The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-03-19
Chapter 81
CHLoRoFoRM

4 NYTHING interesting in your
"A letter." Roger inquired casu-
ally.
For a moment frankie hesitated.
Surely Bobby had not .Ieant Roger
when he adjured her to tell nobody?
Then she remembered the heavy
underlining-remembered. too. her
own recent monstrOus idea. If that
were true. Roger might betray
them both in all innocence.
NO." she said. Nothing at all"
She was to repent her decision
bitterly before tWenty-four hours
had passed.
More than once in the course of
the next few hours did she regret
Bobby's dictum that the car was
not to be used. Chipping SOmerton
was no very great distance as the
crow flies. but the journey involved
changing three times. with a long,
dreary wait at country station
each tiLe. and to one of Frankie's
impatient temperament this slow
method of procedure was extremely
hard to endure with fortitude.
1t was getting dark when
Frankie's train. an extremely delib-
crate and thoughtful train. drew
into the little station OF Chipping
Somerton. 1t was just beginning to
rain. too. which was additionally
trying.
Bobby's directions were quite
easy to follow. Frankie saw the
lights of the village ahead and
turned eff to the left up lane which
led steeply up till. Presently she
saw the little cluster of houses that
formed the village lying below her
and came TO a neat wooden gate
with Tudor Cottage" written on it.
The door of the cottage opened
and she saw figure in chauffeur's
dress peer cautiously out. Bobby!
He made reckoning gesture. then
withdrew inside. leaving the door
ajar.
frankie stepped gingerly over
the threshold into a dark hall. She
stopped peering about her.
"Bobby?" she whispered.
It was her nose that gave her
warning. Where had she known that
smell before - that heavy, sweet
odoF?
Just as her brain gave the answer
"Chloroform." strong arms seized
her from behind. She opened her
mouth TO scream and wet pad was
clapped over it. The sweet. cloying
smell filed her nostrils.
She fought desperately. twisting
and turning. kicking. But it was of
no avail. Despite the fight she put
up she felt herself succumbing.
There was drumming in her ears.
she felt herself choking. And then
she knew no more. -.
WHEN frankie came to herself
w the immediate reactions were
depressing. There is nothing roman.
tic about the after-effects of chIoro.
form. She was lying on an extreme
ly hard wooden floor and her hands
and feet were tied. She managed
to roll herself over. and her head
nearly collided violently with a bat
tered coal-box. Various distressing
events then occurred.
A few minutes later frankie was
able. If not to sit up. at least to take
notice.
Close at hand she heard a faint
groan. AS far IS she could make out
she seemed to be in a kind of attic.
The only light came from a skylight
In the roof. and at this moment
there was very little OF that. In a
few minutes It would be quite dark.
The groan seemed to have come
from the corner.
Frankie's bonds were not very
tight. She wormed her way across
the dusty floor.
"Bobbyi" she calculated.
Bobby it was. also tied hand and
foot. In addition he had a piece of
cloth bound round his mouth. This
he had almost succeeded in work
Ing loose. frankie came to his as
sistance. In spite OF being bound to-
gether her hands were still OF some
use. and a final vigorous pull with
the teeth finally did the job.
Rather stiffly Bobby managed to
calculate. "Frankie!"
How did they get you?" demand
ed frankie. WAS 1t after you wrote
that letter to me?"
What letter? l never wrote any
letter."
"Oh. I seei" said frankie. her
eyes opening. what an idiot h;'v'
beeli"