"
"Is there anyone about the house," inquired Mr. Snow, "who could
tell us certainly whether that window was screened that night?"
"Of course," said Linda. "Our housekeeper, Katherine O'Donovan,
would know. When we go down we'll ask her."
On their return to the living room, for the first time in her
life Linda rang for Katy. She hesitated an instant before she
did it. It would be establishing a relationship that never
before had existed between them. She always had gone to Katy as
she would have, gone to her mother. She would have gone to her
now, but she wanted Katy to make her appearance and give her
information without the possibility of previous discussion. Katy
answered the bell almost at once. Linda went to her side and
reached her arm across her shoulders.
"Katy," she said, "this is Mr. Eugene Snow of San Francisco He is
interested in finding out exactly what became of that lost plan
of Marian's that we have looked for so carefully. Put on your
thinking cap, old dear, and try to answer accurately any question
that Mr. Snow may wish to ask you."
Katy looked expectantly at Eugene Snow.
"In the meantime," said Linda, "I'll be excused and go bring
round the Bear Cat."
"I have only one question to ask you," said Mr. Snow. "Can you
recall whether, for any reason, there was a screen out of the
guest-room window directly in front of which the reading table
was standing the night Miss Marian occupied the room before
leaving for San Francisco?"
"Sure there was," answered Katy instantly in her richest,
mellowest brogue.
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