The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-11-29
Chapter is
MIDNIGHT SEARCH

MIDNIGHT SEARCH
s'TSWELvETHIRTT, Paul. said
l Curt. .We'd better start;
our job'll take US an hour or more.
This rain Is our good luck-eyery.
body'll be indoors"
They stepped outside. The rain
still beat down. but the thunder
heads with their livid flashes had
passed on east. so that there was no
danger Of the lightning betrayins
them. The cabins and Indian tepees-
we're al dark.
They went ont the path to the Bay
establishment. The store. twenty
steps frem Higginbotham's resi-
dence. was entirely dark, but to
Curtis disappointment there was Q
light in the house. From a window
on the north side q yellow shaft
streamed out into the rainy black
ness.
Leaving Paul ct the fur press. he
eircled around to the north side
and crept up behind cord ofwood.
He dared not rise and look over the
rick; the light would giistsn on HIS
vet siicker and give him away. Feel
Ing about with his fingers, he located
3 loose stick, pulled It out and made
an aperture large enough 30 peer
through.
The room was eonya Nichols
With q chair drawn close to the
window, sonya was looking out into
the night, an elbow on the window
sill The candle on the dresser
turRed her hair to mass Of thin.
ppun gold and lighted up the soft
Founduess Of her arms and shout,
dsrA She seemed too moody for
aleaD.
Lsaa than ten feet away from her.
Curt felt guilty for intruding on her
privacy; but the expression on her
face arrested him and he continued
10 watch. Evidently she thought
Herself alone with the night, and so
made no effort to hide her feelings.
es che normally did. She seemed
bittsriy unhappy and worried. but
the fhing that struck him most for
cibly was her hard-set purposiYa
ness.
Seldom fooled IN such matters. he
knew that something wrong, badly
wrong, lay behind her tragic Feyerie.
AZ tho moment. pressed hy hia own
work and the need Of hurry. he could
not pause there long; but the Incl
dent left It's impression on him.
Around with Paul again, he whis,
pered;
~It'a all right; we won't be bother
cd. I'll 60 into the trading store my.
SELF You stay here and keep guard.
If anyone shows up. give that cluck
Of the hawk.owl IA time for me 70
set out The doors are locked, hut
loosened the inside catch On this
front window when I was here this
evening. Give me . boost up. part
neF."
Paul stopped. Curt stood on HIS
shouider, raised the window noise.
lessly. wedged through. and drop
ped down inside the store.
He was not sure his work would
set results. but the odds favored Il,
The clue he was after almost had "a
be IN that trading post for therr
was no station between Russian
Lake and the Yukon. and none near
or than Fort Nelson on the Lizard.
TsHRoUGH the pitch dark be fall
= along the counter to the rear and
found the desk where Higginbolham
kept bis books. He had scented our
the store thoroughly that pvenlnn
and knew the exact ledger that Ne
waited. His fingers closed up6n 4,
he draw e out and took d over b.
hind the counter. Making himself I
little harrlcnde ft boxes 40 that hil
nnah glow could not be Noticed cuA
side. he began examining the book
The record started with June lrsl
OF the previous summer. and ran Cor
exactly one year. Every transaction
Of the store, whether cash. trade d
debt had been entered b. thu
meshodical factor. Several of ths
months were scanty. others heavy
ny interpreting the little human
etoriaa behind the entries. Curl
could reconstruct almost erery hap
psnlng at Russian Lake n the Last
twelve monthA de became fAmilial
with names. people. thar oecupa
tlons. the events n their IIvea
Mary TaIking.Water huys tsr
yards 81 flannelette--chargA Rotsl
LameWind trades thirty lake troul
for canvas to recover he canoe
'Teasse LsNolr huyz q carton a
Sasage SOS cartridges - charge
Sam Canoe ied-soShore trades /