The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-06-23

g0TMnn YU21n<.
clothes. blinking like he'd been asles,
since noons
! wasn't going get caught listen
ing. not with Higgins the way he'd
been lately closed my door, but
stood there listening. and the first
thing hear is Mr.. Michael saying,
Wake up everybody in the house,
! can't fnd Miss Barbara and Miss
Blinshopr
7 knew right of that the FIRST thing
the old boy would do would be TO
come through the bathroom after me.
and there was Annie sound asleep.
routed her out quick and got her over
by the door. The minute she hears
Higgins door close, she skins across
TIE hall into Cooks room With Mr.
Michael only halfway down the hall,
Il was tight squeak. but it workedIs
William" said roughly. ''if you'd
told this story in the first place, you
might have saved at least one life. Do
you realize that2"
The mans face was troubled. "Jobs
is scarce
Lives are scarcerF" 1 snapped. els
h-ere any morez"
II was stupid attitude to take, and
l realized il the minute the words
were out Of my mouth Williams lips
set Ia grim and stubborn line. He
was silent.
He amt been withholding 40
facts1 rumbled Cook Indignantly.
He has been Withholding facts
Important ones" | said. Nov look
here. William, I'm not blaming you.
You've had :; rough time. But your
negligence has caused plenty Of
trouble The best thing you can do
now is to be sure that you haven't
overlooked anything.
Williams voice was sullen- Il don't
know nothing more
took wild chance. at win be in
teresting," I said, ''to End out what a
dngerprint expert thinks about who
locked Mr. Michael and myself in the
cellar"
There was dead silence. Williams
eyes were fixed on the foo-.
-All right" he said az last Il amt
denying IL went Of my nut. Tit
seemed ike you was the guy that
ko1ked me. and 1 thought you'd Just
tried TO bump Of the old lady. When
we was looking for Miss Rzrbara you
acted like you was Sailing. and
WelL you didn't say nothing about
where you was going"
stared at him You're not very
consistent" / said. Il thought you
were just now accusing Higgins?"
Il wssl" His expression was mulish.
y was wrong about you maybe. got
10 thinking while I was sitting with
the old lady. and / admit I was wrong.
But there's too much fshy business
about Higgins"
such as-z" knew be was ready
70 continue.
well. yesterday, when he was sup
posed to stay in the kitchen til you
sent for him-vhen you were in the
living room and the rest was in their
rooms-he went upstairs. saw him.
The Key Case
GO Higgins slaughtered that cat. Ny
- throat frightened and there was ice
at my back.
why didn't you say sou
His eyes were still on the floor.
Where I've been. sir. If you don't
learn nothing else. you learn to keep
your mouth shut"
Mot when II may cost you your
life!" I said savagely.
was certain that Higgins had re.
- led those letters from williams
room. All the years that had known
ne old man, all the years that had
gnsidered him as mach a part OF
harrington Bluff as Long Island Sound
itself. fen away from me. Higgins
owned the only revolver known to &c
on the Bluff. He had lied about his
whereabouts on the night of Jude's
death, and certainly he ha been OFT
Of his room when 1t occurred. He had
had opportunity for mutilating the cal
and dismantling that bedroom.
The Skipper was missing, and she
would have followed him anywhere
Poor Norman Harrington would have
trusted him implicitly. He had been
dLLQlE klE III AlG clG14G VI l4l6
shooting Of NJ. Harrington. had found
him with the gun in his hand. and he
had almost tricked me into planting
my own fngerprints on it. Ny head
was spinning with the mass Of evi.
dence.
I again asked William Il there was
anything else.
Getting slowly to his feet. hs
plunged hand into his back pocket
and drew forth a leather case which
he flung upon the table.
THAT"
I picked the thing up gingerly. n
contained about two dozen keys Of all
sizes and descriptions. They conveyed
nothing to me.
That fell out Of his pocket when
he was getting the dinner and nailed
Il. Higgins always carries a key to
every room in the house" said Wiz
liam slowly.
Copyright. 1881. Esther TgEerJ