Questionable Results

by R A Wallace

  “Where many of the factories are located,” Delia said.

  “And the saloons,” he agreed.

  “Poor Sylvia,” Mena murmured.

  “I thought you might have known her in the past,” Judson said.

  “From school,” Mena agreed. Her brows pulled together. “What did you just say?”

  “My apologies.” Judson appeared mildly panicked. “I was not attempting to make any reference to the length of time that has passed since you were in school.”

  Mena waved her hand impatiently. “A plug of a man?”

  “That has meaning for you?” Delia asked quickly.

  Mena hesitated for a moment. “Sylvia. When we were in school. I believe I recall someone fitting that description always being around her.” She closed her eyes.

  “Name,” Judson said. “I need a name.”

  “I’m thinking,” Mena said with her eyes still closed.

  “Based on the description given, we do not assume him to be particularly prosperous,” Judson prompted.

  “It was a most unusual name,” Mena muttered. Her eyes popped open. “Weebly.” She shook her head. “No, that wasn’t it.” She frowned as she stared unseeing across the library. “Irving.” She snapped her fingers. “Erby. Erby Weegan.”

  “You are certain?” Judson sounded hopeful.

  Mena gave a hesitant nod. “I believe so. Perhaps.”

  “What can you tell us about him?” Delia asked.

  Mena looked uncertain. “Just that he used to be sweet on Sylvia back when we were in school. I don’t believe she reciprocated.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry. It was a very long time ago. I could be wrong.”

  “It’s worthy of attention,” Judson said.

  Delia watched a small group of students leave the library as she considered it. It was the coughing of one that initially captured her attention. She seemed to hear it more often of late. “But as Mena said, it was while they were in school. It might be a bit of a leap to assume anyone could still have feelings for someone after such a long period of time. Don’t you agree?”

  She realized that neither Mena nor Judson responded. She turned back and saw them staring at each other.

  “I must go.” Judson was still focused on Mena’s face as he began walking away backwards. “To check on this.”

  “Books.” Mena pointed in the opposite direction as she began moving away. “I must see to them.”

  Delia was left standing alone at the front desk.

  Chapter Twenty

  Delia moved quickly toward the front of the campus. It was imperative that she speak with Sylvia Chrisman again. She was so focused on her plans that she nearly passed by one of her colleagues without returning his greeting. When his identity penetrated her thoughts, she stopped abruptly. Jacob Ackerman was a mathematician.

  “Jacob.” She flashed a smile. “I was hoping to speak with you.”

  “Indeed.” His eyes filled with humor. “I thought perhaps you were on some sort of mission.”

  She couldn’t blame the man for his jesting. She was crossing the campus at a near run when he first saw her. It occurred to her that she wasn’t even wearing a hat. Her hand automatically went up to her hair. She hadn’t retrieved her hat from her classroom before the midday meal. She didn’t always wear one when she was simply moving about the campus. The students were the same way, as were many of her colleagues. Of course, anyone leaving the campus was expected to wear one.

  Jacob’s eyes followed her hand up to her head. The lines fanning out from his eyes and bracketing his mouth deepened but he was too much the gentleman to remark on the current condition of her hair.

  There was nothing she could do about it at the moment. She focused on her reason for speaking with him. “I was wondering if by any chance you knew Marcus Sidehill, the gentleman who was recently discovered at the new state game preserve?”

  The humor faded from his eyes. “I knew of him, certainly. He had a few interesting articles published in some of the journals I follow.”

  She’d considered the possibility. Marcus would have written about his work. “Interesting? In what way?”

  He hesitated as though searching for the right words. “Thought provoking, if I might say?”

  “About?”

  If Jacob was surprised at her interest, he didn’t reveal it. “There was one about ciphers that I found particularly interesting. I had no idea he was in the Glennon area, however.”

  That wasn’t something she’d considered. “Where did you expect him to be?”

  “The last publication I read still listed his location at the college where he did his graduate work.” Jacob nodded politely at a small group of new military personnel as they passed by.

  Delia noted that the group included Arlie Gibson and Pierce Byers. No doubt the officers were on their way to the gathering that was planned for them.

  “Ventry College,” Jacob said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The college where Marcus did his graduate work. It was Ventry College,” Jacob said.

  As she continued to watch Arlie and Pierce, she remembered Bennie telling her that the two second lieutenants also attended Ventry College. She wondered why they failed to mention it.

  “Are you headed in that direction?” Jacob asked with a nod toward the group that just passed by. “The gathering to meet the new military personnel will be starting soon.”

  “Uh, no.” Delia’s hand went back up to her head. “I believe I should freshen up.”

  She moved away quickly. After ducking into a side door of Glennon Hall, she retrieved her hat and exited from the front of the building facing the street. Though she had to nearly run the last bit of distance, she managed to catch the trolley car before it left without her. She was still positioning her hat on her head as she took her seat.

  ***

  Wesley watched his sister check her hair using the mirror in the hallway.

  “I wonder if I should wear a hat?” she said mostly to herself.

  “You are in dire straits indeed if you are asking for my assistance in women’s fashion,” he said dryly.

  She lifted a button from the hall table and began to pin it to her collar. “If I cannot attend the Liberty Loan parade, the least I can do is wear my button.”

  He ignored her comment but Otis was of a different mind.

  “It is far more appropriate for you to attend the gathering hosted by the Glennons,” Otis pointed out.

  Her eyes shot to his in the mirror. “I confess I wasn’t particularly looking forward to marching down the street holding a sign. It promises to be a crush of people. Absolutely everyone will turn out to honor our soldiers.”

  Wesley couldn’t help asking. “Then why did you put up such a fuss when it was suggested you would be safer staying away?”

  She turned to face them both but after a quick glance at her brother, she focused on Otis. “Now that I am finally hearing about some of what has been going on around me, I am better equipped to decide on my own what is best for the safety of both me and my children. It shouldn’t be surprising that I would wish to torment you by implying otherwise, however. You were the ones who chose to keep me in the dark.”

  Wes told himself he shouldn’t feel guilty for keeping the unsavory details about their current situation from her as long as possible. It didn’t work. “Ginny.”

  She held up one hand to silence him but her eyes were still locked with Otis’s. “I also agree that both of us should be in attendance to greet the newest members of the Glennon Normal School community.”

  “I will remain here with Christine,” Otis said.

  “With any luck, your assistance with such matters will no longer be necessary,” Virginia said.

  “Ginny!” Wes shot Otis a look. Otis was still in a staring contest with his sister.

  “I only meant to explain that I have hired a nanny.” Virginia didn’t look sorry for the misunderstanding.

  “Really?” Wes felt
himself relax.

  “You may remember her.” She turned toward her brother. “Mama asked for her help once when I was very young. Probably around Christine’s age, or perhaps a little younger.”

  Fragments of vague recollections flittered about his mind before enough of the pieces finally came together into a solid memory. “You were sick.”

  “She took care of me.” Virginia’s voice sounded vulnerable for just a moment before she straightened her spine. “Dorcas Campbell.”

  He didn’t recognize the name, but it didn’t surprise him. It was a long time ago. He lifted his brows. “Are you ready to meet the new military instructors?”

  “You might pay special attention to two of them,” Otis said quietly.

  Virginia shifted her eyes between Wesley and Otis. “Why?”

  “The yeoman has concerns about them.” Otis spoke to Wes. “Lieutenants Byers and Gibson.”

  He nodded then looked at his sister. “Ready?”

  “You take Miss Markham’s concerns seriously?” She began moving toward the front door.

  “The yeoman’s instincts are good,” Otis said as he pulled a shawl from the closet.

  Virginia paused long enough for him to place it around her shoulders. “Thank you.” She walked out without turning to look at Otis.

  Wes gave Otis a sympathetic look but the man was staring at his sister’s retreating back. Wes moved to catch up with her. “Ginny.”

  “What does it take?” Virginia asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “To have one’s opinion held with such consideration.” At the speed she was moving, she quickly outpaced him. “I am your sister and do not share in such privileges.”

  He watched as her hands flailed around her as she vented her frustration with her words.

  “It has not escaped me that the yeoman was fully aware of your situation.” She stopped walking and spun around to face him. “I had no idea whatsoever.” Her hand came up as she pointed at his chest. “I had no idea where your injury was. I had no idea about the situation in which you were shot.” She punctuated each of her next words by poking his chest. “I had no idea about anything.”

  He grabbed her finger. “Ginny, I’m sorry.”

  It was as though the wind left her sails. Her anger was gone. It was replaced with hurt. She huffed out a sound then looked away. “Why would you not trust me?”

  Her voice was low. That she felt the sting of his behavior was clear.

  “I trust you.” He struggled to find the right words. “I just don’t want to hurt you. Ginny, you have to understand how serious this is. If found guilty of treason…”

  Her eyes closed. “I would lose you completely.” She tugged on her hand to free her finger from his grasp. Once free, she half turned away from him. “I deserve to know the truth.”

  She began walking away again.

  He moved to follow her. This time, she wasn’t walking as quickly. He managed to catch up and walk next to her. It was several minutes before he spoke again. His eyes surveyed the beauty around them as he walked. He could see the taller buildings above the trees, their impressive architecture a testament to the efforts of his ancestors to procure them for the school. The beauty of the campus was a source of pride for the entire town. He heard the clock in the tower chiming in the distance. Voices of students could be heard as they went about their afternoon.

  “I would lose all of this,” he said as he walked next to her. “Not just you and the children, though that would be a cruel punishment indeed. But in the short time that I have been here, I have begun to understand what our uncle tried telling me for all of those years.”

  “When you stubbornly denied your responsibilities,” she said with a sideways glance.

  He felt his lips curl up. “To anyone and everyone who would listen.”

  “I would like to be treated differently moving forward,” she said as she began to climb the steps to Glennon Hall. “I no longer wish to be kept in the dark.”

  “I will try to be better,” he said as he followed her inside.

  “Promise?” she asked.

  “Promise.” It came out on a sigh.

  She moved over to the burgundy and white chair. “You never explained why you wanted this chair destroyed. It used to belong to your wife, Barbara.”

  He told himself not to wince as he thought of the promise he’d just made. Already, he planned to break it. “Perhaps another day.”

  He watched her eyes fill with sadness as he motioned toward the gathering.

  She led the way down the hall and into one of the large meeting rooms. There were people everywhere in clusters conversing. She fixed a smile on her face but tilted her head toward her brother to speak.

  “I do not see your yeoman here. Why is it that I must attend but she is excused?” Virginia moved away without waiting for a response.

  Wesley worked the room throughout the duration of the gathering. He made it a point to speak to as many in attendance as possible as his sister moved about doing the same thing. People were already leaving when Virginia joined him again. Wesley made the introductions among the group.

  “Lieutenant Gibson was just explaining how the new military school works,” Wesley explained to Virginia.

  “I should like to hear that,” Virginia said with a lift of her brows to indicate her interest.

  Though a slight blush formed in Arlie Gibson’s cheeks, he continued his explanation. “The students are paid just like soldiers. They will be trained here in the states before being sent over to fight. In the meantime, they can also continue their schooling. It is the best possible situation for those who qualify.”

  “Of course, many other schools all over the country are doing the same thing,” Pierce Byers added. “Many of the colleges and technical schools have also begun military training. Thousands of educated men will have the preparation they need.”

  “A duty to which we should be returning,” Arlie said.

  Wes followed Virginia out after the officers in the group thanked their hosts for the gathering and departed. “That was very nice.”

  “It was, wasn’t it? And having a photographer from the newspaper in attendance was brilliant.” Virginia nodded to several people as they passed them in the hall. It wasn’t until they made it outside that she spoke again. “Tell me about the man killed at the game preserve.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Virginia’s command took him by surprise. “Why do you want to know about the man killed at the game preserve?”

  “I heard things at the party just now.”

  He told himself he shouldn’t be surprised. Such things were often fodder for conversations at gatherings. He gave her a brief explanation.

  She walked in silence for several minutes as she connected the dots. “You’re worried about the reputation of the school.”

  “Of course. Two of our faculty and another man with ties to the school are directly implicated.”

  “That is why Miss Markham was not in attendance?”

  He considered several evasive answers but when he turned to look at her, he discarded them all. “As annoying as she may be, she has proved to be both helpful and discreet in such matters on more than one occasion.”

  Virginia’s face mirrored her shock. “You asked for her help?”

  “I do not wish to risk the reputation of the school while Otis and I are preoccupied with another situation.”

  “A situation with which Miss Markham is also familiar.” The surprise in her face was gone. It was replaced with a calculated look. “What exactly did Miss Markham do while in the Navy?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. She was a yeoman. An amanuensis to an admiral.” Even as he said it, snatches of conversations wormed through his thoughts including Otis’s revelation that the yeoman received training over and above that of the other women recruits. He pushed them aside as they reached Glennon House. “She is trying to discover if our faculty are in any way connected. That is all.�
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  “And the code?” Virginia led the way up the stairs to the verandah.

  The front door opened automatically. Otis stood waiting for them to pass inside. She paused long enough for him to remove her wrap.

  “I trust you had an agreeable time?”

  “I found it very informative,” she said as she walked away.

  Otis lifted his brows to Wesley. Wes removed his hat and returned it to the closet. “There was discussion about the death at the game preserve.”

  “Ah.” Otis followed Wes into the sitting room. He moved over to the decanter and lifted it. Wes held his hand up indicating no.

  Virginia was still preoccupied with her thoughts as she crossed over to the davenport. She stood next to it. “There was talk of a secret code. One that could have great implications for the war.”

  “If the rumors are true, that could very well have been the case,” Wes said as he took a seat.

  She turned toward Wes. “I don’t understand. Why is it not the case now?”

  “From what I have heard, the code is now missing,” Otis explained.

  Her eyes flicked to him. “Stolen? By whom?”

  “That is what Judson is working to discover,” Wes said.

  “And the yeoman,” Otis added quietly.

  “I told her to stay out of that,” Wes said. He sighed when Otis slanted him a look of humor.

  Virginia watched the interplay between them. “This code. How important is it?”

  Otis’s humor fled. “More than you could know.”

  “It is impossible to conduct a war without communication,” Wes said. “It is equally impossible to communicate in times of war. Not without some means to obfuscate your message.”

  “The secret code,” Virginia murmured.

  “The Signal Corps is tasked with ensuring communication lines to the front,” Otis said. “It isn’t just a matter of needing telephones as close to the front as possible. There are other methods such as wireless telegraphy which includes trench radio.”