The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-03-10
Chapter 20
THE PICTURE


FORTUNE favored her, for she
i fell in with Roger not far from
the house.
"Hullo." he said. You're back
early from London"
81 wasn't in the mood for Lon
don," said frankie.
Have you been to the house
yet?" he asked His face grew crave.
Nicholson, l find. has been telling
Sylvia the truth about poor old Hen
ry. Poor girl, she's taken it hard. 1t
seems she had absolutely no sus.
picion."
81 know" said frankie. They
were both together in the library
when l came in. She wa9-very
much upset"
Look here, frankie" said Roger.
Henry has absolutely got to be
cured. 1t isn't as though this drug
habit had a real hold on him. He
hasn't been taking it so very long"
frankie interrupted.
Look here" she said. There's
something | want to ask you. Just
a question. hope you won't think
I'm simply frightfully impertir ent."
What is it?" asked Roger. his
attention arrested.
do you mind telling ME whether
you took photograph out Of that
mans pocket-the one who fell
over the cliff at Marchtolt?"
She was studying him closely.
watching every detail of his express
sion. She was satisfied with what
she saw.
Now how on earth did you come
to guess that?" he said "Or did
MORA tell you?-But then, she
doesn't know"
"You did them"
II suppose I'll have to admit it."
"Why?"
Roger seemed embarrassed again.
We'll. look at it as did. Here am
mounting guard over a strange dead
body. Something is sticking out of
his pocket. | look at l.. BY an amaz-
ing coincidence its the photograph
OF woman | know-a married wo-
mainland woman who | guess Is
not too happily married. What's 60
ing to happen? An inquest. Pub.
licity. Possibly the wretched girls
name in all the papers. | acted on
impulse. Took the photograph and
tore it up. | dare say acted wrong.
ly. but MORA Nicholson is a nice lit.
tie soul and | didn't want her to get
landed in a mess"
frankie drew a deep breath. $50
that was it," she SAID. IF you only
knew"
KNEW wha$?" said Roger. puz.
zled.
Il don't know that can tell you
just now" said frankie. II may
later. It's all rather complicated. /
can quite see why yon took the pho
tograph. but was there any objection
to your saying you recognized the
man? Oughtn't you to have told the
police rho he was?"
Recognized him?" said Roger.
He looked bewildered. How could
recognize him? didn't know him."
Allan Carstairs-you did know
Alan Carstairs?"
"Oh. yes. Man who came down
with the Rivingtons. But the dead
man wasn't Alan Carstairs.
But he was!"
THEY stared at each other. Then
frankie said, with a renewal of
suspicion. Surely you must have
recognized him."
81 never saw his face" said Roger.
WHAT"
'No. There was a handkerchief
spread over it,"
frankie stared at him. Suddenly
she remembered that in Bobby's
first account of the tragedy he had
mentioned putting handkerchief
over the face of the dead man.
you never thought of looking?"
went on frankie.
mo. Why should L."
"Of course" thought frankie. eff
I'd found photogra ph of somebody
l knew in a dead persons pocket.
! should simply have had to look at
the persons face. How beautifully
injurious men arei" She paused for
a moment. Poor little thing" she
went on. I'm so terribly sorry for
her"
Whom do you mean? MORA
Nicholson? Why are you so sorry
for herr"
Because she's frightened" said
frankie slowly.
"She always looks half scared to
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