to sleep late if ,i can4 ,but after breakfast ,peter and ,i will go a-hunting for bobwhites60 8,don't60 begged ,dorothy again4 8,if you do1 ,i'm just sure somebody will be killed4 ,it's bad luck to hunt those quail2 ,i know it60 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,the ,,poltergeist',s ,,last ,,visit ,i went to bed early1 as we all did4 ,that was a very tired household4 ,somers disappeared directly after supper1 and ,aunt ,mary followed half an hour later4 ,dorothy and ,anne ,christie1 after the old lady had been safely tucked in1 returned to the living room and sat with ,peter and me for a while1 trying dismally to make talk4 ,but1 after two disturbed nights1 they were both dead for sleep4 ,dorothy nodded over her embroidery1 and ,miss ,christie wore again that expression of bovine somnolence1 which ,somers' medicine1 or the events of this last month1 had driven away4 ,and ,peter and ,i were little better4 ,at last ,miss ,christie rose4 8,it's no use10 she declared4 8,i'm going to bed4 ,i--,i feel as sleepy and as stupid as ,i ever did before ,i began taking ,doctor ,somers' tablets4 ,if the ,poltergeist should come back to-night1 ,i'd never know it--not unless he dragged me out of bed4 ,and then ,i'd just curl up on the floor1 ,i think4 ,i'm so sleepy60 ,it was not later than nine o'clock1 but we were all exhausted1 and we all went to bed4 ,i abandoned my half-formed design of sitting up to watch for the ,poltergeist4 ,let him come6 ,i was too tired to care4 ,peter1 yawning up the stairs beside me1 expressed the same idea4 8,i thought ,i'd sit up10 he said1 8and watch for that darn ghost1 just to prove ,somers was wrong1 but ,i'm too sleepy40 ,somers' door was closed1 and no sound came from behind it4 ,evidently he1 too1 had succumbed to the need of rest4 ,i bade ,dorothy and ,peter a sleepy good night1 and in five minutes ,i was undressed and in bed1 fathoms deep in dreamless slumber4 ,a sudden wild shriek awakened me1 such a scream as would drag the soundest sleeper from his bed and bring the cold sweat out upon his forehead1 a scream of mortal fear4 ,it was ,dorothy's voice6 ,despite my rheumatism1 ,i was out of bed and at her door in two leaps4 ,my heart was in my throat4 8,dorothy60 ,i said4 8,dorothy6 ,what is it1 child80 ,she clutched me1 trembling4 8,oh10 she said1 shaking pitifully4 8,oh1 dear6 ,i--,i can't----0 8,what is it80 ,peter was beside me1 shaking his sister's arm4 8,what's happened8 ,are you all right80 8,i--there's a s-snake in my bed60 ,came a soft pad of unshod feet1 the swish of loose garments1 and ,somers was beside us4 ,even in my excitement ,i noticed and wondered at it--that he came1 not from his own room1 but up the stairs4 8,what80 he asked1 with one flashing look at us4 8,unk1 ,pete0--he clutched our shoulders cruelly--8tell me1 is there a back stairway to this joint80 ,we nodded dumbly1 amazed at his query4 8,oh1 scissors60 ,he wheeled and disappeared as abruptly as he had come4 ,i heard his bare feet pounding down the stairs4 ,peter switched on the lights1 and all three of us started back1 laughing confusedly4 8,oh1 dear me60 said ,dorothy1 drawing her bathrobe about her4 ,peter looked at my pajamas and laughed consumedly4 8,those wide red stripes are frightfully becoming1 unk60 ,i snorted4 ,they were good linen pajamas1 and ,i had bought them very cheap because of those very stripes4 ,i am past the days of personal vanity4 8,you're no beauty yourself in those purple things10 ,i replied resentfully4 ,then we separated1 but returned presently1 wrapped in dressing gowns1 to investigate ,dorothy's bed4 ,somers came back up the stairs4 ,he1 too1 was in a bathrobe and slippers1 and he held one hand tightly shut4 8,missed it10 he said4 8,i didn't know about those back stairs4 ,what happened here80 8,a s-snake in my bed60 said the girl1 shivering4 8,humph60 ,he threw back its covers4 8,snake8 ,ha6 ,no wonder40 ,he clutched at the sheet4 ,it was damp1 and in its center1 right where poor ,dorothy's back must have been1 was a long sliver of ice4 8,here's your snake10 ,somers declared4 8,i don't care60 replied ,dorothy4 8,it was just like a snake1 long and cold and clammy4 ,br-r-r60 ,he picked up the piece of ice and carried it to the bathroom4 8,well1 your snake's gone4 ,miss anything from the room80 8,nun-no10 she repeated wonderingly4 ,then she went to the dresser and looked about a moment4 8,i do1 too6 ,my wedding ring and my diamond6 ,oh1 dear1 my rings are gone60 8,here10 said ,somers1 opening his hand4 ,his strange eyes danced brightly4 ,triumph showed in every line of his face4 ,in his palm lay both rings4 8,oh1 you dear man6 ,where were they8 ,and now you believe in the ,poltergeist1 don't you80 8,i found them in--in the hall4 ,and as for the ghost--why1 we will get ,aunt ,mary to explain that later4 ,can you go back to sleep now80 ,the girl nodded doubtfully4 8,i--,i think so1 if all of you will leave your doors wide open80 8,i'm going to sit up10 said ,somers1 and ,dorothy1 somewhat reassured1 turned to her bed as we went out4 ,the physician entered his own room4 ,we heard him whistle shrilly4 8,come here1 you chaps60 he called softly4 ,peter and ,i went in4 ,and there1 driven deep through coverlet and sheets1 right into the mattress1 was a carving knife6 8,humph60 said ,somers4 8,looks like the ,poltergeist wasn't entirely harmless1 don't it8 ,in the dark he must have thought ,i was in bed40 ,not without difficulty he pulled out the seven-inch blade4 ,it would have pierced his body1 had he been sleeping there6 8,where were you80 ,i whispered4 8,me8 ,on the stairs1 watching for the ,poltergeist4 ,those back stairs fooled me40 ,and he would say no more1 except1 8,i found those rings just outside ,aunt ,mary's door40 8,maybe the ghost visited her1 too60 ,i cried1 alarmed4 8,run down and see1 ,peter4 ,we forgot the poor old lady40 8,humph60 said ,somers4 8,she's good friends with the ghost1 but go anyhow1 ,peter40 ,peter went4 8,sound asleep1 she says10 he reported4 8,didn't hear anything4 ,i went right in2 ,miss ,christie was dead to the world2 didn't hear me knock40 8,go to bed10 directed ,somers4 8,no1 nothing more to-night4 ,things are going very nicely4 ,in the morning this ought to be cleared up40 ,so we went back to bed1 despairing of further information1 but ,i could not sleep4 ,i lay there wide-eyed through the long1 black hours1 wondering--wondering4 ,who--what was this specter1 this ,poltergeist8 ,if ,somers had been in his bed to-night1 it would have killed him2 had it killed ,gaskell1 also8 ,and what did ,aunt ,mary know of the grisly thing8 ,aunt ,mary would explain1 ,somers had said4 ,the old lady's bed faced the window1 ,i remembered1 and that window looked out upon the tangle of scrub oaks1 where ,gaskell had met his death4 ,it must have been light1 even at four o'clock4 ,had ,aunt ,mary been awake that morning8 ,and if so1 what had she seen8 ,and why had she kept it secret8 ,there were huge cellars under the old house1 ,i knew1 cellars long unexplored4 ,had ,gaskell's murderer come to the window8 ,what whispered colloquy had been held1 there in the gray dawn1 between the paralytic and this stranger1 this grisly ghost of the murderous hands8 ,had the old lady recognized him1 shielded him1 told him where to hide1 perhaps1 in those long closed cellars1 where she might have played as a child8 ,fort ,house was an old home of the ,mc,gregors2 in the days of ,dorothy's grandfather1 ,aunt ,mary might well have visited it1 explored its vast underground caverns1 where wines had once been stored4 ,and what--who--was this murderer1 then1 whom she had shielded1 who had wandered about ,fort ,house of nights1 screaming horridly1 eating from the pantry1 breaking dishes1 playing ghostly tricks1 stabbing1 as he had meant to1 an innocent guest8 ,i went cold at the picture in my imagination4 ,some lunatic1 some secret1 stealthy madman1 who might yet slaughter us all6 ,i sat up in bed1 straining my ears1 glad of the pistol ,i had rummaged out at home1 and which still lay in my bag4 ,i got it out1 resolved to keep vigil4 ,if this ,poltergeist1 this madman1 came back1 ,i would protect ,dorothy at least4 ,and in the morning we would hunt1 not harmless quail in the back yard1 but a wanton murderer through the cellars4 ,the hours wore on1 and dawn came slowly4 ,as the east turned gray1 the quail piped up their matutinal song4 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 they whistled2 louder1 closer1 than ever before4 ,so shrill was their continual outcry1 and so close beneath me1 that at last ,i tiptoed to the window4 ,perhaps ,i might see them1 locate their nests1 against our later hunting4 ,i swung back the screen and put out my head1 peering almost straight down4 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 they piped at three-second intervals1 regular as a clock and surprisingly loud and close4 ,and then ,i gasped and almost fell out of the window4 ,these were no birds6 ,the cry of quail was counterfeited so exactly that ,i could scarcely believe my eyes2 instead of a little brown bird1 ,floyd ,somers crouched beneath ,aunt ,mary's window1 diagonally below my own1 his long1 lean legs grotesquely folded under him1 his thin lips pursed4 ,from his lips1 at regular1 three-second intervals1 came the shrill cry of the bobwhite quail1 exactly imitated6 ,this childish buffoonery angered me sorely4 ,what ailed the man8 ,had he no appreciation of what hung over us8 ,in the midst of the dark shadow which covered ,fort ,house1 before the very eyes1 perhaps1 of a lurking1 murderous madman1 he could find nothing better to do than play this puerile practical joke upon a helpless old woman4 8,what are you doing1 man8 ,stop it60 ,i shouted wrathfully4 ,he looked up1 in no way abashed1 and gestured vigorously for silence4 ,despite my rage1 his desperate earnestness1 his frantic signs for secrecy1 closed my lips4 ,wondering mightily1 ,i huddled into a few things and hurried downstairs and around the house4 ,somers still crouched beneath the east window1 whistling with all his might3 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 ,i blundered through the honeysuckle vines toward him4 8,shut up1 man60 he said to me and clutched my shoulder to draw me down beside him4 8,want to spoil everything80 he demanded1 his lips close to my ear4 8,she'll hear you4 ,shut up1 ,i say1 and watch60 ,i subsided1 born down1 if not convinced1 by his angry sincerity4 ,whatever his purpose1 this was no silly joke2 ,i could see that much4 ,there was some deep-laid1 important plan beneath this foolery4 8,bobwhite60 he whistled4 8,bobwhite60 ,a faint movement came from within the open window1 and a weak1 querulously patient voice said3 8,miss ,christie6 ,nurse60 ,somers held his breath2 then1 remembering1 whistled the quail's call louder than before4 8,if she'll only stay asleep1 or pretend to be asleep1 as ,i told her60 he exclaimed4 8,bobwhite60 ,asleep or not1 the nurse made no answer4 ,aunt ,mary called again tentatively1 then querulously4 ,still the nurse made no reply4 8,ah-h60 sighed ,somers4 ,gripping my arm fiercely1 he whistled louder yet3 8,bobwhite6 ,bobwhite60 ,i could not believe my ears4 ,within1 the nurse's quiet breathing ran on unchanged1 almost a snore4 ,surely she was asleep6 ,yet ,i heard footsteps1 the unmistakable padding of bare feet across the floor6 ,what--who--could it be8 ,the murderer8 8,i'll kill those miserable birds myself60 ,that was ,mary ,mc,gregor's voice6 ,and she seemed to be alone4 ,what could she be doing8 ,the patter of bare feet1 scarcely audible1 faded away4 ,i heard a door open and close stealthily4 ,somers erected himself1 his long legs straightening telescopically4 ,he peered in the window4 8,look60 he exclaimed4 ,on my very tiptoes1 straining higher1 craning my neck1 ,i looked4 ,aunt ,mary's bed was empty6 ,she was nowhere in sight6 ,and ,i saw the edge of ,anne ,christie's bed in the inner room1 and a long braid of blond hair hung over it toward the floor4 8,down60 ordered ,somers4 8,quick60 ,he dragged me back just in time4 ,i caught one furtive glimpse of ,mary ,mc,gregor1 indubitably erect1 walking1 upon her two paralyzed legs1 like any other person4 ,and her face1 not sweet or patient now1 was distorted with maniacal rage4 ,she carried a shotgun6 ,i ducked below the window ledge1 stunned with amazement4 ,right over my head ,i heard the grating of a gun barrel against the window screen1 a muttered exclamation1 the tremendous wham of black powder6 ,a burning gun wad scorched my hand2 bird shot pattered in the leaves behind us2 ,somers dragged me away4 8,quick60 he said4 8,you saw1 you heard8 ,run1 before she has time to hide it60 ,i raced round the house beside him4 8,what--what does it mean80 ,i asked4 8,why1 she's paralyzed6 ,is she crazy1 or am ,i80 8,mean8 ,it means that the ,poltergeist has made its last appearance10 answered ,somers4 8,now60 ,we were in the house1 through the long1 crooked hall1 at ,aunt ,mary's closed door4 ,without waiting to knock1 he burst in4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,final ,,explanation ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor lay quietly in her bed1 propped with pillows4 ,her drawn face wore a look of sweet resignation2 she was gazing absently out of the open window4 ,the place was so still1 so peaceful2 the old lady's expression was so calm2 the illusion of a quiet sick room was so complete that ,i almost doubted what my eyes and ears had just told me4 ,only the ragged hole in the window screen1 through which that charge of bird shot had just poured1 and the drifting1 pungent cloud of black powder smoke1 which still filled the air1 convinced me that ,i had not dreamed4 ,the shotgun was nowhere in sight4 ,as we burst in1 ,anne ,christie was just emerging from her inner room1 struggling into a bathrobe1 so quickly had we come4 ,aunt ,mary turned at our entry1 her thin eyebrows raised1 as for a patient rebuke at this disturbance4 ,then she saw ,somers4 ,she stared at him dumbly for an instant1 with bulging eyes and horrified1 unbelieving face4 8,you60 she exclaimed4 8,you60 ,somers nodded brusquely4 8,quite so6 ,you see1 ,i wasn't in bed when you came in last night40 ,the old lady wet her colorless lips4 8,i--,i d-don't understand10 she whispered4 8,what--what does this--this impudent intrusion mean80 ,it was a weak attempt at bluster4 ,the physician ignored it4 8,it's no use1 ,aunt ,mary10 he replied almost kindly4 ,his eyes pitied her4 8,you can't get away with it this time4 ,i saw you myself1 and ,uhlman1 here1 saw you1 too4 ,we saw you get out of bed and go after that gun2 we saw you shoot out of the window at the quail40 8,gun80 asked ,aunt ,mary1 stubbornly uncomprehending4 8,what gun8 ,i was asleep4 ,there's no gun here40 ,by this time ,peter was pounding in1 ,dorothy at his heels4 8,what now80 he demanded4 8,oh1 what is it80 asked the girl4 8,has anybody been killed this time80 ,with one backward-flung hand1 ,somers gestured for silence4 ,his gray-green eyes were steady upon the old lady4 8,no use10 he repeated inexorably4 8,the gun's right in this room somewhere2 you didn't have time to take it out again4 ,it's hidden here2 in your bed1 perhaps4 ,shall ,i find it1 or will you80 ,aunt ,mary's black eyes fell before his steady gaze4 8,spare me that1 at least60 she said petulantly4 8,you may burst in on me as you did2 ,i can't prevent that1 helpless as ,i am1 and my own flesh and blood0--with a vicious look at poor ,peter--8won't even try to save me from such insolence6 ,but you needn't go further2 you needn't search my bed60 ,leaning forward she reached a slim1 veined hand beneath the covers to bring out ,rufus ,wakefield's battered shotgun1 still smoking faintly4 ,a fresh reek of burned powder filled the room4 ,we all gasped1 staring at her with shocked incomprehension4 ,even now the thing seemed incredible6 8,aunt--,ma-ry60 whispered ,dorothy4 8,how--what have you done80 ,the old lady began to weep helplessly4 8,nun-nothing60 she wailed4 8,dorothy--,peter--will you stand there and see your poor1 paralyzed aunt insulted like this8 ,send this insolent person out2 make him let me alone60 ,somers shook his head4 ,his dark face was very pitiful2 ,i think he felt for this poor old wretch even more than did the rest of us4 8,come10 he urged4 8,don't make this any harder4 ,let's get it over with6 ,you were the ,poltergeist1 weren't you80 ,aunt ,mary only sobbed4 8,weren't you80 ,dropping her hands1 she disclosed a haggard1 tear-streaked face1 as she turned upon us1 not without dignity4 8,if you must have it--yes60 she said4 8,yes6 ,i was the ,poltergeist4 ,it was easy1 so easy6 ,you were so stupid1 all of you2 you never even guessed4 ,and this stupid1 sleepy1 worthless nurse0--with a bitter glance at poor ,anne--8lay there and snored and never knew6 ,i slipped in and out--,i broke dishes--,i ate my fill from the pantry4 ,none of you cared if ,i was hungry2 not one of you would offer me a bite to eat6 ,i helped myself40 8,why1 ,aunt ,mary60 said ,dorothy4 8,you know we just begged you and coaxed you1 and you always said your appetite was so delicate6 ,all the pies and cakes and jam and candy--did you eat them1 too80 ,the old lady swept on1 unheeding4 8,no one in this house ever paid me the attention ,i deserved4 ,that was my revenge2 ,i served you out for neglecting me6 ,where's your wedding finery now1 my girl8 ,ha1 ha1 ha60 ,she gave a wild1 screeching laugh2 it made me shudder4 ,surely this was a maniac who confronted us1 hunched there on the bed1 her shaking hands playing about the stock of a shotgun6 8,i made a fine ghost60 she exulted4 8,it was sport--such sport60 ,doctor ,somers groaned aloud4 8,poor thing1 oh1 poor thing60 ,i heard him whisper4 ,and then aloud he asked3 8,and you shot ,doctor ,gaskell1 didn't you80 ,her head went up and back in that old1 proud gesture4 8,he--he insulted me--insulted a poor1 helpless paralytic6 ,he laughed1 and ,i told you4 ,i just begged of you to drive those miserable quail away4 ,i told you they would set me crazy2 and ,peter paid no attention4 ,nobody paid any attention at all4 ,doctor ,parker promised to shoot them1 but ,i knew he didn't mean it4 ,why1 that morning they whistled and whistled for hours6 ,i waited and waited2 nobody came1 nobody stirred1 nobody cared if they drove me mad6 ,at last ,i got up1 helpless as ,i was and paralyzed40 ,she paused abruptly1 seeming for the first time to be conscious of the incongruity of a paralytic getting up and walking about4 8,i--sometimes my affliction leaves me for a few minutes10 she faltered4 8,i got up and went out--a poor1 helpless old woman--to do what these hulking men should have done for me1 if they'd been men at all6 ,peter's gun stood on the back porch2 ,i loaded it4 ,oh1 when ,i was a girl1 ,i used to be a good shot6 ,that was before ,i was paralyzed4 8,i went out back1 into the scrub oaks4 ,it was daylight1 though the sun wasn't up4 ,and there ,i met ,doctor ,gaskell4 ,he--he insulted me2 he laughed6 ,he asked me if ,i'd recovered from my paralysis1 and he laughed6 ,he--he called me an old f-faker6 ,the cad6 ,and ,i answered him as a high-spirited gentlewoman should answer such an insult60 ,she paused1 looking down at the shotgun in her lap4 ,all this while she had been handling it unconsciously1 as it seemed2 breaking its breech1 extracting the empty shell1 playing with the undischarged cartridge4 ,as she sat there1 all hunched in the bed1 her thin face distorted with unlovely passions1 she looked like a particularly unpleasant old witch4 ,her cheeks were all sunken2 without her false teeth her mouth seemed to have fallen in1 so that high-bridge nose and pointed chin almost touched each other4 ,then she raised her head to cast an evil glance at ,doctor ,somers4 8,i hurried back10 she went on monotonously4 8,i cleaned the gun--oh1 ,i knew how1 well enough--and put it where ,i'd found it2 then came to my room4 ,everybody was asleep1 even this stupid nurse4 ,she hadn't heard anything2 she never heard anything4 ,blockhead6 ,i was safe1 quite safe4 ,nobody could suspect4 ,it was the birds--devils1 rather4 ,they knew2 they'd seen it all6 ,and they perched outside my windows every morning before daybreak and whistled1 whistled1 whistled2 they weren't birds4 ,they were devils1 ,i tell you--devils1 accusing me6 ,they have driven me mad at last6 ,and then you had to mix in1 you1 ,somers6 ,ah-h-h1 how ,i hate you6 ,sneaking and watching and spying on me6 ,if only ,i could have killed you in the night1 as ,i meant to6 ,i'd have been safe then4 ,but1 no1 you had to keep it up1 you and those birds4 ,you plotted this against me1 you and the birds together4 ,they helped you1 ,i know6 ,i heard them just now1 outside my window1 mocking me1 accusing me1 calling you to come and betray me4 ,but you shan't profit by it60 ,as rage overpowered her1 she ceased to make any pretense of palsy1 but slid her lean shanks out of the bed and stood erect1 facing her unmasker1 her face distorted with hate4 ,and now1 before we could move1 before we could cry out1 she snapped the breech of the gun she still held1 jerked it to her shoulder1 and pulled the trigger4 ,i heard the click of the hammer upon an empty shell1 and still we stood motionless1 all but ,anne ,christie4 ,with one smothered scream she leaped wildly forward1 threw herself upon ,floyd ,somers' breast1 shielding his body with her own4 ,she moved with the speed of desperate love4 ,before we others could intervene1 while my arm was still outstretched1 and ,peter was leaning forward1 the second trigger moved4 ,i saw the hammer fall2 the bass roar of the explosion1 doubly loud in that confined space1 rang deafeningly in our ears4 ,it all happened so swiftly that ,i must set down1 one after another1 a dozen things which happened all at once4 ,even as the old lady fired at ,somers1 protected by ,anne ,christie's body1 the gun seemed to leap in her hands1 to break apart4 ,a blinding cloud of blue smoke spurted out from its breach1 hiding ,aunt ,mary from us for an instant4 ,the gun barrels1 instead of pointing at her victim1 swung downward at a sharp angle2 birdshot rolled down them and pattered on the floor4 ,with them came a burning gun wad1 upon which ,peter trod mechanically4 ,and ,aunt ,mary1 the broken gun still clutched in her blackened hands1 dropped back across the bed and lay very still1 in a lessening cloud of smoke4 ,doctor ,somers freed himself gently from the nurse's swooning grip1 set her in a chair1 and stepped forward4 ,he leaned over the old lady and touched her left temple with a steady hand4 ,her face was quite unmarred and very peaceful2 only upon the left temple was a little blue bruise4 ,beside her head lay an empty shell4 8,she's quite dead10 said the doctor softly1 and he drew a corner of the sheet over that quiet face4 8,she didn't quite lock the breech10 he went on1 picking up the battered shotgun4 8,i told you last night1 unk1 it didn't work properly4 ,when she closed the breech1 this catch failed to take hold1 and the kick broke it open again1 so the shell drove backward out of the breech and struck her in the temple40 ,he straightened1 sighing deeply4 8,i want you-all to listen10 he told us impressively1 8and remember this1 whenever you think about ,miss ,mc,gregor3 she wasn't to blame6 ,she wasn't responsible for her acts2 she was insane4 ,think of her as kindly as you can1 all of you4 ,poor soul6 ,she's dead now2 she's paid for everything4 ,remember1 don't blame her1 any of you--ever6 ,she wasn't responsible40 ,spoken at that time and place1 the words struck deep1 as he knew they would1 ,i suppose4 ,and ,i think that our memories of the poor woman have all been kindlier for them4 ,it was a gentle1 knightly speech from the man whom she had tried to murder twice in four hours4 8,but--but ,i don't understand yet10 put in ,dorothy4 ,indeed all of us shared her bewilderment1 ,i think4 8,aunt ,mary did it--she shot ,doctor ,gaskell1 ,i suppose1 since she admitted it4 ,but how1 why1 and how did you find out80 8,come out into the living room and ,i'll explain10 he said4 8,it's all clear enough now40 ,we trooped out after him2 a motley crowd we must have made1 too4 ,somers was fully dressed2 at least he wore tennis shoes1 an old pair of flannel trousers1 and ,peter's jersey1 which made his lean torso more unbelievably skinny than ever4 ,but the rest of us were in advanced negligee4 ,i wore trousers2 ,peter had only a bathrobe over his pajamas2 both the girls were in kimonos1 with hair in braids down their backs4 ,we were a ludicrous sight1 no doubt1 but none of us had the heart to laugh4 8,as soon as ,i heard about the ,poltergeist10 ,somers began1 8,i suspected ,aunt ,mary4 ,such tricks always indicate that there's an hysterical person somewhere about4 ,this #8,poltergeist' stuff and the witchcraft1 that dozens of harmless old women were burned alive for1 not so many centuries ago--they're all the work of hystericals4 ,such cases delight in mystifying people1 scaring them1 playing queer1 malicious tricks on them1 and all that4 ,it's been a well-recognized sign of hysteria for fifty years4 ,so as soon as ,i heard of the ,poltergeist1 ,i began to look for an hysterical1 and that led straight to ,aunt ,mary2 she had all the earmarks4 8,i concluded right away that her paralysis was hysterical1 too1 or she couldn't get about to play ghost4 ,palsies are common enough in hysteria1 you know4 ,i don't mean that she faked it consciously2 she was really paralyzed4 ,that is1 she couldn't move her legs because she believed she couldn't4 ,she didn't pretend4 ,at night she'd get out of bed in a state of hysterical somnambulism and go about playing ghost2 but1 when she got back to bed1 she'd forget all about that4 ,when she was fully awake she was paralyzed2 she couldn't move1 and ,i've no doubt that she used to believe in the ,poltergeist as firmly as any of you4 8,she was in the same state1 no doubt1 when she went out with ,peter's shotgun that morning4 ,the quail disturbed her1 and she thought1 as far as sleepwalkers do think1 she'd only to go out and point a gun to kill them4 ,she knew that shotgun was on the back porch1 didn't she80 ,i nodded4 8,i left it out there for ,lewis10 ,i explained4 8,he was to come over early for it4 ,and ,i remember ,aunt ,mary sent for me1 when ,i was going to bed1 to ask where it was1 and if it was safe40 8,quite so40 ,somers paused1 scowling ruefully4 8,i've been frightfully stupid all through this thing60 he declared4 8,i knew ,miss ,mc,gregor was hysterical2 why1 those #8knots in her neck' alone would have proved that4 ,i was convinced she was playing ghost1 just as one takes any unimportant thing for granted without stopping to verify it4 ,but it never occurred to me that1 if she could get up to play ghost1 she could have got up to shoot ,gaskell1 too4 ,the idea never entered my head until #8,roaring ,lafe' ,rutledge told us about the #8ha'nt' he saw4 ,we owe him that1 anyhow4 ,and you chaps were pretty peeved with me afterward1 when ,i said ,i thought it was the ,poltergeist killed ,gaskell1 weren't you80 ,he gave us a fleeting glance and went on4 8,so ,aunt ,mary got up very quietly and went out after the shotgun4 ,your sleepiness1 your hypothyroidism1 ,anne1 made it very handy for her2 she wasn't afraid of waking you1 and ,i suppose she was getting bolder4 ,all her ghost tricks had gone unsuspected--who could suspect a paralytic of running about the house of nights8--and she figured she could even go out and let off a shotgun and get away with it2 that is1 if she thought about it at all1 in this somnambulistic state of hers4 8,well1 out she went1 got the gun1 loaded it1 and went on into the brush1 just about the time ,gaskell entered it1 ,i suppose4 ,it must have been then that ,rutledge saw her and was scared off4 ,and then she met ,doctor ,gaskell face to face1 out there4 ,i wonder which of them was more startled8 ,the shock wakened her1 ,i suppose1 and there she was1 suddenly face to face with herself4 ,it's a terrible thing for anybody1 that--to have all one's little self-deceptions and hypocrisies stripped away in an instant1 to see how one's been fooling one's self6 ,and it is more terrible still for an hysterical1 whose self-deceptions are deepest and most fully a part of the personality4 8,there she was1 compelled for once to admit to herself that she was an old faker1 that she wasn't paralyzed after all--or how could she be out there1 standing up8 ,i don't know what happened1 of course1 or what ,gaskell said4 ,something indiscreet1 it must have been1 or the old lady would have dropped down right there4 ,her paralysis would have returned as soon as she waked up1 and she'd have had to be carried back to bed4 ,but he said something1 taunted her1 ,i suppose2 told her he knew all the time she was faking and wasn't really paralyzed at all4 ,and he laughed at her4 ,that was very unwise2 if he'd been used to handling the insane he never would have laughed4 8,she was holding a loaded shotgun1 and there was the only man on earth who knew her secret1 who could expose her double life4 ,and to have her secret known would destroy all the sympathy1 all the admiration which she'd worked for so patiently these fourteen years and more4 ,and ,gaskell laughed6 8,well1 anger and excitement kept her up1 ,i suppose1 and enabled her to forget her paralysis for the moment4 ,she shot him2 raced back to the house1 cleaned the gun1 and put it where she found it2 ran to her room and popped back into bed1 with her heart racing horribly1 ,i suppose4 ,and there her paralysis came back4 ,two minutes later she couldn't have stood on her feet any more than a real1 organic paralytic4 8,the thing preyed on her1 of course1 tormented her conscience4 ,you noticed the change2 you all spoke of it1 how she grew more irritable1 more selfish and exacting1 every day4 ,and ,lewis' arrest made it worse1 of course4 ,she had a hard time1 poor1 crazy old woman6 ,but1 after she had killed one man to preserve her pitiful secret1 one could hardly expect her to betray it1 just to save the life of another4 ,she hoped1 no doubt1 that ,lewis would be acquitted2 but most of all she hoped that she wouldn't be suspected4 ,i knew she was uneasy about me2 she was afraid ,i might guess1 and you remember what a scene she made when ,i tried to examine her4 ,she feared ,i'd discover1 as ,gaskell had1 that she could walk after all4 ,the whole thing preyed on her and made her more restless of nights2 it brought on new attacks of somnambulism1 and the ,poltergeist grew more active4 ,her fears of me worked on her unconscious mind until last night she tried to kill me with a knife40 8,ah-h-h60 gasped ,anne ,christie4 ,for neither of the girls knew of that carving knife which had transfixed ,somers' empty bed4 8,ah1 my dear60 ,the physician took her hand4 8,i wasn't there1 ,anne10 said he gently4 8,i was up1 watching the stairs2 ,i hoped the ,poltergeist might make its appearance last night4 ,that's why ,i was so rude at supper and told everybody ,i didn't believe in it4 ,i hoped that1 if ,aunt ,mary thought me a skeptic1 the ,poltergeist might come up to convince me4 ,but ,i hardly looked for a carving knife6 8,it worked1 though10 he went on4 8,the ghost walked1 but she got away from me4 ,i didn't know about the back stairs1 and she must have slipped down that way1 while ,i ran up the front ones4 ,i nearly had her at that2 she dropped your rings1 ,dorothy1 just as she was sliding through the door4 8,well1 ,i had proved to myself1 then1 that ,aunt ,mary was the ghost1 but ,i hadn't caught her4 ,and ,i knew that1 unless ,i did1 it was quite useless to ask for a confession4 ,so ,i went on with this other plan4 ,you know how the quail annoyed her all along2 it was that started this whole dreadful affair4 ,and lately they worried her even more2 she thought they were accusing her1 as she said just now4 ,so ,i borrowed this gun and left it on the porch1 right where the other had been1 and spoke about it at supper1 to make sure she knew4 ,then this morning ,i hid right outside her window and imitated the whistle of a quail4 ,it was the same situation1 you see1 and ,i hoped it might arouse the same reaction4 8,it did4 ,you were there1 too1 ,uncle ,george4 ,i whistled and whistled2 at last we heard the old lady call4 ,anne didn't answer2 she was too sleepy1 ,i suppose4 ,but ,i told her last night to pretend to be asleep anyway1 whatever happened4 ,at last1 satisfied that she was safe1 ,aunt ,mary got up and went after the gun1 just as ,i'd hoped she would4 ,she didn't come outdoors1 as ,i'd expected2 she was too upset1 too irrational to realize1 ,i suppose1 that some one would surely hear if she fired from her window4 ,all she knew was that a quail was just outside1 and she must silence it somehow4 ,when she shot1 ,uncle ,george and ,i ran in2 you know the rest40 ,dorothy relaxed with a tired sigh4 8,oh1 dear60 she whispered4 8,i'm so tired1 so kind of stunned and numb6 ,i don't know what to think4 ,i ought to be sorry1 but all ,i can feel is a sense of relief4 ,lewis free1 no more ,poltergeist1 and no more ,aunt ,mary to complain all the time4 ,oh1 dear me1 it's horrid1 it's unnatural60 ,poor child6 ,she had been through so much4 ,this last tragedy had stunned her2 she had no emotions left4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,mating ,,time ,we had my nephew home with us that very day4 ,somers and ,i went to the ,state solicitor1 ,toby ,vanbrugh1 with our tale1 and he marked ,lewis ,parker's indictment1 8nolle pros10 with a very bad grace4 ,it was hard upon him1 after all1 to see his big case collapse like a pricked bubble4 ,he had built high hopes upon the prosecution of the case of the people against ,c4 ,lewis ,parker2 he had seen himself well advertised by its prosecution1 elected1 perhaps1 ,state senator upon the strength of it1 with who knows what further political advancement beyond1 governor--,united ,states senator6 ,he had a healthy opinion of his abilities1 had the ,honorable ,toby ,vanbrugh4 ,and now all that was gone2 in the face of ,miss ,mc,gregor's ante-mortem statement1 vouched for by five witnesses1 he could do no less than drop the case1 and he knew it4 ,on the whole1 the newspapers were as kind as we could have expected4 ,one or two of them played the case up1 for it was a unique news story2 but that will pass soon enough1 ,i trust1 and poor1 demented ,aunt ,mary will be left to rest quietly beneath her modest headstone1 where the bobwhites1 that whistle in the quiet cemetery through long spring mornings1 can disturb her no more4 ,it was two days after the tragic dnouement of our mystery1 and ,dorothy and ,lewis1 reunited1 sat hand in hand in the big living room of ,fort ,house4 ,the slanting sun cast long yellow beams through its western windows and played lovingly on the girl's black hair1 so that red1 coppery lights glinted in it4 ,to them entered ,peter ,mc,gregor and ,i4 8,well1 ,dot10 said her brother cheerfully1 8,i suppose you'll be leaving us now80 ,dorothy nodded4 8,we'll be in our own little house to-morrow4 ,rosina's over there now1 scrubbing and cleaning1 until your life isn't safe for it4 ,and she's promised to have breakfast waiting for us there in the morning40 8,well10 he sighed1 8it'll be lonely here1 but ,i suppose you're not sorry to leave ,fort ,house40 ,the girl shivered4 8,no2 we were happy here once1 but everything seems so changed4 ,i miss----0 ,she stopped1 biting her lips1 and ,i knew she thought of poor old ,aunt ,mary1 in some way lovable for all her selfishness1 whom we had laid to rest in the churchyard that afternoon4 ,peter sighed again4 8,poor ,aunt ,mary6 ,she did terrible things2 she made us all suffer2 but1 after all1 she wasn't to blame40 ,so we all felt2 she had been irresponsible4 ,doctor ,somers' kindly judgment1 delivered over her dead body in that east bedroom1 had had its effect4 ,we remembered the old lady kindly enough1 as the puppet of her own mad impulses1 more to be pitied than blamed4 8,well10 said ,i more briskly1 8you two are fixed4 ,you're safely married1 even if you didn't have a big wedding1 and all ready to settle down in your own home4 ,and ,somers1 ,i suppose1 will be going ,north again presently4 ,but what will ,anne ,christie do80 ,dorothy gave me a pitying1 superior glance4 8,oh1 you men60 she said4 8,listen60 ,we listened obediently1 and we heard faint voices drifting in through the open southern windows1 which faced the front porch4 8,i'll be going back to the hospital now1 ,i suppose40 ,that was ,doctor ,somers' brusque voice2 it sounded rather less than pleased4 ,a faint-heard sigh4 8,must you go80 ,miss ,christie's low tones were wistfully tremulous4 ,i must strain to hear4 8,must ,i8 ,why1 not for another fortnight4 ,why80 8,because--because ,i----0 8,anne6 ,do you want me to stay80 8,oh1 the idiot60 exclaimed ,dorothy4 8,does she80 8,hush1 ,dot60 ,and we all listened frankly4 8,i--,i don't want you to go10 whispered ,anne ,christie4 8,anne1 dear60 ,there was a tiny rustle1 as if he had moved closer4 8,i'm thirty-eight years old1 a battered1 skinny1 homely brute----0 8,you are not60 8,a grotesque-looking creature1 almost middle-aged1 and just starting my chosen work4 ,i've frittered away years and years1 just studying1 working on a small salary when ,i might have been earning big money for my wife40 8,for your w-wife80 8,yes1 when ,i get one4 ,and here ,i am1 with my best years gone1 little better than a failure40 8,you're not6 ,you're just wonderful1 the most wonderful man ,i ever saw or dreamed of60 8,better than ,doctor ,gaskell1 even80 8,of course6 ,and10 very wistfully1 8,i h-hope you'll be very happy with your w-wife1 whoever she is60 8,humph60 ,a characteristic snort1 expressing disgust of this evasion1 this edging about a topic4 8,anne ,christie1 will you marry me80 8,i'm only a poor mountain girl1 and my father's in prison for making moonshine liquor60 8,stepfather60 stubbornly replied ,somers4 8,well1 but ,i'm not--not g-good enough40 8,anne60 ,a chair slammed back4 8,anne--dear1 ,i love you4 ,are you going to marry me1 or not80 ,for all answer there came a little1 murmurous1 cooing sound and a rustling1 as if a girl in crisp gingham had settled more comfortably into the crook of some one's arm4 ,a long silence followed1 while we within doors smiled tenderly at nothing4 ,then3 8,oh1 ,floyd1 honey1 let me go4 ,i'm s-sure that man saw us2 he's looking back and laughing60 ,i sighed1 as a lonely old man will4 8,two more accounted for10 said ,i4 8,that leaves only you and me1 ,peter40 8,not me60 the boy replied promptly4 8,i'm going to be married in ,december40 8,why1 ,peter ,mc,gregor4 ,and you never told me60 ,dorothy looked shocked4 8,we-ell1 ,dot1 you see1 ,i didn't know it myself until ,i was in ,new ,york that last time4 ,and ,i got back to find old ,lewis in jail1 and everybody so upset--,i thought ,i'd better keep it to myself for a while1 until things brightened up a bit40 8,who--who is she80 demanded ,dorothy4 ,i did not listen4 ,i am a very selfish old man4 ,all these bright young folk whom ,i loved1 all the friends ,i had on earth1 ,i thought gloomily1 had paired off1 and ,i was left alone4 ,i tried to smile4 8,congratulations1 ,peter6 ,that's just fine4 ,it's the mating season4 ,well1 it's time ,i settled down1 too4 ,i'll go now and write a letter40 8,stop1 unk60 ,lewis caught my arm4 8,what makes you look so queer8 ,what letter do you mean80 8,why1 to ,stamford1 to the ,home for the ,aged there4 ,it's a nice homey place and very exclusive4 ,i--,i have f-friends there1 too4 ,i'm going to buy a membership40 8,you are not60 declared ,dorothy and my nephew at once4 8,why1 your room's waiting for you at our new bungalow2 we've moved your things over there1 and everything40 8,you are not60 cried ,peter4 8,why1 unk1 ,i was counting on you to bach in with me here at ,fort ,house until ,i bring ,edith down at ,christmas time to take care of us both60 8,you are not60 ,that was ,floyd ,somers1 in from the porch1 his extraordinarily long1 lean arm wrapped about ,anne's shoulders4 8,you're coming to live with ,anne and me1 of course6 ,i've decided to resign from the hospital and buy out ,gaskell's practice4 ,a little general medicine will do me good1 and there's plenty of medicolegal work in ,north ,carolina1 once ,i get to be known here4 ,i like this country4 ,we're going to buy ,gaskell's house1 ,anne and ,i2 and of course you'll live with us there60 ,my eyes filled with tears4 ,after all1 ,i was not friendless nor forgotten4 8,god b-bless you1 children60 ,i said4 8,i'll stay with you all1 turn and turn about40 99 99 99 99 99 ,my story is done4 ,i am living with ,lewis and ,dorothy2 but1 when ,anne and ,floyd come back from their honeymoon next month1 ,i shall go there for a while1 and in ,january ,i move to ,fort ,house1 to stay with ,peter and his ,edith4 ,i hope she may prove to be as true and as sweet as my other two nieces--by marriage and courtesy6 ,ralph ,satterfield and his fellows of the corn-whisky ring are safe in ,atlanta2 and ,somers need not fear the bootleggers' vengeance for another twenty years1 at least4 ,as for ,roaring ,lafe ,rutledge1 he never came to trial4 ,he died in prison of some heart condition1 brought on1 ,doctor ,somers says1 by excessive drinking4 ,aunt ,mary ,mc,gregor sleeps in the ,pinelands cemetery1 no more than a dozen feet from the man she slew4 ,we put flowers on both graves impartially1 as the genial sun of ,north ,carolina shines on both2 and the quail whistle 8bobwhite6 bobwhite60 without disturbing the rest of either4 ,we do not judge her4 ,as ,floyd ,somers said1 8,when you have stood1 with a deadly weapon in hand1 facing an enemy who has power to betray your secrets and destroy the security of your whole life2 and when you have let him go unscathed1 knowing you could kill him with impunity1 then1 and not till then1 dare you blame ,mary ,mc,gregor40 ,let that be her epitaph4 ,but ,i1 for one1 shall never to my dying day hear the quail calling 8bobwhite6 bobwhite60 of a lazy summer morning without an inward shrinking4 ,,the ,,end ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes ,this file uses underscores to indicate italic text4 ,the following changes and corrections have been made3 p4 #bf3 ,replaced 8listend0 with 8listened0 in phrase 8,i listened frankly1 welcoming any signs of human companionship40 p4 #gf3 ,removed comma after 8quail0 from phrase 8,a quail whistled sharply40 p4 #id3 ,replaced 8beeen0 with 8been0 in phrase 8,from the moment he left the stand he had been deathly white40 p4 #aeb3 ,added opening double quotation mark before phrase 8,i'll be a-all right p-presently40 p4 #agf3 ,replaced 8laugher0 with 8laughter0 in phrase 8,renewed laughter40 p4 #ahf3 ,replaced 8docor0 with 8doctor0 in phrase 8the doctor knew more than was good for him40