The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-15
CHAPTER Il
The Girl From The Train


The Girl From The Train
TT SEEMED to me that she had
u been trying to attract iny atten-
ton. But whether or not she was
now aware of me I could not tell.
Suddenly she staggered up one
step and seemed to fall out { : sight.
After the first icy shock OF hor-
TOR, when was unable to scream,
remembering the poor soul who
had hanged herself. ! clamped one
hand over my mouth and sat there
shivering violently. trying to get
hold Of myself and be sensible.
However much she might appear
to be g.. apparition, she had to be
flesh and blood. reminded myself
that there were guest "ooms of
the balcony which. Adam had said,
were seldom occupied. But seldom
did not mean never.
I was positive she was not one
: of the guests at the hop. None Of
them had been dressed like that
all in floating white. I began to
sshiver again. But IL she had been
up there all evening. IL she were
the relative {. some enlisted man
and occupying one Of the guest
rooms, she might know something,
might even have witnessed the
shooting.
Il would not do for me to sum-
mon anyone else. ! must follow
her alone. / must at least keep her
presence secret ui.til Adam could
talk to her.
Before my good resolution could
weaken ! slipped my notes under
the stair rug and climbed upward
as fast az my shaky knees would
permit.
She was lying partially on the
stairway, as If she had fallen for
ward just before she reached the
top--a fiesh-and- blood woman in
a white nightgown and robe. Her
body was limp as an old rag
thrown down. and when / could
bring myself to touch it, to turn
the face upward to the light. ! saw
that il was so flushed with blood
as TO be almost purple, and there
were fiecks of foam on the lips.
To my untutored eyes 1t looked
like suffocation or poisoning.
And then, after the first wave OF
blackness had been fought off and
l could see again. I recognized her.
It was the girl from the train.
Somehow I got pasi her and onto
the balcony. somehow edged my
way along to the opposite side OF
the central well without being
seen by any of the budding groups
below. There was another stair
way that ] had noticed leading az
from the powder room. ! stood al
the head OF II and listened until
was sure there was no one below
And when reached the foot of i
found | was still whispering X
myself, II won't scream, ] won
scream!"
There was an outside door tina
corresponded to the one in the
reading room--tf1e one Elizabeth
had used TO slip out unseen. / hur.
ried around the building in thu
darkness until | could look II
through the reading room win
dow. Tubby Shaw and Mrs. Or
pington were still glowering a
each other. Adam had not re-
turned.
Where would | find him? He haC
gone for Barney-to the Officers
Club where the bachelors has
rooms. started in pursuit and me
him returning, his long legs strid'
ing purposefully toward the row
Of parked cars. s-.4-
Hey TO The Murder
ct REACHED him, chung to hin
i and poured out my story.
He put his hand over rnin'
where Il rested on his arm and tn
touch was warm and comforting
II was demoralizing to shake so.
~Good girl" he said quietly
sThe fewer people know abou
this, the better. Maybe--someonl
will give II away. I'll 90 up ant
look over the situation. You tax
my car-or Charliess-and 60 70
Doc Moore. Barney Is at the hos
pital too: the orderly at the clul
couldn't keep him in bed. Tell hin
Twant 20 see him."
took Charles car again; h
wouldn't be needing Il for q while
And as I drove q thousand CUES
tons raced through my mind
seeking answers ! could not pro
duce.
Most urgen< OF these-the iden
tity OF the strange girl--tantalixe'
me because had bsen 50 near 3
solving 10 IN the train. had fan
cied that bad seen her before an
had dismissed its as . chance r.
sefnblance. But had the resern
blance been ehancef Was IL fam