The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-09

know"
81 don't know" Josh Hastings
snapped. A dull red came into his
face, and his eyes shifted from
Kay's inquiring gaze. 'I'm only re-
constructing the picture as / i'm
agine it must have been" His man.
ner was suddenly clustering and
confused. Like as not I'm mis-
taken. Gaynor probably wasn't
wounded at all. He just shot Scrap
through his arm, and then, when
Scrap dropped his gun, Gaynor
finished him off"
81 didn't know Scrap Johnson
had been shot twice!" Kay ex-
claimed. A rising excitement made
her breath come fast. How did
Josh Hastings know so much2
Why was he so red and angry?
"All l know is what the sheriff
said!" Josh Hastings turned to
Aunt Kate, and fixed her with hyp-
motto glance. "You heard him say
thatp he declared.
Il don't rightly remember that.
Aunt Kate pursed her lips refiec-
lively, But land sakesl I was so
excited, / don't know half he did
say"
'But you did hear him say thati"
Josh Hastings persisted, his eyes
still dominantly holding hers.
II reckon / did," Aunt Kate
agreed doubtfully. Anyway, 1 rec
olleet what he said about it's being
my brothers gum" Her beady
black eyes turned accusingly to
Kay ae idea Of your giving your
fathers gun 20 man like thati
Josh astiags has told me all about
him
That's easy to see" Kay COM
llleufed bitterly. She turned an
efily toward the steps. II may as
eil be going on, as long as you
have your minds made up already
about an innocent mans guilt"
She turned back to Aunt Kate. IF
there should be any message, have
Babs ride over with it, will your"
Il will, unless someone else
wants to take iti'' Aunt Kate gave
Josh Hastings an arch look, which
made Kay's blood boil.
Turning and boiling down the
steps before she should say some
thing she might regret later, she
sprang into Flicker's saddle and
was off.
A Plan Of Action
THE same early morning sun
4 light that had tempted Marion
Howell out into her tiny clearing
on the morning that Ted finally
was out of danger, shone on Kay's
cabin and wakened her from the
exhausted sleep into which she had
fallen at early dawn, after second
wretched night.
There had beenno message of any
sort from the Flying Six and, UNI
able to stand the suspense, Kay had
sent Shorty over after supper to
see if any late news had come in. It
was midnight before Shorty had
come back, and with her first
glimpse of his face, Kay had had
her answer.
mo news is good news, Kid"
Shorty had tried to be comforting
with his clumsy sympathy. He
seemed to sense, in some strange
way, what Kay was going through.
I'm with you about there being
something phony going on. That
Gaynor guys no murderer, or
miss my guess"
Thanks, Shorty" Kay had said.
Il know he isn't. But everyone but
you and me seems to think he is!''
Josh Hastings sure is hell bent
against him, Shorty had ruminat-
ed, shooting Kay a quizzical look.
Reckon you're being for him don't
help none in that quarteri"
This remark fingered with KAY
after Shorty had left, and she had
gone to bed. She must be careful
not to raise antagonism to Ted, by
being too violently partisan.
Putting aside the negative ways
IN which she could help, Kay tried
to concentrate on something posi-
tive she could do. The thing that
would mean most to him, would be
Tor her to get in touch with his
mother and sister herself, and
bring them over to the Lazy Nine,
as had been originally planned.
. She had resolved TO wait one
more day for news of Ted, and then
to put this plan into action. Finally
she had dropped asleep.
Now, as the sun graduallv
brought her TO full consciousness,
this plan came back to her mind,
and she Spralg out of bed and be-
gan to dress with feverish energy.
Why wait one more day, before
acting on her own? She wanted 10
be back at the ranch house that
night, because the sheriff would
surely have some news by then.
Meanwhile, however, there was no
need TO have another wretched day
of anxious. interminable waiting.
She would ride up to the central
divide and do some scouting.
Knowing that her plan would
stir Seth's opposition, and would
certainly make him insistent that
one Of the Toys 60 with her, Kay
carefully avoided the bunk hou. ;.
Slipping into the mess shack, she
foraged some breakfast for her
self. Then she grabbed up some
bread and ham and a canfeen Of
water, and made for the corral.
fCoRgs4sAt. 1887. MaFts De Eerpandt
Knw sxnnv,an,.s A.. a.. ...s.n