The Case of Jennie Brice

eft when he "went away". The flood, and the fact that it was Mr. Ladley's dog whose body was found half buried in the basement fruit closet, brought back to me the strange events of the other fl

ittsburgh family. I was born on Penn Avenue, when that was the best part of town, and I lived, until I was fi

. We were never reconciled, although I came back to Pittsburgh after twenty years of wandering. Mr. Pitman was dead; the old city called me, and I came. I had a hundred dollars or so, and I took a house in lower Allegheny, where, because they are partly inundated every spring, rents are cheap, and I kept boarders. My house was al

ngs I went to one of the parks, and sitting on a bench, watched the children playing around, and looked at my sister's h

to think that only the day before yesterday she came in her automobile as far as she dared, and then sat th

the elderly woman in a calico wrapper with an old overco

ck the case of Jennie Brice. For even then, Lid

, with ice gorges in all the upper valley. Then, in early March, there came a thaw. Th

uniting there at the Point to form the Ohio. And all three were covere

Jennie Brice, had the parlor bedroom and the room behind it. Mrs. Ladley, or Miss Brice, as she preferred to be known, had a small part at a local theater that kep

He was a short man, rather stout and getting bald, and he alwa

sked sharply, holding th

d. "It's up to the swinging-shelf in the cellar now.

apped, and tried to close the door.

d, Mr. Ladley," I said. "You'd be

and it kept me busy with oxalic acid taking ink-spots out of the splasher and the towels. He was writ

turning, spoke to s

y. I called in Terry, the Irishman who does odd jobs for me now and then, and we both got to work at the tacks in t

ed to hear what I aft

it!" she said flatly. "Why should I help him? He doesn't help me. He loafs here al

a rattle of glasses, as if they were pouring drinks. They a

r her, she having a theatrical sort of voice-one that carrie

after that they spoke in whispers. Even with my

oor, and creeping forward into the hall. I had never seen the river come up so fast. By noon the yard was full of floating ice, and at t

him again. The Ladleys took the second-story front, which was empty, and Mr. Reynolds,

er there. I was washing up the dishes when Mr. Reynolds came in. As it was Sunday, h

Ladleys?" he asked. "I can't

r. Reynolds, you'll know that the rising of the river is a signal for every man in the v

make 'em drink themselves to

om getting drowned in the cellars, or they'd get full, too. I hope, since it's co

wer hall. There were boats going back and forth all the time, carrying crowds of curious people, and taking the fl

and took it to their door. I had never liked Mrs. Ladley, but it was chilly in the house with the gas shu

, looking after him, and the brown valise, that figured in the case later, was opened o

very white teeth and yellow hair, which she parted a little to one side and drew down over he

ght you some tea," I said

g her eyebrows. "It's a very though

leaving, I thought it best not to quarrel. She had left the wind

loods don't last, and they're a benefit. Plenty of the people

he theater. She is going to wear it in Charlie's Aunt next week. She hasn't half enoug

-tray on the wash-stand, and moving Mr. Ladley's papers to find room for

Mr. Ladley

to see t

There's a drowning or two

now what I was doing when you came in? I was looki

t nervous and put out. Most men have their ugly times. Many a time I wished Mr. Pit

r, fixing her hair over her ears. She t

a man," she said. "My hus

say such a thing to them, or repeat their own words to them the next day, and t

saw he