BLOSSOM'S SUSPICIONS
Characteristic as it was of Colonel Ashley not to show surprise, he could hardly restrain an indication of it when he reached The Haven, and found Miss Mary Carwell and Viola there.They were not expected until the next day, but while her niece was temporarily absent Miss Carwell explained the matter.
"She couldn't stand it another minute.She insisted that I should pack and come with her.Something seemed to drive her home.""I hope," said the Colonel gently, "that she didn't imagine that I wasn't doing all possible, under the circumstances.""Oh, no, it wasn't anything like that.She just wanted to be at home.And I think, too," and Miss Carwell lowered her voice, after a glance at the door, "that she wanted to see him.""You mean - ?"
"Mr.Bartlett! There's no use disguising the fact that his family and ours aren't on friendly terms.I think he did a grave injustice to my brother in a business way, and I'll never forgive him for it.I don't want to see Viola marry him - that is I didn't.I hardly believe, now, after he has been arrested, that she will.But there is no doubt she cares for him, and would do anything to prove that this charge was groundless.""Well, yes, I suppose that's natural," assented the detective."I'd be glad, myself, to believe that Harry Bartlett had nothing to do with the death of Mr.Carwell.""But you believe he did have, don't you?""I haven't yet made up my mind," was the cautious answer."The golf course mystery, I don't mind admitting, is one of the most puzzling I've ever run across.It won't do to make up one's mind at once.""But my brother either committed suicide, or else he was deliberately poisoned !" insisted Miss Carwell."And those of us who knew him feel sure he would never take his own life.He must have been killed, and if Harry Bartlett didn't do it who did?""I don't know," frankly replied the colonel."That's what I'm going to try to find out.So Miss Viola feels much sympathy for him, does she?""Yes.And she wants to go to see him at the jail.Of course I know they don't exactly call it a jail, but that's what I call it!"Miss Carwell was nothing if not determined in her language."Would you let her go if you were I - go to see him?" she asked.
"I don't see how you are going to prevent it," replied the colonel."Miss Viola is of legal age, and she seems to have a will of her own.But I hardly believe that she will see Mr.Bartlett.""Oh, but she said she was going to.That's one reason she made me come home ahead of time, I believe.She says she's going to see him, and what she says she'll do she generally does.""However I don't believe she'll see him," went on the detective."The prosecutor has given orders since yesterday that no one except Mr.Bartlett's legal adviser must communicate with him; so I don't believe Miss Viola will be admitted."This proved to be correct.Viola was very insistent, but to no avail.The warden at the jail would not admit her to the witness rooms, where Harry Bartlett paced up and down, wondering, wondering, and wondering.And much of his wonder had to do with the girl who tried so hard to see him.
She had sent word by his lawyer that she believed in his innocence and that she would do all she could for him, but he wanted more than that.He wanted to see her - to feast his hungry eyes on her - to hold her hand, to - Oh, well, what was the use? he wearily asked himself.Would the horrible tangle ever be straightened out? He shook his head and resumed his pacing of the rooms - for there were two at his disposal.He was weary to death of the dismal view to be had through the barred windows.
"Did you see him?" asked her aunt, when Viola, much dispirited, returned home.
"No, and I suppose you're glad of it!" "I am.There's no use saying I'm not.""Aunt Mary, I think it's perfectly horrid of you to think, even for a moment, that Harry had anything to do with this terrible thing.He'd never dream of it, not if he had quarreled with my father a dozen times.
And I don't see what they quarreled about, either.I'm sure I was with Harry a good deal of the time before the game, and I didn't hear him and my father have any words.""Perhaps, as it was about you, they took care you shouldn't hear." "Who says it was about me?""Can't you easily guess that it was, and that's why Harry doesn't want to tell?" asked Miss Mary.
"I don't believe anything of the sort!" declared Viola.
"Well," sighed Miss Carwell, "I don't know what to believe.If your poor, dear father wasn't a suicide, some one must have killed him, and it may well have been - ""Don't dare say it was Harry!" cried Viola excitedly."Oh, this is terrible! I'm going to see Colonel Ashley and ask him if he can't end this horrible suspense.""I wish that as eagerly as you do," said Miss Mary."You'll find the colonel in the library.He's poring over some papers, and Shag, that funny colored man, is getting some fish lines ready; so it's easy enough to guess where the colonel is going.If you want to speak to him you'd better hurry.But there's another matter I want to call to your attention.What about our business affairs?Have we money enough to go on living here and keeping up our big winter house?We must think of that, Viola." "Yes, we must think of that," agreed the girl."That's one of the reasons why I wanted to come back.Father's affairs must be gone into carefully.He left no will, and the lawyer says it will take quite a while to find out just how things stand.If only Harry were here to help.He'ssuch a good business man."
