The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-10

OS1l, q VOICE SdlQ Hulctlys dIiQ
recognized Fleuriot.
IF you can call it good eve
Ming" | retorted Il find it singu-
larly unpleasant one myself" And
! added, trifie maliciouSly: Have
you got on the track OF our friend
the chdSSeur YETI"
He looked at me oddly. falling
into step beside me. Not yet" he
admitted. Il had hoped that you
might have some suggestion to
make as to his wherea bouts"
"What a h0pe!" ] retoFted blt-
terly. IF the police can't lind him,
how can II" And them on sud-
den impulse, | put question. in
my turn. Il suppose" | said casu-
ally. you don't happen to know
what the word 'Amottrie' means?"
He pursued his lips. frowning
thoughtfully. "'Amourie. That
sounds like old Frenet. to me- II is
not a name. and | do not think it
has to do with amour It is more
likely an ancient -orm of 'aTmu-
rieT, an armourer, and it may well
be the name of some street where
such a trade was once piled. That
would mean it is in an old town,
not here, for hundred years ago
Cannes was but a fishing village.
Monaco. perhaps. or Antilles"
Man" said admiringly. almost
wishing that, in spite of Cummings
advice. had taken him into our
confidence, you've got head on
your shoulders. If there is such
street, do you think you can find
it?s
'Naturallyp he retorted. and
then added. looking at me keenly:
"But if succeed. what is my re-
ward? Have you, on your side. no
informatioh you would like to
give me?"
Listen" said, "if you can tell
me what that word means-a
phone message to the Chalet
d Armour will always reach me
!, on my side. will meet you this
time tomorrow night and tell you
everything ! know"
He gave a funnv. formal little
bow. 1T is a bargain" he aeknowl-
edged.
ITS bargain" | echoed, and
halted in my tracks. This is where
| turn off, and shaking him
warmly by the hand. ] swung off
into the rue du Dragon.
Strange Wilderness
I PAUSED, hesitating outside the
villa gate. l had already ruled
out the ratings as unscalable but
there still remained the alley at
the side of the house. | turned
quickly up the narrow passage.
1t was not so dark here, for the
night sky was clear overhead, and
a faint glow showed where the
moon would shortly rise. | crept
down the lane, scanning the wall
for some possible foothold. and
presently found it--a hole, about
a yard from the ground. where a
great silver of flint had been re-
centIy ulSIoogeu.
| set my foot in it, gripped the
top of the wall. and painfully
hoisted myself to the top, and now
| saw that the moon had already
risen. for a great. lop sided. amber
soup-plate hung low over the
house-top.
| swung both legs over the wall
and dropped on all tours on a
patch of rough gravel.
II was strange wilderness of a
place that ! landed in, place Of
pearly half-lights and menacing
shadows. of dim tree-trunks that
doomed suddenly up at one. or
broken statues leering down at
one from the shade of some over
grown palm.
For the first time / had a clear
view of the facade of the house. a
two-storied structure. with q log
gis over the porch. supported on
either side by monstrous cupids.
| liked the look of that loggia. and
| liked still more the look of the
sturdy, century-old wistaria that
covered the wall below IL. for the
rugged stem, as thick around as
mans calf. looked as if it would
stand ton weight.
! gave it an experimental tug,
found it as immovable as a rock.
and set my foot on the lowest fork.
In another minute had hooked
one leg over the railing OF the log
gia and was peering across II
through the open windows of a
darkened room. There were long
chairs on the loggia and Q soft
thick mating underfoot and my
rope soled espadrilles made no
sound as tiptoed forward.
As my foot touched the sill. |
stopped short, every nerve in my
body tingling. for from within the
room had come a frightened gasp.
| stood there rooted to the spot,
diSmally conscious that. to anyone
inside the room. ! must be clearly
silhouetted against the night sky.
And then. with a flooding relief
that was almost ludicrous, | heard
my name whispered. and the voice
that spoke IL was the voice OF
Ottilie Wills.
Archie" she breathed. Archie
Lumsdeni''
Next minute she was beside me,
my arm. and even in the
dim light | could see that she was
badly scared.
"Archie!" she said again. ''Oh.
thank heaven you've GOMEZ
"And how the deuce did you
get here?" | asked, inwardly rag
ING. for II was one thing 70 conduct
a Single-handed search . OF The
house. and quite another to have
a half-hysterical girl tagging at
ones heels. -
"By the same way as YOU did. I
guess" She broke of, gIaneing
fearfully over her shoulder. But,
tor mercy's sake, be caret0ll He's
in the house.
Who" l almost shouted. and
she fiung 4 slim hand over my