The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-10
Chapter SO
Breaking And Entering

"OTTILIE was supposed to meet
us here at thirty" | told
Dunning. do you realize it's al
most seven thirty and that girl
hasn't shown up YETI"
He groaned. Lets call the hotel
and see if they've any word of her
there"
But when we got through to the
Carlton. fhe reception clerk was
politely definite. Miss Wills. he
said. had not returned. Her uncle
also had Just gone out, but before
he left he had been inquiring If
anyone had seen his niece.
Cummings face was crave as
told him the news. II don't like
1t" said he. mot one little bit If
] knew the name of her friends at
Monte Carlo, we could check up
on when she left them. but we
don't. so that's that. I've got car
here, and I'll drive out along the
coast road and see i'll can see any
thing Of her. On the way I'll drop
you at the Carlton and you can
wait there till the old man gets
back and 1T him to call up
Monaco"
could think of no better plan,
and so we set out. "And what about
tomorrow" | asked.
'The old man doesn't rise till
eight. and they're not likely to try
TO do him in in his bed. You and
Hugo be at the hotel by seven
thirty. and at least we'll be wise to
whatever's doing. III meet you in
the lounge"
The reception clerk at the Carl
ton told me that Virgoe Wills was
still out. and ! made my way back
to the terrace to watch for the old
mans return. Then | saw the uni
formed figure of Cassandra Chubb
threading her way toward me,
with small regar' for the people
whose elbows she ioggled in pass
ing.
MIR. Lumsden," she began with
out preamble, where's Ottilie?"
That's exactly what I want to
know" ! told her. "T'm waiting
here for Mr.. Wills, to get the name
of the people at Monte Carlo she
went TO see."
She made a gesture of impa-
fience. I've ALREADY called the
folks In Monte Carlo. She left
there at Ave thirtyl"
| whistled lugubriously. "Well."
4 said. aall the consolation we've
got Is that Mr.. Dunning has gone
out to look for her. Look here.
you're a sensible woman. Keep
around here--don't 90 to bed un-
iii she comes back. and when she
does. or II you get word from her
ring up the Chalet d'Amour."
Il will" she said. and then, with
q sort of moan of anguish: Land
sakesl What will her uncle say
when he hears all this?"
Lets hope he won't have to
hear il" said |. Keep your chin
up. Miss Chubb Ottilie's the sort of
girl who'll always land on her
feet" And will. that | made my
way towards the ramp.
But / was not to effect an eS-
cape SO easily. for just as reached
the bar. gaunt. gaudily clad fig-
ure rose from solitary table and
laid q hand IN my arm. "Yop are
- a h1srrxU r.ass xtNt.au frton1en
said the voice OF Rene Cess.
A Mad Idea
~COOD Lordl" saic |, staring at
~ him. I had as nearly as possi-
bic asked him what he was doing
there. when he should have been
in Italy. but even as caught the
words back. he answered my un-
spoken question.
II am spending a few days with
q friend at San Lorenzo" he told
me. "But ] felt q sudden nostalgia
Tor Iay pretty marionettes here.
shall return III an>hOUirEts the. pass
toral peace Of the Italian country
side. Meanwhile. viii YOU not Join
me In drink"
I'm sorry" I said, "but I'm
clearing out to some place where
there's a breath Of fresher air. |
don't like this wind"
He laughed gently. Our mis-
tral1 Now me. | find II singularly
invigorating. Il even makes me
feel q trifle light-headed."
Why blame 10 on the windf" !
retortej rudely. and with q NUT
tered goodby | pushed past him.
a sudden. . mad idea had struck
me. GeiSs was. on his own confess
sion. going back TO ioin Rakovsky
There would be no one in his villa.
and Dunning had said our one hope
OF catching him was TO find the gun
with which he had killed O'Don-
nell. ] had done q lot of queer
things in my time. but housebreak-
ing was not numbered among
them. Still, there was no harm in
trying, and no harm done either
II failed.
turned my steps towards the
rue du Dragon. and as | did so
saw q 6ery glow like Q volcano in
eruption. ] halted for q moment.
realizing that the nistral must be
driving the flames down the VAL
leyS. for even as ! looked. there
came q great squirt of Gre. shoot
ing up into the quiet sky.
counted one. two. three, sep
araie outbreaks and moved on,
thanking my stars that ] did not
live IN the track Of the flaming
ruin that must be spreading over
DIDN'T KNOW HER NAME