The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-04-28

glance around the newspaper.
English, are your"
He looked ct me fully this time,
His face was net old, but tt was
lined; his eyes we're o Night yellsW,
gray, and aFeHRd bis mouth the
hairs Of bis red beard grew thin,
and yOa felt Q sort Of distsste Look
Ing At H.
mo" he said sharply, French"
He stared at me q moment and then
added: III YOU must know, I've
spent two years in America and I'm
here for my health. also speak
French and Italian, And ] can read
Latin"
/ said blandly: Funny place to
come to for your health. Have you
been here iong?"
The newspaper quiyered for ? mo.
ment, then his light eyes and fam
ing soft beard reappeared.
"Tfp he said ceidiy. "you want my
full history. go to the police.
They've just acquired 1t, owing TO
the very strange affair which &C.
companisd your arrival here. There
was" he added, driving the point
further home, mo murder before
you arrived" He continued to stare
eoldIy and biandly st me.
1t was unfortunate that Rucci,
who had been exploring silently in
the vicinity Of my pocket, drew
forth at that moment q box OF
matches, laid II carefully upon my
knee, and uttered q triumphant
ciuehy The priest looked At It, and
Mrs. Rypg looked at it. and the
eockat0e looked at it and preened
himself and clHeked again happily,
TFJE second cIHek was too much
: for Father hobart, who himself
uttered = sound not too family re,
semblIng II, showed his paper TO.
gethsr With an angry motion, rose,
and staiked toward the lit. The ut,
tie iron gate banged, the two mar,
row doors dipped together, and the
small Lift, looking not unlike very
tali epfin, murmured DULY and
started to crawl upward.
rPueci," I said softly, "some day
someone's going to wiring yoBr
neck.T
Mrs. Hyng smiled again.
sIf there ever was bird In league
With q devil, Il IL that One.s She
eyed the bird with asperity. and
Pgeei, eysiRg her brightly. uttered
y kind pf pQAAwky gnrgls which
certainly sugsestea > hosrssly dis
helie laugh.
Mrs. Byng's thick eyebrows dew
upward IN Q startled manner. and
the needles paused for Just an In.
slant; then. reepveFipg herself
nobly. she nodded to me in en- IT.
told-you-so" way and resumed her
knitting. Pueci retained to the
matches quite as IL sulphur mad
natural attraction for him, and !
said TO Mrs Byng:
sI'm glad to see. you've recovered
from the shock Of the othsr night"
u may look BETTER" she said.
knitting rapidly. But I still feel
the shock. feel anything for q long
time, Mr.. Sunbeam. and feel II deep
". ! have temperament. have TEN.
perement. And I might say eight
here--i have good eyes, Mr.. Sun.
dean. And temperament"
mo doubt" ! said warmly under
the compulsion OF her waiting gaze.
and Just then the gong for lunch
sounded.
The meal over, I returned to the
lounge and settled In . corner at
thu far snd with coffee and ciga-
retta and an old punch" hoping
either Rns on l.oTn would and me
there. But Lorn slipped quietly out
again ana sRe he'd disappeared.
Gradually the faint clatter from
regions back Of the dining room
died away.
The day had growR darker, and
the well Of the lounge. lighted only
By the gray and sallsn skglight was
shadowy and dim and very silent.
The whole place IN fact had sunk
Into q kind OF sentient. broodIng
silence which reminded yon that, be-
yond those twisting dark corridors
and blank doors. there was, the
same small circle that had been In
the hotel that wind.ridden night
when a man was murdered.
| felt uneasy and restless, and
was eddy relieved 10 hear quick
light footsteps cross the dining room
back Of me.
Il was Marcel He came closer TO
me His eyes daFted quickly ahoat
the lounge.
II hare decided myself. viii
tell you. he said then. soherly and
In Q low voice. III IL At hest only
three things that I know. One Is
about the towels. And one is about
Father hobart. And the third ole
mar mean 9 life"
fCopsrieAs. Isss. Mtosos o EesrAartl
~~-@~~-~
a sudden tsrriS.s shIts In shs