OUR NEW SERIAL “THE GIRLS AT THE COTTAGE.”

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 10 July 1922, Page 3

OUR NEW SERIAL “THE GIRLS AT THE COTTAGE.”

By

FLORENCE WARDEN.

CHAPTED V.—Continued. Mrs Swain gave her a wooden look. “ I understand as ’ow the poor lady was took away sudden,” she observed. “ Mrs King had been an invalid, lying on a couch, for years,” said Cousin Kesiah. “Dr Cone attended her and was here only to-day. She had a weak heart and the only wonder was that she lived so long.” Mrs Swain looked interested, but not convinced. Her expression seemed to say: “So that’s the tale, is it?” “ A weak ’eart? ’Ad she, indeed mum? And what was it carried her off at the last, may I make bold to ask?” Cousin Kesiah threw at the old woman series of glances with which she would fain have struck her dead. But she thought to wiser to answer. At the same time she realised that she was about to make a statement which would be remembered, repeated and perhaps brought up against her. She felt that it was better to he vague. “ We think it must have been the banging of a door, or some Ittle unexpected noise that woke her out of a sleep, and, in her weak state, affected her heart.” Mrs Swain’s eyes were like gimlets as she watched the expression of Cousin Kesiah’s face. “Oh, a door banging I Dear, 'dear! Who would have thought it? And did the doctor think it was that did it?” “If you go to the kitchen cupboard,” said Cousin Kesiah, “ you will find some bread and butter, and you can make yourself a cup of tea.” “ Thank you, mum.” But Mrs Swain was not grateful. The two women exchanged a look of acute mistrust as they parted. Dr Cone was as good as his word. The three ladies were in a state of keen anxiety until the evening of the following day, when the undertaker arrived, and set about his lugubrious duties without any sign of suspicion or undue curiosity. On the morning after that, Dr Cone called in his motor-car. He asked to see Miss Judith, and Mrs Swain, who was installed for the time io “oblige,” brought the girl the message that she was “ wanted in the dining-room.” Judith, who had been sitting in the room above with her sister, went downstairs with great reluctance. She felt as if she were about to be made to pay the price of Dr Crone’s assistance, and as she entered the dining-room she looked like a marble statue. “ How do you do. Miss King? You look as if all this business had been too much for you. How do you find old Mrs Swain?” “We are most grateful to you for sending her. I don’t know what we should have done without her.” “ That’s all right. She’s a bit of a nuisance with her chatter, as they all are. Don’t answer her questions. Just let her talk.” “ We have to answer some of them,” said Judith. “ For instance, she never let us rest till she had found out why we were without a servant.” “ What did you tell her?” “ That my mother’s maid was so ill from the shock that she had to go home. But she didn’t believe it.” “Of course not. These old parties never believe what you tell them. They know better.” There was a pause. “You would like to see my cousin, wouldn’t you?” But the doctor’s reply was quite abrupt. “ Miss Kesiah! Oh, dear, no. Does anybody ever want to see her? I wanted to see you.” Judith’s cheeks flushed. He was quite open, quite frank, but his manner was less offensive than his words. He remained standing near the window, his hat in one hand, his umbrella in the other, and if those furtive glances of his made her feel slightly uncomfortable, she could see very little of them as he stood with his back to the light. “ I wanted to let you know that you will have no trouble —about anything. On these occasions there are sometimes difficulties; people like to be fussy, and they have to be satisfied I’ve satisfied ’em.” “ Thank you very much. But there was really nothing to hide, was there?’’

“ Well, people always think there may be.” “ But there wasn’t,” persisted Judith irritably. The doctor made no reply. “ I should have thought it was quite easy to understand, that when you, who have been attending her so long, were satisfied, everyone else would be.” Dr Cone hesitated a second, and then said abuptly: “ I am not satisfied.” The words were like a blow to the poor girl. It was some moments before she could stammer out: “You are not satisfied! Why, what —what is it you think?” “ I am not satisfied as to the reason of her maid Trotter having disappear-

ed so abruptly, without any explanation.” “ But you don’t surely think she had any hand in my poor mother’s death?” “ I didn’t say that. I said I was not satisfied.” Juditfi was overwhelmed. She stood looking at the table, like a statue of consternation. “ What can we do?” she said feebly. “ Nothing, Let sleeping dogs lie. If, later, there should be any questions asked, or any trouble made, don’t answer, but refer them to me. I’ll settle ’em.” Less and less did Judith like the idea of appearing to be a. member of a conspiracy with the sinister doctor. Yet she dared not make any demur. She dared not even appear anything but grateful. Mysterious as the whole terrible affair was, she felt the necessity of letting it remain a mystery as long as possible. Continued in to-morrow’s Advertiser.