The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-06-20

/ sure Ll6y III want TO see you
81 want" Asey said ..ruthfully,
ito see them. too But you LET me
choose the time. An while | daily
with this window lock. will you
keep your eyes on the Carr family.
an tell me where they walk tor"
They're Just strelliHg around, /"
Frye, said. why are you interested
in"
tits their intense ci1arrn.n Asey
said. ITS got me. VIII YOU watch
EN-, while ! fix your window
lock?"
He was little annoyed when
Aaron Frye, a few minutes later.
went out and joined the Cars in
their walk. That was. of course,
one way to find out the Carr fan1i-
Tvs destination. but he doubted il
Ing would be the same destination
they originally had in mind.
In one sense Asey thought. It
didn't matter very much. If the
Cars were contemplating any
dirty work. their plans were due
for rude shock Timothy and his
| grandmother were very shortly
going Co be-put through wringer.
and he intended to apply the han
die with considerable force.
And Aaron FRYE was going to
come in for a bit of wringing. too.
That pose Of indecisive absent
mindedness was going to be chased
right square out of the picture. He
could be decisive enough when he
wanted to.
Frye must have known, Asey
| thought. about the ambergris. He
must have known. He did know.
Any man whose nervous system
reacted to loose window catches
would have reacted with consid-
cradle violence to news like PANS
finding her long-sought-for am
bergris. But FRYE hadn't even
asked how much she found. He
hadn't even displayed ordinary
curiosity. He'd taken the informa-
| ton as casually as though amber
girls grew luxuriantly on the trees
outside Octagon House. and ii was
his custom to pluck great hunks Of
j. every morning before break
fast.
Not The Only Odd Thing
FRYE was an odd duck anyway,
l Asey thought. as he finished
with the window. He'd once been
some sort of college professor
Bill Porter always called him
doctor and so did lots of other
people. But why q college profess
sor should choose to bury himself
in a place like Quanomet, Asey
couldn't imagine. People said he
had come for his health. which
was very possibly true. And Pam
had attributed his lack of interest
in breadwinnine to her sisters &C.
tons. Perhaps Marina's goings-on
had done something to Frye's pride
and ambition.
Perhaps. Asey thrust the screw
driver back in his pocket. Per-
haps. ANYWAY. FRYE was odd, and
he wasn't the only odd thing in
the mess. either. And It was high
time Asey decided. that he per-
sonally got down to work. What
ever painting. puttving and tim
kering around he did in the flu
ture. he would do as Asey Mayo.
He'd diddled long enough.
Suuaring his shoulders. Asey
started for the back porch. When
he came through the strange cir
cular hallway with Aaron FRYE.
he had not noticed anything but
its shape. in the dim light. But
now as he stepped out of the
study. he stopped short and stared
at the clocks lining the walls. and
wondered how he had missed
them before.
There were II angular sides to
that hall. not counting the doors to
the kitchen. the dining room, the
study. and the parlor. and every
available inch was covered with
clocks. or shelves with clocks on
them. Asey had never seen so
many clocks In such q limited
space-and no one. he thought.
ever saw so many queer clocks
anywhere. outside of bad dream.
There were clocks like cats whose
eyes m oved. clocks like cats
whose eyes didn't move. There
were clocks like dogs whose tails
moved. Clocks with ship pendu-
lums that swooped groggily over
painted waves. Clocks with moon
faces, clocks with human faces.
Cuckoo cIocks--any number OF
them. And one whole wall was de-
voted d. 4 collection Of frying pan
clocks, on ar Sizes. - -
Asey blinked. They were enough
TO make q man blink. They were
enough TO drive q man crazy.
"Huh." he murmured. 81 won
der how many cartons Of SOAP an
oatmeal was bought to get them
things originally. It's certain sure
that no one bought 'ern for them
selves alone-owi"
The hour struck. and for the
next Ave minutes there was pam
demonium in the hallway. Asey
gritted his teeth. No wonder things
happened In Oclagon House. II Just
wasn't sane.
He found the back porch de-
serted. The trooper with the tired
voice had gone. There was no sign
of Aaron FRYE. or Of the Carrs.
He walked around 70 the front
Of the house. To his surprise. not
q single person fingered behind
the barbed wire harricade. A lone
trooper. sitting on an overturned
bucket. nunehed q hot dog and
slipped orangeade from a paper
centainer. II
~What happened3" Asey asked.
fcsfrix1& isss. g1osss xsne&S TssssgD
lack Lerne centrIbntes startling ID
formation. tomorFow.
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