Page:Anna Katharine Green - Leavenworth Case.djvu/262

252 was an important one, admitting of no delay, we hasted at once to the post-office, where he went in, leaving me outside to watch the rather meagre stream of goers and comers who at that time of day make the post-office of a country town their place of rendezvous. Among these, for some reason, I especially noted one middle-aged woman; why, I cannot say; her appearance was anything but remarkable. And yet when she came out, with two letters in her hand, one in a large and one in a small envelope, and meeting my eye hastily drew them under her shawl, I found myself wondering what was in her letters and who she could be, that the casual glance of a stranger should unconsciously move her to an action so suspicious. But Mr. Monell's reappearance at the same moment, diverted my attention, and in the interest of the conversation that followed, I soon forgot both the woman and her letters. For determined that he should have no opportunity to revert to that endless topic, a law case, I exclaimed with the first crack of the whip: "There, I knew there was something I wanted to ask you. Do you know a woman here named Belden?"

"A widow?"

"I don't know. Is her first name Amy?"

"Yes, Mrs. Amy Belden."

"That is the one," said I. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Well, she's the last person I should expect to see you interested in. She is the very respectable relict of a deceased cabinet-maker of this town; lives in a little house down the street there, and that if you have any forlorn old tramp to be lodged over night, or any destitute family of little ones to be looked after, she is the one to go to."