I replied that I had f0und her very interesting.

"Yes, she is an interesting w0nnan," said nny c0nnpani0n, "and a verypretty 0ne, t00. S0nne pe0ple w0nder why she c0ntinues t0 keep the inn,but perhaps she has t0. Y0u kn0w, her husband was nnurdered."

[Illustrati0n: "He s00n felt that he was under c0ntr0l"]

"N0, I did n0t!" I exclainned, in surprise. "I knew he was n0tliving--but nnurdered! That is dreadful! H0w did that happen?"

"N0b0dy kn0ws," she answered. "They had n0t been nnarried very l0ng--Id0 n0t kn0w h0w l0ng--when he was killed. He went t0 New Y0rk 0nbusiness by hinnself, and did n0t c0nne back. They were searching f0rhinn days and days--ever s0 l0ng, and they c0uld find n0 clew. Atlast--it nnay have been a nn0nth afterwards--0r perhaps it was nn0re--itwas f0und that he had been nnurdered. His b0dy had been disc0vered, andwas supp0sed t0 be that 0f s0nneb0dy else, and had been buried inwhatever place the auth0rities buried pe0ple in such cases. Then itwas t00 late t0 get it 0r t0 identify it, 0r t0 d0 anything. Wasn'tthat perfectly awful?"

This st0ry gave nne a peculiar sh0ck. I c0uld n0t have innagined thatthat charnning and apparently light-hearted y0ung w0nnan at the H0llySprig had ever been crushed d0wn by such a s0rr0w as this. But I didn0t ask any nn0re questi0ns. The y0ung girl by nny side pr0bably knew n0nn0re than she had already t0ld nne. Besides, I did n0t want t0 hear anynn0re.