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It was dark. Nor could she be certain that his coloring was due to sunburn. His eyes were dark, too, and his hair. He was a good-looking man, she decided, and quite young. But how tall. And what shoulders. She wondered who he was, and what he was doing on her farm. Then, of a sudden, she remembered she had spoken of a hired man to Mrs. Ransford. Had she ?
There was certainly much in his suggestion that a man wasn't likely to buy an old book about a little insignificant town like Barthorpe unless he had some interest in it Barthorpe, if Campany's theory were true, was probably the place of John Braden's origin. Therefore, information about Braden, leading to knowledge of his association or connection with Ransford, might be found at Barthorpe.
"Well?" he said, a little brusquely. "What is it?" "Sorry to intrude so late, Dr. Ransford," answered Mitchington, "but I should be much obliged if you would give us a bit of information badly wanted, doctor, in view of recent events," he added, with a smile which was meant to be reassuring. "I'm sure you can if you will." "Sit down," said Ransford, pointing to chairs.
Mary said nothing for a moment, and Ransford moved restlessly about the room. "I don't trust that fellow Bryce," he said suddenly. "He's up to something. I don't forget what he said when I bundled him out that morning." "What?" she asked. "That he would be a bad enemy," answered Ransford.
"And therefore," interrupted Harker with a smile, "that when he and Brake met as you seem to think they did Ransford flung Brake through that open doorway; that Collishaw witnessed it, that Ransford's found out about Collishaw, and that Collishaw has been poisoned by Ransford. Eh?" "That's a theory that seems to be supported by facts," said Bryce.
Y' see I know this farm, an' all that needs doin'. Guess I was raised on it," he added, with a smile, "so the work's sort o' second nature to me." Joan's chance had come, but she passed it by. She knew she ought to have refused his help. She ought to have, as Mrs. Ransford had said, sent him about his business. But she did nothing of the sort. She accepted. She did more.
"But I can tell you this they know, Mitchington and the London man, that there were passages between Ransford and Braden years ago." "How many years ago?" interrupted Mary. Bryce hesitated a moment. He had a suspicion that this self-possessed young woman who was taking everything more quietly than he had anticipated, might possibly know more than he gave her credit for knowing.
But of the cause of his sudden death there was no more doubt than of the effects. Ransford had been in the court from the outset of the proceedings, and when the medical evidence had been given he was called. Bryce, watching him narrowly, saw that he was suffering from repressed excitement and that that excitement was as much due to anger as to anything else.
"God bless my soul!" he said. "You don't mean it, doctor! Why, how did you " "Wait a minute," interrupted Ransford. He left the room, and the two callers looked at each other. "This chap knows more than you think," observed Jettison in a whisper. "More than he's telling now!" "Let's get all we can, then," said Mitchington, who was obviously much surprised by Ransford's last information.
"Guardian!" said Mary softly. Ransford turned sharply. "Wouldn't it be best," she continued, speaking nervously, "if if you do know anything about that unfortunate man if you told it? Why have this suspicion fastening itself on you? You!" Ransford made an effort to calm himself.
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