Where Was Helen?

By the time that Setty and Florence reached the main street of town and were getting ready to go back to their homes, they realized that they had not seen Helen at the fire. "Isabel told me that she had gone there,"commented Setty. "Well, why didn't we see her then?" asked Florence. "There weren't more than twenty-five people there." "Well maybe she stopped to see if her husband was at the GLF store or out delivering feed to nearby farmers," continued Setty. "I'll call her as soon as I get back to the store and let you know." "OK," said Florence, "and I'll let you know what A.C. learns from his autopsy."

Later in the afternoon about 4:30, the phone rang upstairs over the store and was picked up by Setty. "Hello, hello?" There was no one on the other end of the line. "Well, that is odd," she thought and put the phone back down. Then thought she would call Florence to see if she had any news. The phone rang, and Florence picked it up and said, "I wondered when you might call." Setty said, "How did you know it was me?" "Well, who else would be calling me?" commented Florence, and she went on to ask, "Have you heard from Helen?" "No," said Setty, "but Everett called the store, and Jim answered. Everett was back from taking feed out to the Charlie Stoughton farm on the Wilson Creek Road and wondered if anyone had talked to or seen his wife Helen." "Well, the mystery deepens," said Florence. "Do you suppose she is all right?" "Well, I certainly hope so,"commented Setty. "Let's give her until supper time and get worried only if she hasn't reappeared by then." "All right. And by the way, A.C. says this autopsy is beyond his skills and shipped the body to Owego for further work." "Was it a man or a woman?" asked Setty. "A.C. said it was a man about 40 years old, but that is all he would tell me since he had to go out to see John Albright because he had an accident with his tractor." "I heard the ambulance go that way and hope John is not hurt too bad," Setty commented, "John works that hill farm of his, and you can have nasty problems with tractors on a hillside." With that comment the sisters agreed to check with each other about supper time.