The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-15

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The line Of reasoning was. not
strong, but it intensified my grow
ing feeling that to solve the iden-
tityof that girl would be to. find q
key to the murder Of Anne Ca
rewe.
As often happens when you try
to watch your Subconscious at
work, mine retired into a subcel-
lar and put out the light. Even the
remembered image Of the girl as
she sat across the aisle from me on
the train faded from my mind and
left me staring at that contorted
magenta mask which bore no re-
semblance to anything living.
Horror was riding with me. ]
spun the little car crafty around
corner and saw welcome lights
ahead.
The hospital at Fort Ravens Is
at the same end of the post as the
commanding officers quarters. but
beyond and well away from the
other buildings and the main road.
I had been there that afternoon.
but not inside the big brick build
ing.
Iran UP the short flight Of steps
and through the heavy double
doors, skidded to stop on the
highly waxed linoleum floor and
looked about me. The odor of
formaldehyde and a hushed and
breathless quiet envelopcd every
thing. =.
A room to the right was labeled:
DIsPENsARY. To my left a door was
open ON small Office. An orderly
in a stiff white jacket rose from
behind a desk and motioned me
down a long cross corridor to
where a doorway showed golden
against the DINNER hall.
'sYour friends are in there, wait
ing for the captain. He'll come as
soon as he's free"
"Will you tell aim it's urgent
| please? Major Drew sent me"
Haunted Eyes
LIE HURRIED away and I tip
IL toed down the endless poll
ished corridor, listening to my
footsteps echo and re-echo against
the cold white walls and ceiling.
The surgeons Office was sparse
ly furnished: big bare desk; a
bookcase full of heavy medical
books: a few mahogany armchairs.
Against that austere BACKGROUND
nothing could have been more UNI
seemly than our forgotten finery.
Hooked at Elizabeth's white face
above her pink organdy; at Bar
ney's great figure hunched over
the desk, face buried in his hands
like a stricken jester, the pierced
| crimson heart on his back shock
ing reminder of Anne's down.
flung form: and realized suddenly
that I, too. was still in fancy dress.
Then saw Annie, in decent
black, a Queen Mary hat set rig-
idly level on her small head. twist
ing her handkerchief and staring
from a corner-the spirit of trag-
edy brooding over q vanished
feast.
Elizabeth stopped turning the
leaves of a medical journal and
| glanced up with haunted eyes.
Barney dropped his hands from q
paper white face against which
| his eyes were like the openings to
| gray, vacant corridors and rose.
swaying little.
1 @Has-has Adam found out any
| thing?" he asked with desperate
! urgency.
| I said, 81 don't know" and
| avoided their eyes, which seemed
to accuse me Of withholding hope.
HE wants to see you--he's still al
the Service Club"
| I found a chair quickly and SAT
down because he was obviously
| holding himself up by a great eff
| fort.
| "I'll 90 back-as soon as I've
seen Doc" he said. I've got things
| to do. :. There'n be no sleep for
me-" he added more strongly, "un-
| til we find" He clenched his bic
| hands and swallowed painfully.
| Elizabeth's eyes were fixed on
the open doorway. / listened and
heard them, too-the quick. quiet
| footsteps descending the stairs,
traversing the long corridor.
| Not over thirty now. in ten years
| time Captain Moore would be q
| little stopped. / thought irrcle-
q vanity IS he stood in the doorway
enveloped in the white surgical
gown, his oversize head bent lit
| tie forward with the air OF one
1 peering over his glasses and lis
tening for something only family
audible. His mouth was controlled,
his hands lean and sensitive - q
| surgeons hands.
| you wanted met" he asked ci
| the room at large.
i Elizabeth had risen and taken Q
] step forward. She seemed hraced
| for a blow.
Il "Wc thought--it might not BE-
| too late" she said painfully. ia
i Their would want nothing left un-
i done.
!, In Barney,s eyes there was q
. naked plea. So they were hoping
ll--still.
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