THE REVEALING PATTERN
By Alvin Heiner
The Reamer mansion was on trial.
It announced its own verdict—guilty!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1952.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
He was a man easily smiled at; a little birdlike individual carrying an umbrella and wearing upon his pink face a look remindful of happy secrets about to be revealed. He came to my desk during the midafternoon lull and said, "I am Professor Jonathan Waits. I have come to avail myself of your facilities."
I had never heard it put quite that way before, but from Professor Waits, it did not sound stilted. It was the way you would expect him to put it. He beamed at the ceiling and said, "What a fine old library, my dear. I must bring Nicholas some time."
I gave him the smile reserved financial supporters and unknown quantatives and asked, "Could I be of service?"
He didn't get to it immediately. "I understand this library is fairly crammed with old records—data on the historical aspects of this area. Personal histories and such."