"That's all right, little lady," he exclaimed cheerfully. "Now,
don't you be worried--not a little bit. Take it from me, Miss
West.... Just go ahead, and tell me all you know about this
Turner woman. Did you see her yesterday?"
The girl's sobs ceased. After a final dab with the minute
handkerchief, she leaned forward a little toward the Inspector,
and proceeded to put a question to him with great eagerness.
"Will you let me go home as soon as I've told you the teensy
little I know?"
"Yes," Burke agreed promptly, with an encouraging smile. And for
a good measure of reassurance, he added as one might to an
alarmed child: "No one is going to hurt you, young lady."
"Well, then, you see, it was this way," began the brisk
explanation. "Mr. Gilder was calling on me one afternoon, and he
said to me then that he knew a very charming young woman,
who----"
Here the speech ended abruptly, and once again the handkerchief
was brought into play as the sobbing broke forth with increased
violence. Presently, the girl's voice rose in a wail.
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