The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-05
Chapter 10
Scene OF Disorder

L WAS approximately two weeks
4 since Tacks had set eyes on Miss
Packy North. Two miserable drag
sging weeks.
He was sunk. And, to add to his
disgust, it was highly probable
that he alone was going to give
the party on Saturday night. While
he did not know the exact progress
that his three cronies had made
with their respective assignments,
he gathered that they considered
them in the bag. Jumbo Cutlerand
Van Hardness were a carefree
twain of gentlemen these days. As
for Mr.. William Steele, he like
wise seemed all set. Duly bailed
out from the clutches Of the law,
Bill had approached Mr.. Diffen-
derfer and suggested that legal
proceedings were both tedious and
expensive. Why not, Bill had pro-
posed, settle this thing out of
court?
It had taken certain amount of
persuasion. Mr.. Diffenderfer had
allowed that William was mem
ace who ought to be cast in DUR
ance vile and kept there. Neither
could he be completely divorced
from the notion that William rep
resented the odious Bernie Field
man IN the capacity of freak-steal-
er. But, first and last, Mr.. Diffen.
derfer was a business man. In the
end he capitulated to the lure of
gold. A stable sum changed
hands. Mr.. Diffenderfer dropped
the charges, and William walked
out into the sunlight free man.
While brooding over these
moody details, TackS Adams ar
rived at the stone steps which
bunker the southern entrance to
the Central Park Reservoir.
For the benefit of those who may
be unfamiliar with the witching
city of New York, the reservoir
lies midway between the extreme
ends of Central Park. A footpath
girdles this city-locked lake. On
Sundays and holidays, when the
cliff-dwellers of Gotham are re-
leased from the chains of industry,
this footpath teens with humans
ty who have come out to see if the,
sky is still there as it was last Sum
day or holiday. But on weekdays
one often finds the path either
nearly or completely deserted.
Tacks found it nearly deserted
today. He perceived one or two
figures some distance ahead, but
paid scant attention to them. Then
he suddenly realized that the dog
Lily was still partnering him.
All the way to the reservoir Lily
had walked with sedateness and
gravity. Now, however, she was
in territory designed for caperinE,
and, by CAD. she meant to caper.
But this sap Adams was showing
no signs of releasing her. To call
attention to this distressing state.
of affairs, she braced herself and
gave mighty tug on the leash.
Mr.. Adams eyed her with dis
favor. Then he tumbled.
He bent and unsnapped the
leash. Lily bounded gaily forth.
Tacks followed, his eyes on the
ground. He himself had no desire
to caper. His capering days were
over. He wanted nothing save to
be left alone to contemplate the
WaSteland of his existence with
cynical bitterness. But even this
was to be denied him.
A sudden sharp scream came to
his ears. He glanced up quickly.
For a second he could not deter
mine from whence the sound had
come. Then, gazing straight ahead,
he perceived that which was GER
tainly out of order.
Fifty yards up the footpath fe-
male figure was perched on the
stone coping from which the high
wire fence that surrounds the res.
ervoir arises. With one hand she
chung to the fence. With the other
she sought desperately to beat off
the advances of a large gray shape
that bounded and frisked about
her knees.
Tacks swore and charged for
ward. 1t was just as he had warned
his Aunt Wee. That imbecile dog
would scare somebody. But twenty
yards from his quarry he stopped
short. The girl whom Lily had
forced to take refuge on the stone
coping was Packy North.
Hideous Merriment
A ND right there Mr.. Tacks Adj
"A ans got the most outrageous
brainwave of his entire career.
In preparing himself for the
successful execution of this in
spiration. Tacks was considerably |
aided by the fact that Packy had |
not noticed him as yet. That young
woman was engrossed in landing
sharp. but futile, slaps on the moist
snout of Lily the wolfhound. She
had no time at the moment to note
casual wayfarers. Tacks took adj
vantage of the situation. Hastily
rolling up Lily's leash. he cranmed
il into his pocket. Then he strolled
nonchalantly to the scene Of dis
order.
On this particular day Packy
had poured her svelte figure into
corn-colored organdy. hidden her
blue-black hair under a baku hat
that would have kept the sun of |
the state of Texas and sailed forth.
Arriving on the sidewalk outside
her apartment house. she had per-
ceived instantly that this was no
day for prosaic reorganization past
shop window and street-corner
refuse basket. In a large way the
sun was doing business at the old
stand and any curse that it may
have wished to cast over New
York was tempered by a mischiev-
Gus wisp Of a breeze. Clearly big
ger and better ambuiation was IN
dictated. Packy had hoped bus