The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-05-20

why. no. Dic you wants.
me Skipper interrupted. -Whaf's
The matter Jin7"
Nothing" snapped and once n,ora
rang for Higgins The silsr &c. - 49,. !
cnarsec with many thirgs. am
A.lsau was little disappointed when
ne finally did appear.
nieglnS. were you In the unner
nan Al any tims after + Instructed Won
70 watch the eerxSnfs9so
Why, yes. sir. Just now when ,to,,
requested me- -
7 know. But we're you there ahanv
otner ume-or could any Of the .ser-
wants have beer there's no
NO. sir. I'm pssitive@
dlgested that slowly. Aunt Mar
tna-Skipper. no either Of you hear
anything unusual while you were up-
Their negative we're prompt. Some
one then must have come IN thosa
stairs and gone oown the han toward
me east end d the house. since NIilxa
mad heard il ard the aunts had not
Gays room was opposite the head of
the stairs. | whirled on her.
You heard this person come up
and go down?
She shrugged impatientiy. Really.
jim. you're too obvious. You could
ne heard from asre 10 the mainland
slow. creeping steps as when The
maniac Is about to grab the heroine
oy the hair. You should have shrieked
occasionally for local color"
II IS one thing TO have your fictl-
uous hero suspected by every person
present II IS quite another 10 be sus-
peeled yourself BY your own ROOM
mate and his tancee.
Look here. said. you can believe
me or not iusI as you ike. but
haven't been up those stairs sine
lunch time
She didn't believe me. could see
i in her face and | could see il, 10
I Michael's.
Higgins here will tell you" | be-
gan holly. but Gay inter- pied.
-Oh. don't periure Higgins. Ii would
have worked oetter If you'd only had
sense enough to-"
From somewhere in the rear Of the
house fullthroated scream rang hor-
ribly through tie hall.
A Low. HysterieaI GiggIe
INTO the startled silence that fol-
\ lowed that frightfuI sound. came
low. hysterical giggle. The hair on nay
neck was beginning to prickle could
see Higgins bullying eyes II was NJ
Harrington. collapsed in chair. ner
head IN her halds. rocking spasmodi-
'eally back and forth. Michael move i
mechanically.
Stop III Stop if. With his good arm
he seized her shoulder and shook it
roughly.
Quiet" the Skipper said The ef-
feet was instantaneous. At of hours
when have mad one drink too many
! can still see that scene. Michael half
bent over his aunt's chair. Gay stifiy
erect. and myself gripping the edge Of
the desk. while all eyes were riveted
on the Skipper haggard face. Half
turned away tom US. she stood star
ing toward the hall door. Waiting.
Waiting for lchof?
4 1 didn't walk across that room. l
bolted for the door. If the devil him
self had been in that hall, / would
rather have encountered him than en-
dure that wsitpf another minute.
The devil. fortunately or otherwise.
was not IN the hall. Nor was anyone
else. The scream had come from the
kitchen and IN that direction I gall
loped as fast as ny legs would carry
me. The door of the servants dining
room crashed open to my hand.
In the half light from the hall
could see that the room was empty,
but could also see the swinging door
leading into the kitchen moving. as If
someone had Just gone through it.
Beyond that door I could hear the
sound Of heavy footsteps coming.
seemingly. from point halfway be-
tween the floor and the ceiling. One
moment only hesitated to see Hig-
gins following ne in q labored dog
trot Then | went through that door.
Directly against the nearest wall
ran the staircase to the servants quar-
tiers and halfway up il stood William
in his shirt-sleeves. one half Of his
face covered with Iather and razor
in his hand He was breathing heavily
and his staring eyes were fixed on
something on the door, hidden from
my sight By the kitchen table. Our
eyes met for the fraction Of second
~Gzwdl" said William hoarsely.
Almost had ceased 70 feel Ger
tainly walked around that table with
as few quzlms as might have stepped
to it for q cigarette. Lying in a gro
tesque heap on the floor was the NAM
moth figure Of Cook Her arms were
sprawIed horribly and blood was how-
ing from . huge cash On her fore
head. As knelt beside her. William
came heavily down the stairs and
Higgins painted through the dining
room. felt for her heart
copyright. 1857. Esther TyIerJ
Annie the maid Is found bound and
gagged, tomorrow.