The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-26
FOUR BLIND OATES
81 EdWln Rutt

victory with the whistle at the
timekeeper's lips. It completely
unnamed him. He dropped his
pursuit Of Mrs. Dipsang and sank
weakly into chair.
Woman" he said reproach-
fully. that was an unworthy act"
Mrs. Dipsang. painting but vic
torious resumed her seat
IF you'd behaved like / told you
to-" she said, Il wouldn't have
donesit."
Disappointment, and chagrin.
moved the Chiseler to dip into his.
store of quotation.
AYous" he said. pointing an ac-
cusing finger at her, "have robbed
me of that which not enriches you
and makes me poor, indeed"
How's that?" said us. Dip
sang. Poor2 Well, don't you
worry. I" she smirked slightly
Il have enough for US both. live
always been a saving woman.
The Chiseler almost jumped out
Of his gala underpants.
What do you mean?" he ejacu-
lated.
Il mean" said Mrs. Dipsang por-
tentously. shat Fate has decreed
| that we-er-that events shall take
a certain course" -
/ The Chiseler's quick mind
grasped her meaning. For a mo-
ment he stared at her lnbelieving-
~. So this nliddle-aged loony
had fallen victim to his rnascu-
line charms, eh? Well. that was q
hot one. Still, there was one advan-
tage in it. But for the fact that she
was. attracted to him, she would
lsunquestionably. have aroused the
house. And while he deplored the
delay that had prevented him from
ransacking the place, he thought
1t Just possible that he might yet
escape to join his confederates be-
low. He. was certain that by now
the deed had been done. In all
probability Coletti was standing
guard over young Hardness in the
lsmokehouSe. wondering what to
do next. II only he had instructed
Coletti to put Hardness in the car
and hurry back to the city! But
how could he possibly have fore
seen the events that had led to his
Imprisonment by a woman who.
ne felt certain, was off her trolley?
Only Too Clear
IGET out Of this he must. But
~ how? And. spur his intellect
as he would, the answer to the
question evaded him. For many
minutes he racked the noted Jen-
nlngs eerebellum. Then. all of a
sudden. he. started bolt upright.
Ny heavenS!" he exclaimed.
What was that?"
From somewhere out in the
night a stentorian shout had
sounded. It was Immediately sue
ceeded By another and still anoth-
er until a kind of erratic SYM
phorly, notable for volume if not
for sweetness. was pouring in at
Mrs. DipSang's window. The CHS
eler. hand behind his ear, made
out the word 'theEs'- repeated often
and with mandatory twist on it.
And to his agile mind it was only
too clear what had happened. In
some stupid manner, no doubt, Coz
lett had fumbled the ball. That
voice would be, the voice Of Van
Hardness. soliciting help. A wave
of disappointment. swept over the
Chiseler. He felt like financier
who, crouched over an adverse
ticker. watches his fortune roll ir-
retrievably away from him.
I'VE must investigate this" he
cried. springing to his feet. Some
one is in distress.
Mrs. Dipsang remained calmly
in her chair.
There are enough of them
downstairs to investigate it" she
pointed out.
mo. no." said the Chiseler, agi-
tatedly. IT must be present. My
poor Lydia may be involved"
You'd better sit down again, =
said Mrs. Dipsang. "a fine figure
you'd cut running around down
there without your pan is. Sit
down."
The Chiseler obeyed with bad
grace. He had but one hope now.
That was that the hue and cry,
which would go up presently,
would not extend to Mrs. Dip
sang's apartment.
Minutes passed. There was "a
lconmotion below. The Chiseler
sat on the edge Of his chair, fufn-
ing impotently. A lulu supplanted
1.-THE conmotion. Then, after what
Is e m e d an interminable time,
sounds issued from the lower Sec
ton of the house. He heard an ir-
ritated voice raised in expostula-
ton. Next footsteps, which to the
Chiseler's guilt ears seemed to
indicate the approach of nothing
short of a regiment Of marines.
s. unded in the hallway outside
Mrs. Dipsang's door.
For one wild moment the Chis-
eler toyed with the idea of fight.
Immediately, however, he dis
carded it. Flight would seal his
guilt beyo nc question and he
doubted If he could have escaped,
anyway. For another equally wild
moment he entertained the notion
of sliding eel-like under the bed
or diving into a closet. But his
Igreat brain ruled against these
measures as impractical. Nothing,
it told him, snlacks of sin more
| than a gentleman surprised So
journing beneath a bed or lying
concealed in a closet. No. he would
brazen this thing out. His original
story was perfectly sound. in view
Iof Mrs. Dipsangs undeniable