The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-08-05
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room, and now It had almost passed
out of regular use altogether.
He found that by standing on the
ottoman he could just see out Of
the narrow Window slit some
twelve inches by five. He had
splendid view Of three horses graz
ing half a mile away on the other
side Of the valley. The walls were
solid and might have yielded to an
hour or two's hard work with a
crowbar. but was a hopeless task
to attempt with bare hands. Z.
Hylton realized that for all prac-
tical purposes he was prisoner IN!
til Nancy chose to let him out. and
the thought sobered and even. in
way. amused him.
Turning his mind to what would
come of Nancy's escapade. he felt
unhappy. Dale Shipley had done the
murder, Of so much he now felt Ger.
tain how long dare the woman
keep him locked up there? Even IL
it were only twelve hours. and Ship
ley acted with decision It might
give him all the start he wanted.
Hylton swore audibly. what a
darned fool he would look when he
got back to the Yard.
Hylton sighed, drew one of his
thin black cigars out. Lit it. took a
pencil from his note book and de-
voted himself to drawing chess
problems on the conveniently bare
and distempered wall.
FEATHERsToNE went
~ straight downstairs to the.
stable and sent the mildly aston
ished groom on a footing and com.
plicated errand wen The other side
Of Morechester. When she had seen
him safely off the premises she went
into the drawing room and sat In
front of the fire thinking.
Like the man upstairs she. too,
reviewed the events which had
brought her to the present extraor.
binary situation. She drew from her
handbag letter. 1t had come to her
by the first post that morning, one
of the very few that Dale Shipley
had ever written to her: but she
knew the handwriting well. and had
been. surprised to notice a London
post mark on the stamp. With a
growing conviction that there was
bad news in 1t, she had drawn out
the letter and read It.
Now. for the tenth time, she drew
1t out and read 1t again.
It was written on cheap paper.
bearing neither date nor address:
"DeGr Nancy, You ioont see me
for dinner tonight (they had ar
ranged to dine together. fact
which for twenty-four hours had
colored Nancy's life with happiness
and expectation). I've had to get
ot1dv IN q hurry, | ddreSdy people
about me but i e6n't help that.
Dale"
As soon as she had read that she
had become absolutely cold with a
sick fear. Dale had done 1t half
dozen uncomfortable little whis.
pers suddenly roared into an unen.
durable shouting in her head. And,
somehow. she knew (and now real.
lied that she had known all along)
that it was just the sort of thing
that Dale would do.
At half past ten she could not
stand being alone in the house any
longer: she was eaten up with anx.
iety to find out whether they knew
in the village about Dale: IL they
| didn't yet, they soon would; she
realized that was Inevitable. AL.
though she knew that it would do
no good, she felt that she must go
up to Fielden Cottage and speak
about Dale to Mrs. Somers.
When she got there the front
door was open and Mrs. Somers was
already In conversation with some
one. AS soon as Nancy san who It
was she felt quite sick with reawak.
ened fear the Detective from
Scotland Yard. / They were after
him already. then. Shs overheard
half dozen quick questions and
answers and realized that Hylton
was himself only just learning
about Dale.
There and then, without the
slightest idea how it could be &C
complished. she realized that she
must help Dale by delaying his pur-
suers.
Sitting in front Of the fire In the
drawing-room thus thinking over
the events Of that extraordinary
morning, she actually laughed;
but 1t was a laugh without much
mirth In 1t .. tragic fools, she
thought, mankind must be to blum.
der into the messes that they get
into.
Dale was just the sort of head
strong fool. of course. who would
get caught up IN the fatal and fam
tastically simple business Of muir
der. And she was fool seven times
greater to be enmeshed in this ex-
traordinary situation when she
ought to be out hunting on the grey
In the winter sunshine. with the day
running peacefully by in its normal
Way.