The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-11-10
By HUGH CLEvELY

box was a large cinema. and at the
sight of it she paused again. In Or
der to reach the house in st. Johns
Wood she had practically to cross
London. Mahony would not receive
her letter before about nine that
evening; If he came in late lie would
not receive it till midnight or later.
1t would be safer for her. she re-
fiected, to cross London after dark
than in broad daylight: in the mean
time she could remain fairly safely
hidden inside that cinema.
She bought a ticket and entered
the darkness of the picture theater.
With a sigh of relief. she sank into
the softly cushioned seat. Here. for
FIVE or six hours. she would be safe.
NTAHONY waited for about cou.
lfI pie of hours in the empty house
in st. Johns Wood Road where Lee.
Ramsden had sent him. The time
passed very slowly; he chafed at his
inactivity. All the time he was won'
dering what was happening. what
Lawson was doing. and whether
Bassett and his band Of toughs
would have had time to take advan.
tage of the warning Lee-Ramsden
was supposed to have sent them.
1t was about four in The afternoon
when he heard a sound of wheels on
the gravel drive that led up to the
house. Looking through the window
he saw that a car had irawn up at
the front door. Two men were dis
mounting from it. one of whom was
carrying a suitcase. Thank heaven.
thought Mahony. hera at last was
his disguise.
He went down and opened the
front door. One of the men spoke to
him.
as your name Mahony?" he
asked.
"Yes," answered Mahony.
II and my friend have been sent
here with directions to disguise you
so that no one can recognize you."
said the man.
Good. Come along inside" in.
vited Mahony.
He showed them into the empty
drawing-room.
els this job going to take long?"
he asked.
Half an hour or So" answered
the man. ut isn't easy to disguise
a man in way that will defy detec.
ton. Now do you mind standing
here. well in the light. and keeping
quite still?"
He stood in front of Mahony. look
ing him up and down. while his COM
panion wandered restlessly about
the room.
stand quite STILL" he said.
And as he spoke. he made bad
mistake. His glance left Mahony.
staring over his shoulder at his COM
panion. who was just behind Ma
hony. and there was an expression
of tense excitement in his eyes that
could not be accounted for by any
interest he took in Transforming
Mahony's appearance.
Mahony turned sharply. moving
slightly to one side. That movement
just save him. The dubbed revolv-
err. welded by the man behind him.
missed his head and struck him
glancing blow Or the shoulder.
That blow hurt Mahony: it also
angered him. It seemed to him that
everywhere he went he encountered
treachery. and he was fed up with
it. With a sharp. vicious movement
he brought over his right fist in
short hook. and all the strength OF
his anger and all the power Of his
right shoulder were behind the
blow.
1t took the man who had Just
struck at him fairly on the angle OF
the jaw. With a heavy bump the
man sprawled fiat on his back.
And then Mahony sprang at the
other man: as he did so the man
sprang to meet him. There was a
brief. fierce interchange of blows.
each man hitting out with all his
strength. The fight lasted ABOUT
twenty seconds. A tremendous right
cross to the jaw followed by a left
hook to the stomach ended it. Ma
hony's opponent sank to the ground
out for the count.
Both his adversaries were. for the
time being. out of action. He stepped
quickly across the room. and opened
the suitcase which they had
brought. 1t contained nothing but a
coil OF strong rope. Mahony laughed
trifle grimly at that.
He turned out the pockets of the
two men. then tied them securely
with the rope they had brought with
which to tie him. There was nothing
of any great interest in their peck
cts. but both men. he noticed. had
cards of membership Of the Golden
Centipede Club. Evidently that club
was used by nearly all Lawson's
band of crooks.
Leaving the two men tied up on
the floor Of the empty drawing
room. he left the house.
fCopyrfoht, 1886. Huoh ClerslyI