The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-10-27
The Wrong Murderer
By HUGH CLEVELY

| alert, ne followed the old man up a
dark, tumbledOwn staircase TO
landing. The old man opened the
door of a room.
Wait in here" said the old man.
"Mr. Brown said you were to make
yourself quite at 'ome. and 'elp your
self to anything you want"
He ushered Mahony into a room
that, by contrast with the rest OF
the house. was surprisingly we'll ap-
| pointed and comforta BILE. The wall.
paper was clean and fresh; there
were a couple of comfortable arm
chairs. solid-looking roll-top desk.
a good thick carpet. and on a ma
hogany table we're whisky. soda.
glasses. and box of cigarets.
Ave a drink or a smoke If you
feel like it." said the old man. and
he went out. closing the door after
him. Mahony heard his slow foot
steps going down the stairs.
Very puzzled. Mahony glanced
round the room. So far as he could
see. he appeared to be quite safe
for the moment; the window was
| inaccessible from the road. the door
was closed. there were no apcrtures
or ventilators in the wall through
which he could be shot at. He had
no doubt that he had now walked
into the trap prepared for him. but
what was the nature of the trap?
Was it in the drink or the cigarets
on the table?
EVERYTHING was very quiet ex-
IL cept for the slow tick-tock. tick
took of clock on one of the walls
Of the room. Minutes drag by very
slowly when a mans nerves are
strained and alert. waiting for
something to happen. Five minutes
passed. ten minutes passed. and
still the house remained quite quiet.
Mahony smoked; he walked up
and down the room: he glanced eau
tiously at the articles on the desk.
At last. very softly. he pulled at one
of the drawers.
1t opened. and inside were a num-
Der of thin paper packets. One of
the packets had burst slightly al
one end. and from it had spilled a
little shiny. white powder. Mahony
| wetted one finger slightly. and tast-
ed a tiny particle of the powder
The cold numb sensation on the
end of his tongue told him Instantly
what the powder was. 1t was CO.
caine.
The silence of the house was sud-
denly broken. From down below at
the front door came a sound of
banging. and then of mems rough
voices in the hall MahOny closed
the drawer swiftly He had no doubt
that whatever was going to happen
would happen now. and he was
ready and waiting for t..
There was a sound of footsteps
on the stairs leading up to the room.
MahOny stood leaning back asains:
/ the mantelpiece in an easy altitude
| one hand in the pocket of his coat
| The door of the room was flung vic
lently open and mai stepped In
He was very large man. and
very ugly. A shabby cap. pulled
down at an angle over one eye. en-
| tirely failed to conceal his shock OF
untidy red hair. His brow was low:
| his eyes were small and deep-set.
his lower jaw was UNDERLYING like
that of bulldog.
He closed the door deliberately
behind him and stood in front of il
scOwIing at Mahony. huge. menac
ing figure
Good evenin' to ye Mr.. Brrwn.
he said with a kind Of savage po
likeness. II just called in for me
money"
I'm not Mr.. Brown" replied Ma
hony.
"Are ye not SOP" said the man.
He took a pace forward suddenly
and brought his huge right fist
down with a loud crack into the
palm of his left hand
What in hell do care what ye're
after calling yourself Ionight?" he
rOared ferOciously. Isn't it enough
trouble ye're after causing me. with
the cops looking for me and all. with.
out standin' there arguing the toss
about what name ye'd be passin
by? Give me me fifty guild and let
me go-or have got to squeeze the
money out Of you with me bare
hands?"
II was obvious that he was In a
real Irish temper: nothing would
have pleased him better than a
fight The last thing Mahony wanted
was a fight with stranger at that
moment
Don't be a damned tool" he said
sharply. I've told you I'm not Mr..
Brown. I'm waiting for him myself"
The Irishman made a gesture of
disgust
do you think you'll wriggle out
OF paying me that way. ye twisting
cluricaun?" he demanded angrily.
Didn't have the tip that you'd be
here at ten tonight? Wasn't you
seen to come in at ten? Didn't the
ould fellow below tell me you was
here?"
copyright 1886 Hugh clereIyJ
But Terence has to fight. tomor.