Mrs. Holden turned from the window draperies. ``They found something else up there,'' she said half aloud to the empty room. ``They took it away, overalls or something.'' She walked restlessly across the room, then back to the windows. ``Now they've gone, they didn't come back, and they didn't arrest that Dronk boy.'' She stood frowning and chewing her lip. She was wearing a brown cotton dress, cut across the hips in a way that was supposed to make her look slimmer, a yoke set into the skirt and flaring pleats below. She smoothed the skirt, sat down, then stood up and went back to the windows. ``Why on earth did I send him off to work? There was excuse enough to keep him home, that young Mr. Arthur's still over there.''

With sudden energy, she went to the phone and rang Holden's office and asked for him.

``I think you had better come home.''

``Mae, we're so busy. Mr. Crosson's been on everybody's neck, an order he expected didn't come through and he's'' --

``I don't care. I want you here. I'm all alone and certain things are going on that look very ominous. I need someone to go out and find out what's happening.''

``But I couldn't do that, even if I were home!'' His voice grew high and trembling. ``I cann't be underfoot every time those cops turn around! They'll think I did something.''

He couldn't see the grin that split her mouth; the teeth that shone into the phone were like a shark's. ``You'll just have to risk it. You cann't wander along in the dark, can you? I'd think that you, even more than I, would be wondering what they're up to. They found some clothes,'' she.