Nobody around here's got a look-in."
"Does she live all alone in that house up there? I mean, has she
no--er--chaperon?"
"Nancy Strong is keeping house for her,--her husband used to run
the blacksmith shop here and did all of David Windom's work for
him. He's been dead a good many years. Nancy is one of the finest
women you ever saw. Her father was an Episcopal minister up in
the city up to the time he died. Nancy had to earn her own living,
so she got a job as school teacher down here. Let's see, that was
over thirty years ago. Been here ever since. Tom Strong wasn't good
enough for her. Too religious. He was the feller that led the mob
that wiped out Tony Zimmerman's saloon soon after I came here. I'll
never forget that night. I happened to be in the saloon,--just out
of curiosity, because it was new and everybody was dropping in to
see the bar and fixtures he'd got from Chicago,--but I got out of
a back window in plenty of time. But as I was saying, Nancy Strong
keeps house for Alix. She's got a cook and a second girl besides,
and a chauffeur."
"An ideal arrangement," said Courtney, looking at his wrist-watch.
"I wonder if you ever came across Nancy Strong's son over in France.
He was in the Medical Corps in our Army. He's a doctor. Went to
Rush Medical College in Chicago and afterwards to some place in
the East,--John Hopkins or some such name as that.
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