"Don't you worry a minute, Mr. Thompson. We'll get those birds yet. I
was pretty sure they had something to do with it, all the time. You've
got the best man in the department on the job."
He put on his derby hat with a flourish and trotted out the door. I
recalled that I had told Mary I would see her, so I dismissed the
stenographers and locked up the office. It was a perfect morning, with
all the warm spicy perfumes of Indian summer. Overhead, a blue sky was
filled with tumbled clouds of snowy whiteness. The rain of the night
before was still on the grass and the trees, giving a dewy fragrance to
the air that was invigorating.
Now that I had found a possible solution to the tragedy, I was filled
with enthusiasm. I felt that if I could bring Jim's murderers to
trial, I would conduct such a case for the prosecution as would send
them up for life. They had succeeded in carrying out their threats,
but I would make them pay for it.
I stopped in front of Mary's house and honked the horn. She opened the
door and came quickly to the car. The tragic news of the night before
had taken the laughter out of her eyes and the buoyancy from her step.
"I could cry my eyes out, Bupps," she said as she climbed into the car.
"Don't do it, or I'll start, too," I responded, a lump coming in my
throat.
"How did it happen?" she asked, as we drove away. "The papers gave a
long account, but said it was an accident."
"Zalnitch did it, Mary. At least, I'm almost sure it was he." I told
her what I had learned during the morning, and as I talked, I finally
touched on Frank Woods' strange words of the night before.
"You don't think he had anything to do with it, do you, Bupps?"
"No," I said. "I did think so, but I have changed my mind since this
morning. I suppose it was just his grief that made him act so queerly."
"He does love Helen, Bupps," Mary murmured. "Helen got quite
confidential while she was staying with me, and the things she told me
about Woods made me see he was really in love with her."
"Yes, I suppose he does love her," I responded, "but he had no right to
take her away from Jim."
"It's the man who takes a woman, whether he has the right or not, that
wins," responded Mary seriously.
I looked at her and wondered whether she was growing the least bit
personal. She was looking straight ahead, with an unsmiling gaze. As
I glanced at her, there beside me, with the breeze blowing wisps of
golden hair around her temples, I got panic-stricken.
"Mary--" I began.
"Watch where you are going, Bupps!"
I fastened my eyes on the street ahead, but only for an instant. With
Jim gone, I was going to be fearfully lonesome. I glanced at her again.
"Mary, I know this isn't the right time or place, but--"
"Let's go to the hospital and find out about Helen," she interposed
quickly. She knew we were going there all the time. The mention of
Helen brought me back to earth with a snap, and made me realize I had
no business talking about love at such a time. Yet never in my life
did I feel more like telling Mary how much I wanted her.
We had no sooner entered the cool hall of St. Mary's than the little
interne with glasses, whom I had seen the night before, came hurrying
up to me.
"Mr. Thompson, we have been telephoning every place for you."