The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-13
Chapter Eight
GRISLY SCENE

Chapter Eight
GRIsL1 SCENE
uYLTON was pleased to find that
Il White could match his more
than four miles an hour with ap-
parent ease. The pair swung along
in great style.
The Inspector broke the silence
with one of his unexpected queries.
Where were you educated.
White?" A query which elected per-
haps as unexpected reply.
Shrewsbury"
"Ah."
81 suppose you thought my voice
and all that was a cut above the
average board school product?"
We'll. yes, to be candid, l did"
Thanks for the discerning COM
pliment. But I'm not the Public
School type either, Inspector. | got
there by accident really. My people
weren't gentle Eorn. They got bit
of money suddenly and had ideas,
that's all Sending me to Shrews-
bury was one of them"
mot bad idea either"
James White laughed his easy,
agreeable laugh.
well, | don't know If you've got
to earn your living in the world I'm
not at all sure it's such an unmixed
blessing"
After a silence Hylton said. You
don't return the compliment by be-
ing curious about me.'s StI So;
Il try not to be curious about any
body except III an official capacity. :"
White answered pleasantly. and the
Inspector laughed aloud. He had &C.
quired what seemed to be an OUTSIDE
in raspberries served in as unOf-
Tending a manner as might be i'm
agined. He was beginning to like
Police Sergeant White immensely.
Here we are, Inspector. Ender-
ton Court. This is the back drive. our
nearest way. There is a front way
with a Lodge to it"
Anyone in the Lodge?"
"a man called Lawson and his
family. People say that Burdett
only lie. him stay there because
Lawson was Matchmaking him, but
that's all rot. The truth is Lawson
had to pay a humping high rent
for the place and Burdett was there
every Monday morning to collect it
in person"
They had passed along the dark
and lonely back drive now, and
could see the unfriendly lump of
the house against the star-studded
sky.
"Biggish place." Hylton said.
"Yes. Mostly shut up now, though.
That you, Edwardes?"
A uniformed figure moved in the
darkness of the back porch. That's
right Sergeant"
The Sergeant switched on a pow
erful torch and showed long, cold
looking passage. That's the gun
room on the right. or what used to
be the gun room, so they say; moth
ing in it now; and all the kitchen
quarters are beyond that baize
door,"
What about putting a light on?"
HyltOn suggested.
White laughed. Arthur Burdett
never paid to have electric light put
in here. believe me sir" he said.
There is an oil lamp or two in the
place. but nothing more. This way
for the hall Inspector"
KINGSLEY HYLTON looked
N about the hall. Fine staircase"
he said.
Yes sir, good staircase. Here's
the room, sort of a study place"
They crossed over the bare floor
of the hall and the Sergeant. pro-
ducing a key from his pocket, IN
locked the door.
THE Chief Constable letter.
it here for you to see Inspector" he
announced over his shoulder.
Every kind of the Chief Consta-
ble," Hylton murmured. "D'you
mean to say this is all the light the
old chap ever had?"
"a good deal more than he had"
the Sergeant assured him, half a
candle was good enough for Arthur
Burdett. let alone two oil lamps"
Hylton grunted. Two Pickering
~ail lamps was not his idea Of ideal
Pilluminatid2 with which to inspect
q, the scene of a murder. He had
viewed quite number of murdered
men and this was the first time that
he had ever felt queer about it.
The room was on the small side
and almost square. The door en-.
tered it from one corner. The walls
were practically bare and the paper,
which showed several large patches
of damp. was peeling of in half q