The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-14
~ CO OO4 ~ -
Bx MAX sALIMARsHl

to be There's nothing in the kind
of innocent fun that's going on out
there to offend Ottilie. Lead the
way, Baron" and with that he
turned and stumped firmly out 10
the terrace. ..
We stood there, three angry,
lhalplRRs meme HnninR's face was
very anxious, and III the silence i
heard him mutter, half to himself:
/ It's cof1e-it's come atslast."
Leave Il to me-" said /, for an
idea had struck me. I sprinted
after the two receding figures.
Mr.. Wills. II said, trifie breath
lessl You won't mind II we
come along with you? My friend
Stern is rather anxious to have o
word with your NIECE
He halted. fixing his wise. shrewd
old eyes on me.
mr.. Lunsden, quite number
OF young men have been anxious
to have a word with Ottilie in the
past, and most times the result of
that word has been heart-ache
| for them and a scalp in the war
belt for her. like your friend,
! and a man Of his age takes hurt
harder"
"Mr. Wills" I answered soberiy.
lowering my voice to meet his,
hasn't it occurred to you that one
day Ottilie might get tired of scalp
collecting mean. prefer to ac-
quire one permanent specimen and
discard the others? Hugo's a fine
chap. You wouldn't find better
nepheW-in-law anywhere"
Does Ottilie like him that
/ mucnY~ And when l nodded,
well, WELL" he said thought
fully, shat takes q considerable
weight Oh my mind, for he looks
as If he could handle her.s He
turned to Hugo and Dunning and
halted tentatively few feet away.
Gentlemen" he called genially,
string right along behind us, Il
you wish: and you, Baron, you
wort mind joining them? Mr..
Lumsden and | have certain mat
ters of importance to discuss" The
Baron swallowed hard. gave me
one swisS, nalevolent look. and
turned. with a deferential bow,
back to where the others waited.
was gratified to see that Hugo
and Dunning automatically formed
UP on either side of him, linking
their arms in his in the friendliest
way imaginable, and | was still
more pleased that the old man had
chosen me as his companion, for
was by long way the biggest OF
the three and would therefore
make the best shield for him when
trouble started. And that trouble
would shortly start / had not the
smallest doubt.
Completely Unaware
As WE turned from the sun
- glare of the front into q mar.
row side-street, thronged with
straying merrymakers, I saw that
my friend the Arab carpet-seller
had fallen into place between us
and the other three. A second later
two llsky-loo sailors emerged
from ar alley and strolled on Just
ahead of US. Cummings reinforce
fnents were rolling up, and it was
considerable relief to my mind.
But the work Of both advance
and rear guard was becoming COM
plicated. for with every step we
took the crowd thickened, and at
the entrance to the main street
we stopped dead. brought up short
by an impossible wall Of iostling.
laughing, singing humanity.
grimaee. I'm afraid Cuthbert was
right. at that" he admitted. 'This
Is no place for Ottilie. but now
we're here, we'd best 20 find her.
Which way. Baron?" he shouted
over his shoulder. and the fat man
pointed a stubby finger. Shrek
ing.
Virgoe Wills gripped my arm
with one sinewy hand and his
stick with the ether. Come on,
sonp" said he. Set a move onls
and dragged me unwillingly into
the thick OF the press.
The crowd was keeping q SEM
blance of order even in its merry
making. for down one side OF the
street solid mass travelled stol-
idly westward. while the other half
headed equally determinedly east.
The sailors were still ahead, but
divided from US now by q solid
sea of heads. and when ! glanced
over my shoulder all saw of the
carpet-seiler was the top OF red
tarboosh. while of the other three
no trace remained. There was
nothing for II but to let myself be
borne onward, keeping sharp
lookout for any face | knew.
Il was a queer frame of mind
that l was In. resigned. fatalistic,
and yet acutely watchful: and yet,
when the thing happened. il caught
me completely unaware. AS we
stood TANNED behind and before
by the press Of people. suddenly,
in the queer, haphazard way Of
crowds. a tiny space opened before
US. and across It. cringing and sid
ling, came gangiing. dust-eolored
figure that knew.
The wretched creature whlstled
shrilly. From the milling crowd OF
people ahead there sprang a Sec
ond figure. thin. stringy, with q
flying mop of tow-colored hair. and
IN its hand ] saw something short.
black. and deadly, pointed straight
a. VirRuess WlllS heart.
! sprang forward. trying to
throw myself In front OF the old
man, but there were strong hands
Skipping my arms. holding me
hsck. | struggled wildly. waiting
Tor the sickening report. the wisp
Of smoke that would herald death.
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