Part 24 (1/2)

”Stop talking past me!” Persis said. ”There's a lot to do.” ”You need time to recover,” I said. ”Just rest for a while.”

266.

She took another mouthful of soup and then reached for the coffee cup and held it in both hands. ”There's no time for resting. We have to stop that man. First I have to make a new will. Caleb?”

Her words still blurred a little, but she was growing stronger by the moment. He crossed the room to her at once.

”Caleb, have you drawn up a new will, as I asked you to do?”

As always, he held himself in check, but I sensed seething indignation just below the surface of his guard. ”There's been no time. And I'm not sure-”

”You can go to work on it right now,” Persis told him. ”In the meantime, Laurie, bring pencil and paper, and I'll dictate an informal will this minute. Belle and Caleb can witness it, and this will serve until the details are worked out.”

Caleb protested. ”If I am still a beneficiary, I can't be a witness.”

”You won't be the main beneficiary now,” she said bluntly. ”I've already told you of the change I must make. But you are an old and trusted friend and you will be considered, of course. So you'd better phone Jon. Tell him I want him right away.”

Caleb went into the hall to telephone, and I watched him go thoughtfully. I hadn't known until this moment that Caleb would have been the one to benefit most.

Gail had been listening in silence, but now she hurried to a desk to find writing materials and bring them to me. As though she really wanted to help, though I wondered why. Clearly she hadn't taken my ”firing” seriously.

Persis regarded her indignantly. ”What are you doing here? I told you to go. I told you I didn't need you in this house any longer.”

I was beginning to understand. Gail had already been dismissed before I had told her to go. And she had struck back in her own way, trying to stay as long as she could. For whate er reasons prompted her.

Caleb came back. ”Jon will be here right away.”

”Is this true, Gail?” I asked.

She made a last attempt to stand her ground. ”Of course it's not true. Mrs. Morgan is confused. She's not remembering properly. Perhaps she heard you telling me to go, but oa hae no authority, Laurie.”

”I remember perfectly well,” Persis said. ”I remember that odd tasting gla.s.s of milk Edna brought up to me.”

”Milk?” Gail said.

”Yes, of course. Edna had been told to bring it up.”

”I didn't order any milk for you. Not this time.” But she knew she had lost. We were all staring at her, and she ga e me a single savage look and then whirled out of the room. I could hear her running up the stairs.

”Let her go and report to Ingram,” Persis said. ”I'll be glad to have her out of the house. She was a mistake from the first, Caleb.”

Caleb said nothing, and there was no telling what he might be thinking.

”Laurie,” Persis said, ”sit here beside rne and we'll get started.”

I sat on the sofa beside her with m} pen poised, but she found it difficult at first because the fogs of unnatural deep still clouded her mind. Spells of drowsiness still interfered. Belle fed her more soup and coffee, and finally she began to state what she wanted, so that I could set it down. Jon appeared before she had finished her slow sentences, and he stood in the doorway listening, until Caleb beckoned him in. Once or twice she turned to Caleb for a.s.sistance in the wording, and he helped her stiffly. How could he be happ about a will that 'T.as taking a great deal away from him? And how lonely Persis Mor- 268.

gan must have been to feel that Caleb was the only friend to whom she could entrust her fortune.

When it was done at last, and Belle and Jon had witnessed her signature, she looked around the parlor with an air of growing satisfaction.

”I feel better now. It's time I came to life again. Laurie, we must talk.”

”Yes,” I said. ”There's a lot to tell you. I haven't had any chance until now. This morning I went into the back parlor, and everything returned to me. I know what I did, and I know what you did to save us all from the consequences.”

”This isn't the time,” Caleb began, but she waved him to silence.

”Go on, Laurie,” she said.

I threw Jon a quick look and found him watching me, his expression kind, encouraging. I stumbled on.

”Grandmother, I think I came upon Noah's bones in the mine this morning. That's another long story. I went searching for Red, and found him where he'd been tied up inside the mine. Someone locked me in, but Jon came looking for me and rescued me. But before he came I found those bones in the mine.”

”That's enough, Laurie,” Caleb said. ”You shouldn't be telling Mrs. Morgan all this now.” He looked rather white about the mouth, and his eyes didn't meet mine.

Persis was quiet, lost in her own thoughts, and I didn't try to go on. After a moment she seemed to rouse herself and sat a little higher against the sofa pillows.

”Bones in the mine?” she questioned. ”But they could belong to anyone at all. Any unfortunate. There's no reason to think that Noah-”

”Certainly not,” Caleb broke in. ”More than one man was lost in that mine in the old days.”

J.

269.

Gail surprised us all by speaking from the doorway. I didn't know how long she'd been there, listening, ”Bones in the Old Desolate? How fascinating! Perhaps Mr. Ingram will be interested to learn about those bones, Laurie. Especially since he told us that Noah Armand was an old friend of his. I know he's interested in the mystery of that disappearance.”

Persis looked at her with the haughty air she could summon on occasion. ”I expected you to be upstairs packing, Miss Cullen. You can go back to your employer now.”

Gail smiled at her brightly. ”Maybe I'll do just that. And you can count on my being out of this house as quickly as I can go. Caleb, will you take me over to the hotel with my things?”

”I'll take you,” Jon said, and followed her out of the room.

”Finish your soup,” Belle ordered, and Persis looked up, smiling.

”I'm glad you're here. Will you stay with me now?”

For a moment Belle seemed undecided, reluctant, and then she gave in. ”I'll stay for a while. But I think you should get back to your bed now. You've been up long enough.”

Persis nodded agreement. ”Yes. I want to be quiet. I need to be alone to think. Caleb, will you put this will away safeh, please? It will serve until your office draws up a proper one. Why don't you start working on a draft for me now?”

Caleb took the paper, bowing to her wishes. I could understand why he had been against my coming here from the first. Although he would still be remembered generously, a fortune had just gone out of his hands. And more than that. I recalled what Persis had told me about Caleb Hawes always being a projection of what others had thought he should be. Perhaps for once real power had been within his grasp, only to be s.n.a.t.c.hed away because of my coming to Jasper.

When he looked at me openly for the first time since I'd entered the room, I saw a blaze in his eyes that shocked me. But 2JO.

it was quickly veiled as he and Belle went to help Persis up the stairs.

I ran ahead to smooth out her bed and plump the pillows. When she lay back against them, with the comforter pulled over her, she reached for my hand and held it tightly.

”One more thing, Laurie. While I still have the strength. Go downstairs and fetch that box with the deringer in it. Bring it to me. Now.”