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Talk with . je MLES Paris was the next suggestion. Both. Melinds and her mother would have liked ta live in Paris but it was expensive and neither of them quite liked the idea of a French sehool for the boys. Finally, on Mrs. Dunbar'’s pro- posal. it was decided that after a cliday_ in France they would ge to Geneva to live and_ the ove would attend the excellent international school there. Melinda’a brother-in-law Jay Sheers, found them a farmhouse in Normandy where they could be reunited for the summer A few days before Melinda and her family were due to leave, the senior M.1.5 investigator tele- phoned to Mrs. Dunbar at Bea- —._ Sti no. . news -° But the weeks passed and still ahe was unable to emerge from the bottomless pit of depression into which. she had sunk. She went back to her doctor, and this time he to'd her frankly thet she had. to: go away. “You are living in. the past,” he said, “and it’s terribly bad jor you. You are wearing your- self out with anxiety and worry, What you neéd more than” anything is a rest, ao change and some sunshine, Go abroad.” ~ Melinda. agreed. She knew that was what she longed for. Mother was hopeful Neither Melinda nor, she had mow learned, M15 bad heard anything more from or about Maciean, and although she pre- sumed a search of some kind was still cintinuing, the authorities . no longer seemed to be particu- larly interested. - . It should now be possible te induce Melinda herself to forget all about. it and try seriously to remake her life, But later, after - Melindz had disappeared, she ; cg reproached herself and. the seeu- . rity authorilies for this lack o foresight. . . s “I was Melinda’s best protec- “tion.” she said to me. I was: f usually with her and would never Have left her at all : _ hie i Id he would ike | bad I thought there was any dan- , But she stil could not make c raw and sald a @ | der that Donald would try t0 con. ee ne boar mi @ anything, td talk to her. They met in L ‘tact her. But why didns Ms | . And in a way, I suppose, she’ nm, and he took her to a cite. felt that she should remain in She had imagined he would have England so that she could be at.. something to tell her, but his: ine hand it there were any develop- ,- formation was all negative, ments LS Gbtained any news | Mrs. Dunbar asked for assure of Maclean, May came round. ances that if anything was oan disappearance. anaiversary | learned, any discovery made. she ’ and Melinda would be imme- diately informed, wherever they — A move at | eS ell Gi vactets tela —last.._ - And then “Mrs. Dunbar took ‘charge. She reminded Melinda ; that something would soon have - to be done avout ihe “children. ‘ergus wou e eight years o! in eeeplenber ana after that | And although she received no could ne longer go to the Kinder- ° definite undertaking on this point farten school in Sevenoaks he Mrs. Dunbar went off to join ’ Dunbar. She pointed out that, as Donald’s wife, Melinda had the there were any developments. “You must certainly communi. eate with her first,” she insisted. and five-year-old Donald were cdelinda and the children with game attending. “alight Impressed by her mother’s ; ee arguments, Melinda agreed to go ! abroad-~but at first only for a holiday: she wanted. to return to Beaconshaw. .. ... i But ber mother urged her to, . take @- broader view of their my ~~ * altuation. ife for eli of them * would be far easier abroad, and, -; whatever MGlinda herself might ' have desired, it would obviously ! be better for the children, : Mrs. Dunbar‘ herself would . really have preferred to return t to her own cagntry, but Melinda that: . the was far too far feeling of reassurance ‘would not himr of United, Stat This by no means satisfied Mrs. right to be informed immediately _ . tell me there was even an outside | ; ehance of her being contacted T° “Tf they had warned me, 1» ‘would have done anything to ‘ stop fier going. from taking @ igtep which can only mean un- ‘happiness for ber and for my . . erandehiidren.” : [World copyrightl te to