“But it is in Austin Hale’s handwriting,” asserted Mrs. Hale. “You know it is, Polly.”
Polly again inspected the clear, distinctive writing. She had seen it too often to be mistaken in identifying the chirography.
“It looks like Austin’s writing,” she qualified. “When did you receive the letter and what does it mean?”
“Mean? We’ll come to that later,” Mrs. Hale lowered her voice to a confidential pitch. “You see the date there,” indicating it, and Polly nodded. “The letter was begun on Tuesday in New York, and Austin was murdered between Tuesday midnight and one A. M. Wednesday here in Washington.”
“He was——”
“Of course he was.” Patience was never Mrs. Hale’s strong point. “Now, Polly, let us dissect this letter. On Tuesday in New York Austin states that he is to take the midnight train for San Francisco; instead of that he comes to Washington. Why?” And having propounded the conundrum, Mrs. Hale sat back and contemplated Polly. There was a distinct pause before the girl replied.
“I cannot answer your question, Mrs. Hale.” Polly avoided raising her eyes as she turned the letter over once again and looked at the blank side. It was a small-sized sheet of note paper of good quality, and Austin’s large writing completely filled the first page. Polly held the letter nearer Mrs. Hale.
“The back sheet has been torn off,” she pointed out. “See, the edges are rough and uneven.”
“So I observed.” Mrs. Hale was a trifle nonplussed. She had anticipated more excitement on Polly’s part, and the girl’s composure was a surprise. That Polly was maintaining her composure through sheer will power, Mrs. Hale was too obtuse to detect. She was convinced, however, that Polly had been more than ordinarily attracted by Austin Hale’s good looks and his marked attention to her charming self. It was not in human nature, Mrs. Hale argued, that a young and penniless girl would refuse a wealthy young man, especially not in favor of a man of John Hale’s age. It was absurd of Joe Richards to insinuate that her brother-in-law might have supplanted Austin in Polly’s affections. Having once gotten an idea in her head no power on earth could dislodge it, and Mrs. Hale, to prove her viewpoint, had decided to investigate the mystery of Austin’s death to her own satisfaction. Mrs. Hale thought over Polly’s conduct for several minutes, then changed her tactics.
“Had you heard recently from Austin?” she asked, and at the direct question Polly changed color.