The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-19


there be nothing to connect him in
any way with the dead man, but he
must have proper reason for being
down here. He may have invented
house-hunting on the spur Of the mo-
ment, but l bet he carried out some
thing of the kind. There must be no
suggestion Of a mysterious stranger
seen in the neighborhood Of the &C.
cident.' l fancy that Bassington,
french is his real name, and that
he's the sort Of person who would
be quite above suspicion"
'Yes," said frankie thoughtfully.
That's very good deduction. There
will be nothing whatever to connect
Bassington-ffrench with Alex Pritch.
ard. Now If we knew who the dead
man really was"
"Ahi then it might be different"
$50 it was very important that the
body should not be recognized.
Hence all the Cayman camoufage.
And yet it was taking big risk"
"You forget that Mrs. Cayman
identified him as soon as was human.
ly possible. After that, even If there
had been pictures Of him in the pa
pers (you know how bury these
things are) people would only say.
Curious, this man Pritchard who
fell over cliff is really extraordi-
narily like Mr.. x"
There must be more to it than
that" said frankie shrewdly. "X
must have been man who wouldn't
easily be missed. i mean, he couldn't
have been the sort of family man
whose wife or relations would go to
the police at once and report him
Good for you, frankie. No. he
must hAyebeeH just going abroad. or
perhaps just come back Che was
marvellously tanned. like a big
game hunter-he looked that sort OF
person). and he can't have had any
very near relations who knew all
about his movements"
Were deducing beautifully" said
frankie. 81 hope we're not deducing
all wrong"
Every likely" said Bobby. "But
think what we've said so far is fair.
ly sound sense-granted. that is. the
wild improbability of the whole
thing"
frankie waved away the wild i'm
probability with an airy gesture.
"The thing is-what to do NEXT" she
said. at seems to me we've got three
angles of attack"
go on, Sherlock"
"The first is you. They've made one
attempt on your life. They'll prob
ably try again. This time we might
get what they call line on them.
Using you as a decoy, l mean"
MO. thank you. Frankie" said
IL Bobby with feeling. i've been
very lucky this time, but 1 mightn't
be so lucky again If they changed
the attack to a blunt instrument. |
was thinking Of taking a great deal
of care of myself in the future. The
decoy idea can be washed out"
Il was afraid you'd say that" said
frankie with a sigh. Young men
are sadly degenerate nowadays. Fa-
Their says so. They don't enjoy being
uncomfortable and doing dangerous
and unpleasant things any longer.
It's pity"
"a great pity" said Bobby. but he
spoke with firmness. whats the
second plan Of campaign"
Working from the why didn't
they ask Evans?' clue" said frankie.
Presumably the dead man came
down here to see Evans-whoever he
was. Now. IL we could find Evans"
"How many Evanses." Bobby in
terrupted. do you think there are
in Marchbolt?"
Several hundred. I should think"
admitted frankie.
al. least, We might do something
that way. but I'm rather doubtful"
I'VE could list all the Eyanses and
visit the likely ones"
"And ASK them-wnafr
That's the difaculty," said
frankie.
eve need to know little more"
said Bobby. Then that idea of yours
might come in useful. What's Num-
Der 80"
This man Bassington french.
There we have got something tangi-
BILE to go upon. It's an uncommon
name. I'll ask Father. He knows all
these county family names and their
various branches"
"Yes." said Bobby. 1--WE might do
something that way"
"At any rate we are going to do
something's"
"Of course we are. Do you think
I'm going to be given eight grains of
morphia and do nothing about TT"
That's the spiritI" said frankie.
"And besides that" added Bobby,
there's the indignity of the stomach
pump to be washed out"
That's enough" said frankie.
(coswisIs 1Oss-35-s6. Aratks cErissis)