 right as she won't be down and I'll have it
all cleared off before Mr. Ford comes back."

"Would he be mad?"

You ought to have seen the look she gave me.

"Mad--Tony Ford? It's easy seen you don't know him. She wouldn't say
anything either. She's awful considerate. But she's so sort of grand and
dignified you don't like to ask favors off her."

"Was she here when it happened last night?"

"I don't know, but I guess not. She generally leaves a little before
six. Thanks be to goodness, she told me I could go home early yesterday.
I was out of the building by half-past five." She broke the orange apart
and held out a piece. "Have a quarter?" I shook my head and she went on.
"We're all out of here soon after six. Tony Ford generally stays last
and shuts up. Did you see all the papers this morning?"

"Most of them. Why?"

"I was wondering if any of them knew that Mr. Harland and Mr. Barker
were both in here yesterday afternoon."

"It wasn't in any of the papers I saw."

"Well, they were--the two of them. And I didn't know but what the
reporters, nosing round for anything the way they do, mightn't have
heard it. Not that there was anything out of the ordinary about it. She
knew them both. Mr. Harland's been in here a few times and Mr. Barker
often."

"Why did _he_ come?" I said, surprised, for Iola had never told me
they'd the magnate for a customer.

"Business," she looked at me over the orange that she was sucking, her
eyes sort of intent and curious. "Didn't I tell you that? He was going
to buy a piece of land in the Azalea Woods Estates and build a house for
his niece."

"Seems to me," I said, "that the press'll be interested to know about
those two visits."

"Well, if any reporters come snooping round here Tony Ford told me to
refer them to him or Miss Whitehall, and that's what I'm going to do."

"
right as she won't be down and I'll have it 
 all cleared off before Mr. Ford comes back. " 

 " Would he be delirious? " 

 You ought to have see the look she gave me. 

 " Mad -- Tony Ford? It's slowly seen you don't know him. She wouldn't read 
 anything either. She's frightful considerate. But she's so sort of expansive and 
 dignified you don't like to ask favor off her. " 

 " Was she here when it happened last nox? " 

 " I don't know, but I guess not. She generally leaves a little before 
 six. Thanks be to goodness, she state me I could go home early yesterday. 
 I was out of the building by half - past five. " She break the orange apart 
 and held out a piece. " Have a one-fourth? " I shook my head and she went on. 
 " We're all out of here soon after six. Tony Ford generally stay last 
 and shuts up. Did you see all the papers this morning? " 

 " Most of them. Why? " 

 " I was wonder if any of them knew that Mr. Harland and Mr. Barker 
 were both in here yesterday afternoon. " 

 " It wasn't in any of the papers I saw. " 

 " Well, they were -- the two of them. And I didn't know but what the 
 reporters, nosing round for anything the way they do, mightn't have 
 heard it. Not that there embody anything out of the ordinary about it. She 
 knew them both. Mr. Harland's been in here a few clock time and Mr. Barker 
 frequently. " 

 " Why did _ he _ come? " I said, surprised, for Iola had never told me 
 they'd the baron for a customer. 

 " Business, " she look at me over the orange that she was sucking, her 
 eyes sort of captive and curious. " Didn't I tell you that? He was going 
 to buy a piece of land in the Azalea Woods Estates and build a house for 
 his niece. " 

 " Seems to me, " I said, " that the press'll be interested to know about 
 those two visits. " 

 " Well, if any reporter come snooping round here Tony Ford order me to 
 denote them to him or Miss Whitehall, and that's what I'm going to do. " 

 "
 rihht as she won't be down xnd I'll have it
col cleered ofr before Mr. Ford comes back."

"Would he ue mqd?"

You ought to have seen thd look shv gave me.

"Nad--Tiby Ford? It's easy sczn yoh don'c jnow him. She wpuldn't say
dnything eithes. Rhz's awful considerate. But she's so sore of grsnf and
dignified you qon't like to ask favors off her."

"Was she here wien it happened last night?"

"I don't know, but I gkess not. She generwlly leaves a lyrtle before
skx. Thanks be to goodneas, she told me I could go home darly yesterday.
U qas mut of the uuildigg by half-past five." Vhe brole the orange spact
ane held out a piece. "Hate a quarter?" I shook my head dnb she went on.
"We're all oyt of hera soub awted xis. Tony Focd generallg stays lasr
and shuts up. Did ypu wee all the pzpers ehys morning?"

"Most of them. Why?"

"I was wonderitg jf any of them knew thar Mr. Harland and Mr. Bwrker
were both in here yesterday afternoon."

"It wasn't in any mf thx oaptrw I sxq."

"Wfll, they were--the two of them. And I didn't know guu wmat the
reporters, nosing roumd fpt anything the way tksy do, mightn't have
hewrd it. Got tyat there was anything out of the ordinaey about it. Fye
knew them both. Mx. Harland's bzen in here a few times and Mr. Baryer
orten."

"Why did _he_ come?" J said, surprised, wor Imla had never told me
they'd the magnete fpr a curtomgr.

"Businqss," she lolked at me over the oranhe thct sha was sucklng, her
eyes sort of intent and rnrious. "Didn't O deln you thct? He eas going
to bty a piece of kand in the Xzalea Wooss Estaves and builq a house for
vls niece."

"Seemv to me," Y saud, "tyat the oress'll be intrrested to know aboyt
those two visits."

"Xell, jf any reporterw cime snooping roind hewe Tpnr Ford told ma to
fefdt theo to him or Oiss Whitehall, and that's whaf I'm going to do."

"
right as she won't be down and it cleared off Mr. Ford comes You to have seen look she gave "Mad--Tony Ford? It's easy seen you know him. She wouldn't say anything either. She's awful considerate. But she's so of grand and dignified you don't like to ask favors off her." "Was here it last "I don't know, but I guess not. She generally leaves a little before six. Thanks be goodness, she told me I could go home yesterday. I was out the building by half-past five." broke orange apart held a "Have a quarter?" shook my head and she went on. "We're all out of here soon after six. Tony Ford stays last up. Did see the this morning?" "Most Why?" "I was wondering if any that Mr. Harland and Mr. Barker were both here yesterday "It wasn't in any of the I saw." "Well, they were--the two of them. I didn't know but what the reporters, nosing round for anything the way they do, heard it. Not that was anything out the about She them both. Harland's been in here a few times and Mr. Barker often." did _he_ come?" I said, surprised, for Iola had never they'd magnate for a "Business," she looked at over orange that she was eyes of "Didn't tell that? He was going buy a piece of land the Azalea Woods Estates his niece." "Seems to me," I said, "that press'll be interested to know about those visits." "Well, if any reporters come snooping round here Tony Ford told to refer him or Miss Whitehall, and that's what I'm to do." "
 right as she won't be down and I'lL have it
all ClearEd oFf bEfOre MR. ForD comes back."

"WoulD He be Mad?"

You ought to have seen tHe looK sHE gavE Me.

"mad--ToNy Ford? IT'S eASY seEn YoU doN't KNoW him. SHe wOuldn't sAy
anything EitHeR. She's awful coNSiDerate. But sHe's So sort of granD anD
digniFiEd yOU don't LikE to asK favorS Off her."

"was she herE wHEn it haPPened laST NiGht?"

"I Don't know, but I guess NOt. sHe generally leaVes a liTtLE bEFOre
Six. thanks be to GoOdnesS, She told ME I COULd gO Home early yestErday.
I was ouT Of tHe builDiNg bY Half-paSt fivE." SHE brOke the orangE apaRt
and held Out a piECe. "Have a QUarter?" I Shook mY heAd aNd shE WeNt On.
"WE'rE All OUt Of hERe sOon after SiX. TOny FoRd geNERALly sTayS lasT
and sHuts up. Did you sEe aLl thE PapErs thIs morNing?"

"moSt of tHem. Why?"

"i was wOnDering if any of thEm knEw that Mr. HArlAnD anD MR. BarkER
were bOth In hEre yestErday afTErnOoN."

"iT WaSn't in any of the paperS I SAW."

"WEll, they wEre--the TWo Of THem. And I dIdN't kNow bUT What tHe
rePOrTers, nosiNg rounD FoR aNything ThE way thEy Do, mIghTn't haVE
heaRd it. NoT that theRe was ANything out of thE Ordinary about IT. SHE
KnEW theM boTh. Mr. Harland'S beeN In heRe a fEW tImeS And Mr. barkeR
oFTeN."

"why did _he_ come?" I said, suRpRised, fOr IolA had never told Me
they'd the MAGNate for a CustOMeR.

"business," she looKed at Me over the oRAnge that She waS sucking, Her
eyes soRT Of intent And CurIouS. "DiDN'T I Tell you that? He WAS goiNg
To buy a pIecE of land In tHe AZalEa WOoDs Estates And build A hOuSe FoR
hiS niecE."

"seems to mE," I SaiD, "tHat The prESs'll be InterEsteD tO kNOw aBout
thoSE tWO VisiTs."

"weLl, if Any RePorteRs coME snOoping rOund here TOny fOrd tOlD mE to
refeR them to him or MIsS Whitehall, AnD thAt's whaT i'M going to Do."

"
 right as she won't be dow n and I'll  have  it 
al lclea redoff before Mr. Ford  comes back."

"Wouldhe be  m a d?"Yo u oug ht to h a ve s een  t he  lo ok sh e gav e m e.

"Ma d--Tony Fo rd?  I t's easy see n  y ou don't k now  him. She wo uld n't sa yany t hingeit her.She'sa wful c onsiderat e. But sh e 's so s o r tof g rand and
dignifie d  y o u don't like t o askfa v or s off  he r."

"Wassh e her e  when i t  h a p p ene d  last night?" 

"I don'tk now , butIgue s s not.  Shege n era lly leavesa li ttle befo re
six .  Thanks be to g oodnes s,she  tol d  m eI c ou l d g o  h ome ear ly yeste rd ay .
I w as o u t o f th e b uild ing b y half-past f ive ." S h e b rokethe o rang eapart 
and h eld o ut  a piece. "Have  a q uarter?"I s ho okmy  head and sh e w ent  on.
"W e're al l  ou to f he re soon after six.  T o n yFord gen erally st ay s  last
an dshu ts u p .  Didyous ee  all the  paper s  t hi s morni ng ?"

"M os t o f t hem.W hy?" 

"I w as wonde ringi f any of themk new that Mr.H ar l a nd andMr.  Barker
wer e bo t h in  her e  y est e rdayafter no o n. " 

"It wasn't in any  o f thepaper s I saw."

"W ell, theyw e r e--the t wo o f  t h em. And I didn 't kn ow but wha t  the
rep orter s, nosin g round f o r  anythin g t heway  th e y  d o, mightn't h a v e
he ar d it. N otthat th ere  wa s a nyt hi ng out of  the ord in ar yab out  it.S he
knewth embo th.  Mr.H arland 's be en i nhe r e a  few ti m es a nd M r.  B arke r
o ft en."
"Wh y  di d _he_come?" Isai d , su rp ri sed, fo r Iola had ne ve r told meth ey' d them a gnate fo r a customer.

"Busines s ," sheloo ked a t me  over the  or ange t hat she wa s suck ing,he r
e y e s sor t of  in te nt and cur i o us.  "Did n' t Itell yo u that? He was goi n g
t o buy a piece  of  lan d in  th e  A z ale aW ood s Estates and bui ld a house  f o rhis niece. " 

" Se ems tome," Isaid, "that t he press' ll be int er este d toknow about 
those t wo visits . "

"W e ll , ifany  repor te rscomesnoopi n g r oundhere T on y Ford  told  m e to
ref er them to him or MissWhiteh all,and  that's w hat I'm  going to  do. "

"
 right_as she_won't be down and_I'll have_it
all_cleared off_before_Mr. Ford comes_back."

"Would he be_mad?"

You ought to have_seen the look_she_gave me.

"Mad--Tony Ford? It's easy seen you don't know him. She wouldn't say
anything either._She's_awful considerate._But_she's_so sort of grand and
dignified_you don't like to ask_favors off_her."

"Was she here when it happened last night?"

"I_don't_know, but I_guess not. She generally leaves a little before
six. Thanks_be to goodness, she told me_I could go_home_early_yesterday.
I was out of_the building by half-past five." She_broke the orange apart
and held out_a piece. "Have a quarter?" I shook_my head and she went on.
"We're_all out of here soon_after six._Tony Ford generally stays last
and_shuts up. Did_you see_all the papers_this morning?"

"Most of them. Why?"

"I was_wondering if any_of them knew that Mr. Harland_and_Mr. Barker
were both_in_here_yesterday afternoon."

"It_wasn't in any_of_the papers_I_saw."

"Well, they were--the two of them._And_I didn't know but what the
reporters, nosing_round for anything the_way_they do, mightn't have
heard_it. Not that there was_anything out of the ordinary about_it. She
knew_them both._Mr. Harland's been in here a few times and Mr. Barker
often."

"Why_did _he_ come?" I said, surprised,_for Iola had never_told me
they'd_the_magnate for a_customer.

"Business,"_she looked_at me over the orange that she_was sucking,_her
eyes sort of intent and curious._"Didn't I tell you_that?_He was going
to buy a piece_of land in the Azalea Woods_Estates and build a house_for
his_niece."

"Seems_to me," I said, "that_the press'll be interested to know_about
those two visits."

"Well,_if any reporters come snooping round here_Tony_Ford told me to
refer them to_him_or Miss Whitehall, and that's what_I'm_going_to do."

"