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Page 189
were at last dissipated by the bright sunlight and crisp breeze when she came out the next morning. A glance around the deck reassured her that Peter had been right about the rail. It was too high to fall over, even if one were given a hearty shove. Actually, it was odd that Peter had fallen at all, Linda thought, and then giggled. It wasn't really odd. Without the help of a shove, Peter could easily manage to trip over his own feet when standing still; perhaps no one else could, but Peter could.
The giggle caught in Linda's throat. His whole family knew that. Maybe whoever pushed him thought he would go over because he was so clumsy. And the intention was vicious, no matter how inept the attack.
Loyally, Peter had given no hint of his attacker. He seemed to assume, as had Mrs. Bates, that Linda would not be able to hide her knowledge. Linda sighed as she turned away from the rail. That was probably true, she thought, as she entered the passage to take the elevator to Mrs. Bates's suite. But Peter tended to show his emotions too. Maybe when they all gathered for breakfast, she would get some hint from his manner.
Special arrangements had been made so that, even though not every member of the party was traveling first class, they could all eat together. Linda found Mrs. Bates in a very sprightly mood. She wanted to hear all about the dance, and Linda gave her a humorous description of her evening's activitiesexcept, of course, the

 
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