The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-10-06
the dark ships t
Bv HULBERT FooTNER leaa1Las -; =, 4,

Tanning had rocked her for over
million dollars. Neill inwardly
gaped at the thought of such sum.
What had become of it? He handed
back the portfolio.
''The first dividend was paid on
the nail, said Miss Rayner. 2
Naturally thought Neill. Ii
She Brought him sheaf Of LETT,
teFsas These will tell you all about
Mr.dF aiming. Who his associates
are. and so on" .ea4e.a1s F,..s. ,
NELL took down names and adj
dresses IN order to satisfy her, and
got out as soon as he could. Ittftade e,
him feel a little sick tei.ahinac of
the brutal awakening that was ini
store for the frail little old lady.
In the street he thought things
over. Beyond establishing the
identity of Fanning's victim, he
had not got very far. The manner
of Fanning's introduction to the
old lady suggested that the estate
agent Wcs in no wise implicated
and Miss Rayncr Rad confirmed it.
NELL drove back downtown and
called at Mr.. Osgood's Office. He
found him a conservative speci-
men of the genus Family Lawyer.
Impossible to suspect such one.
Mr.. Osgood claimed not to have
met Tanning. He was deeply
shocked to learn that Tanning had
been a frequent caller on his client.
Il must look into this. he NUT
tered.
Neill didn't envy him that job.
Mr.. OSgood said that his acquain-
lance with Referring YVES very
slight. he nadedt clear that ne did
not care for tila man. "a successful
criminal laWyeTkI understand" he
said condescendingly.
Before returning to Absalom's,
Neill he'd himself carried over TO
Washington. In the treasury de-
partment he cashed a check for Ell
he had coming to him in order to
be resdy for anything. He looked
in on his chief.
Having a good timer" asked
the latter.
"Swell!" said NELL. If you knew
the half of it! he thought grirnly.
I'll have an assignment for you
on Monday"
As he started out of town, Neill
bought the latest papers and found,
as he had fcreseen. that they were
now playing up the theory that
Tanning had been decoyed into the
girls cabin and killed by a man
for his money. Neill flung down
the sheets with a groan Of helpless
anger.
The Mob Mutters
1T was approaching seven o'clock
when he got back to Absalom's.
Lately the papers had been sent
down from town as fast as issued
and the latest story was already
having its effect. From the crowd
that pressed around the store, Neill
heard new note, a slow growing
sound that once heard can never
be forgotten.
As he crossed the porch on his
way in, he overheard a snatch Of
talk. A man said:
when we catch them two we
ought to string them up"
Not the woman" answered an
other That's never been DONE"
We'll, we can string him up and
let her watch. That'd learn her!"
NELL swept a glance around.
Every face bore the same dark
look and he knew then what it was
to be alone. Hyenasl he thought,
hardening.
He found Bonniger with Ser
geant Wilson and the constables in
the loft over the store, and made
his report.
Good work. said Bonniger. at
fits IN with other information about
Tanning that has come over the
wire today. During the past four
or five weeks he opened accounts
with half a dozen banks in Wash
lngton. Baltimore and New York.
Large sums of money passed
through these accounts. Just be-
fore he died, he closed them all
out, and got his checks back, thus
blocking our investigation of his
operations"
Pretty slick, said NELL.
Its clear that he converted his
million into something easily
portable" said Bonniger. He
must have had It with him, and
there's your motive for the MUIR
der! A cool millpnl This case
looms bigger and biggerl"
Neill noticadIwith considerable
uneasiness that all the constables
with the exception of the man
guarding the yacht had been called
in. He had evidently interrupted
conference. What are you get
ting ready for?" he asked.
We have not been idle while
you were away said Bonniger.
This afternoon a fisherman called
Jake Lol1er brought me a packet
containing 100 new SIS bills that he
had found floating in the river"
Neill's heart began TO sink like
piece of water-logged wood.
he picked 1t up at a point of
Northam's pavilion, Bonniger
went on. sThe tide was then at
half food. The money had been in
the water more than IL hours, but
not much more, because the paper
was not yet pulpy. OF course the
fact that the bills were bound in
tight bundle helped to protect
them. Through the Merchants
National Bank OF Baltincra. esq
tablished that these same bills had
been drawn BY PreSonst + Tanning
last Monday"
$50 whatg" asked Nell.
lcsswisss. 1871, - Hssssvs Fseszer5
k.es %%-% xEt TNN
Bennigsy and bis men start 70