The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-09-30
Chapter ~
a NEW LEAD

Snapse' 40
a NEW LEAD
CAROLINE was quite certain that
~ Mrs. Riddell was not only a
gnatcher. but lying Snatcher. and
that for some irrelevant reason Of
dsr own she had disappeared with
lin Randall. II 1t wasn't Jim. how
did be happen to have q bit OF my
letter In his pocket? she asked her
self.
! She could see the twirl with which
she had written Caroline-quite an
extra one because she was so
thrilled about Jim. Why should any
one but Jim Randall have the torn
on end Of q letter with Caroline on
NJ
sshe ought to have asked the day
nurse whether it was Caroline with
q twfrl, because that would have
lsettied it-not that 1t needed set
cling. because she felt quite. quite
sure.
On the strength Of whicil she
drank another cup Of tea, lnd was
glad that her name was Caroline.
and not Z name that Just anyone
might have. She had. of course,
never heard OF old Caroline Russell
Who was housekeeper at Packham
Hall.
And then she remembered the
fDdsd paper which the day nurse
had given her to take to Mrs. Rid.
dell. "The ward maid picked 1t up.
We think It must have dropped out
other bag"
That was what the day nurse had
said. And Caroline had just let It 90
right through her head and out
the other side. She opened her bag
~ . hurry, found the paper, and
spread II out.
Il was q bill-one OF the iiimsy
bIack-lined sort that girl scribbles
on IN carbon-papered book and
then gets the foor-walker to sign.
Caroline tingled al over with ex.
citenaent rs she looked at It. Il was,
IN her vocabulary. absolutely
stuffed with meat" To start with.
there was the name Of the shop
6mithies. Ironmongers. And then
there was the address-2s Market
Street, Lexington. Lastly there was
the bill itself. for one purdonium.
"For the love Of Mike-what's q
lpurdonium?s said Caroline solemn.
". ana then ell at once remembered
Mr.. Pockllngtons sale. Coalscuttles
Became purdoniums when they got
unto an auction. They evidently
started life In ironmongers' shops
under the Same classic alias.
Anyhow Mrs. Riddell had bought
q purdonium at shop In Ledling.
ton. and IL you bought q coalscuttle
in Lexington. the chances were
that you lived somewhere near by
and that you made them send II
home. or course you might take II
away In q car--but coalscuttles do
have the most revolving corners,
and what would be the sense Of
scratching your car when Smithies
might just as well deliver the thing
She paid for her tea. went down
elk moss-grown steps to the car, and
poree over Q map. Lexington was q
Igood atty miles. She looked at bel
watch :. getting on for six. It was
= clear impossibility to reach Mr.
Emithles before his shutters went
up.
THE village OF Hazelbury West q
! like = rood many other English
sN@aAN8Sas ACA0 - HthOs anu
green. . big house with stonepillari
crowned By pineapples and q Ions
neglected drive. Q church. q parson
age two or three houses OF the bet
tier sort. . butcher. q baker. . gen
Ierai shop which IS also the post
lcfacA and . straggle Of cottages.
Miss Arbuthnot. who was Caro-
lllne Leigh's first cousin once re-
moved. lived in the last cottage on
1.-The left. Caroline lived there with
IAer. Som etime s she wondered
whether she was just going to "a
lonS living In Haselbury West with
Patsy Ann for ever and ever.
Miss Arbathnot had been chris
tened Ann. but preferred 10 be
called Patsy. she sketehed . little,
land gExdened q little. and PAINTED q
-. =