The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-12
Chapter IS
Smoke In Her Eyes


Mr. TACKS ADAMS. in glow
WI ering mood, sat in that refuge
Of song and festivity known as
The Heel Tap. A glass Of Scotch
and soda before him was referred
to only occasionally and. even
then, sparingly. Mr.. Adams rec
ognized the need for the first fine
stimulus impaired by alcohol and
the further need Of drawing the
alcoholic line before the stimulus
gave way to fog.
AS a consequence, he was sip
ping his drink Continental FASH
ion. With the slipping. however.
Mr.. Adams resemblance to things
Continental ceased. In other re-
spects, his mien was comparable
20 that of flea nesting on a bed
of itch-powder. Simply put. Mr..
Adams was chafing.
The cause of this chatting was the
fact that Miss Patricia North had
not yet appeared on the floor OF
The Heel Tap. Mr.. Adams watch
informed him that ten minutes
must elapse ere this salubrious
event would occur. But to a man
in the Adams condition, ten min
utes are ten aeons. Mr.. Adams
looked at his watch again and put
IN another aeon Of chafing.
It is possible that Tacks might
have set new all-time record for
chafing had e vision of three auto
mobiles, boring their respective
ways into Long Island, been
vouchsafed him. He would then
have perceived the cars Of Van
Hardness and Jumbo Cutler, hlr-
rying to the tryst. Likewise would
he have perceived a vehicle piloted
by Mr.. William Steel, upon the
rear seat of which the handsome
ly-bribed East brothers disported.
Tacks, however, was unaware of
these conditions though, in a dim
way, he may have suspected their
existence. But at the moment he
was more interested in Miss Packy
North. Where that charming young
lady was concerned. Mr.. Adams
was risking his figurative shirt
upon the turn of figuraiive card.
At this point presence APP
peared out of nowhere and hove
to at his elbow. II was page boy
OF the half-pint variety. Four feet
and four inches of lue-uniformed
brass-buttoned territory stretched
between the soles of his we'll
blackened boots to the absurd cap
that covered most of his ginger
colored hair. His face looked a
camp meeting of the clan Freckle.
But a certain hard sophistication
in his blue eyes dispelled the. i1lu-
sion created by his stature and
youth. The urchin approached un-
I'll his chin lay degree off Tacks'
left ear.
AHsstl" said the urchin
Tacks looked UP.
Hi, Spike" he said.
The boy came even closer.
Mick wants ter know" he whis-
pered, "if that hunnert bucks fer
pullin' this job still stands"
Tacks' eyes roamed over the
night club. At the far end of the
room he perceived another youth.
CARRIED similarly t. the be-freckled
Spike. slipping unobtruSively be-
tween the tables. He nodded.
"You tell Mick" he said, shat
I've decided to raise the ante. You
guys do this thing right and there's
hundred and fifty apiece in it
An avaricious CLEAN shot from
the blue eyes. Again Spik e
achieved the whisper of an ARCH
conspirator. about the end of the
first choruS?"
That's fine," Tacks answered.
And don't you birds let me down. =
Spike waved q hand as one who
would indicate that matters were
IN the bag.
sOke.9 he said briefly. and van
ished.
Another three minutes passed.
Then, suddenly, the dance floor
began to darken. From the piano
came a silvery ripple of music.
The beam Of a spotlight shot
through The Heel Tap, picked
Miss Packy North out of the shad-
ows. The heart Of Mr.. Tacks Adams
paid a visit to the back Of his
throat The zero hour had struck.
Fire. Fire!
DACKY was in alluring white.
l Now she was starting her num-
Der and walking forward into the
glare of the light. TackS glanced
around hastily. Through the semi
gloom he made out the figure Of
his pal, Spike. ghosting near a
table some twenty-five feet away.
And even as Mr.. Adams peered at
him. Spikes right hand came up
20 his temple in kind of hurried
Nazi salute. Il was the signal
agreed upon to inform Mr.. Adams
that. so far as Spike and Nick were
concerned. the works could be
shot.
Packy's strong lifting voice was
filing The Heel Tap with song,
The attention Of the patrons there
fore. conferred upon her to the alb
solute exclusion of Mr.. Tacks
Adams. In his wisdom. Mr.. Adams
had foreseen this and counted on
. II. Chuckling at his own astutenesS
he finished his drink at a gulp
Then he got do Vn to business.
Surreptitiously his hand stole t.
his inside coat pocket. It came oul
again Immediately and something
in il cleaned in the half light thai
pervaded The Heel Tap. Then the
hand went down under the table
cloth.
The first chorus Of the sons
was nearly over. Packy, moving
rhythmically forward with eacl
word. was working nearer anc
nearer to his table. Tacks calcu.
lated swiftly. He couldn't afford
TO tumble this thing. He was des-
Derate. But desperate. His hear
was on fire and smoke was in hi
ewes. Under such circumstance: