The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-04-29
Chapter 81
THE SHOT

THE SHOT
l"EIRST," Marcel saddle would
: not be hurried, and thought
he had rehearsed the whole telling
Of his tale, and his bright eyes were
sparkling-"first, the towels.
| There were used towels IN an
unused room the morning after the
murder. There was also round--r
he described It with MS lively little
hands-"hollow ON the eiderdown 40
if someone had sat there for a mo-
ment. / ask you--who was that9" I
started to speak and checked my
self for fear he would stop II 1 in.
terrupted.
Them he held up two fingers.
Second. Father Robart was not
sick during the night. / was not
with him. l slept. Wait--you will
ask why permit the police to think
| was with him. But what would
you? )
HE. holy father, to ask such q
small favor Of me and me refuse,
NeverI And for the pollce--s He
shrugged his shoulders in a man
ner which left little doubt as to the
opinion he held of the police.
Then, third" He paused and
then went on slowly: 1T is Of Miss
Tally. and you will know what to
do. There is danger. Danger OF the
gravest."
Afterward 1t seemed to me I had
been family conscious OF some sort
of murmuring sound, but I actually
heard only the words coming trem
the little porter's mouth.
Third" he said. Il saw that
might" And then It happened.
Though l didn't know at once
what had happened. / was only con.
scious Of a sharply splitting sound
and a smell. and Of MaFcel's face,
which sagged and was surprised
and held wide black eyes and an
open mouth. Both his hands went
to his back, and he tried to speak,
and moaned and fell forward
against me.
caught him. He'd been shot.
There was no one In the lounge
mo one on the galleries, no one any
where.
eased him downward onto d
J chairs; and tAens ! lEnkw that, the
murmar was the elevator. The shot
had come from there, and the eie.
vator was crawling upward toward
the first gallery.
! stepped backward until I could
see the entrance from the elevator
to the first gallery, ana the en-
trance to the second gallery.
The thing crawled upward. The
cage was dark. The two little doors
blank.
It neared the first gallery. Would
it stop there orgo on?
The elevator slowly came 10 .
stop. There was Tor moment n8lh.
ing but silence: then the AoOTp
trembled.
The narrow black space between
them widened almost impsfcep-
tibly.
Curiously, heard the shot And
felt the hot sting In my shoulder
before | saw the muzsle OF the re.
volver. Then thugs happened III at
once.
4 SAW the short nose OF . reyDlTnr
= poking out from behind one 81
the little doors. was conscious q
a furiously sharp pain n my shout.
der somewhere. wnh dOdeang o.
stinctiyeiy. ana there was the a0ana
OF another shot. TIE door to tho
lobby was Just behlna me. enc !
had leaped to shelter behind the
wall and. using the key board Tor
Q shield. was peering around Il. de-
termlned to see who was In the els-
vator.
! saw the CLEAN Of the revolver
Aging through the air downward.
but not the arm that had thrown q.
Il fell with 4 clatter on tho iloDr cg
the lounge. and at the very instant
that was leaning forward. aure
now OF seeing the murderer, some.
one seized me from behind; / slras.
gled, twisting. straining my syes 70
ward the doors OF the elevator.
But was ierked aside.
There were two policemen hang.
ing 70 my arms aud my waist. and
the more firiously struggled aud
tried 10 make them understand thar
the murderer was n me elevator
and that he was even now escaplaK.
the more theoretically they pnlIsa
me away from where I could see.
MY shoulder hurt Hks hell, Twas
carsing with rage ana pain and
bafiled fury. another policeman was
running into the lobby from oas.