The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-27

Somewhere in the floor, I
think. I've come to the conclusion
that there are loose pegs in the
parquetry and I imagine it would
be near Edgar's desk"
'He told you that?"
"He was rather indefinite, but
that is the impression I gathered"
do you remember exactly
when and where he told you
this?"
Duncan considered. "Im not
sure" he said, "but I think we
were on the porch here at the
time. Why?" He was little i'm
patient.
I'm sorry if appear inquisi-
tive. said Michael as if he were
not in the least sorry. do you
mind telling. me what Miss Lissey
said to you yesterday afternoon?"
At once the familiar dark sullen
look came over Murchison's face.
"Why do you ask me that?"
Il can explain, but I don't care
to at the present moment. Will
you tell me?"
mo, 1 will not. 1t was in con-
nection with subject I do not
care to discuss"
"Oh, very WE'LL" Michael sighed.
He crushed out his cigarette, and
went into the study. He came out
in a moment with the gray tin box
in his hands. 1T will save you
little trouble" he said lightly, eff
give this to you now. We found
it some time ago. Not in the floor,
but in the cold-air register. Would
you say it held what your brother
promised you?"
Duncan looked at it eagerly. "I
should certainly be inclined to
think so," he replied. "But it's
been opened! Don't you know
what's in it,"
ooh yes" Michael answered.
Sorry if you don't approve. We
had to, you know"
Practical joker
DUNCAN did not answer. He
- took the box, set it on his
knee, and lifted the lid. Inside
were the thirty pebbles, once
more wrapped in the little pieces
of paper, and beneath them the
sheaf of letters.
Duncan stared at the contents
of the box in amazement. "They
aren't diamonds!" he said. He
picked up pebble and I'M
wrapped it. He stared at it as it
lay in his hand.
NO." Michael said. "They don't
seem to be. do they?"
What have you done with
them?" Duncan demanded an
grily. SIS this some practical joke,
Forester"
mo. l will take my oath that
the box contains exactly what it
did when we found it. My wife
and Miss Temple will support me
in that statement"
Duncan looked at Bunny. THAT
is quite true" she said very quiet
ly.
He pushed the pebbles to one
side, and seized the sheaf of pa
perS. He glanced at the letter at
the top of the pile. His face GRIM
soned.
"You read these?" he asked.
Their silence answered him.
He stood up and shut the lid of
the tin box. THANK you very
much for restoring to me my
property" he said stiff1y.
You're quite welcome" said
Michael in an easy conversational
tone, and went straight on. II sup
pose you know that Miss LiSsey
was murdered? 1t wasn't heart
failure as was given out?"
The crimson in the young mans
face receded swiftly. He stared at
Michael with Mortified eyes.
"Murdered?" he repeated. MUIR.
dered?"
Duncan left. The two Forresters
and Tuck still sat on the sun
porch. Michael picked up his tea
cup and slipped at his tea. He
waited.
ooh Michael, Michael" Tuck
walled as soon as Duncan was
through the gate. ''Why were you
so beastly to him? So DREADFUL"
"Was I, honey? Please give me
another lump of sugar"
Michael" said Bunny quietly,
"are you going to condemn Dun
can without asking him for his
side of the story-just because of
what Alix Lissey said?"
He set down the cup after mo-
ment and turned to her. IF you
must have that question an
Swered. use your head. child. That
story he told; does it hold water
in your eyes? 1t sounded like
nothing but string of melodra-
matte nothingS to me. Not very
well hitched together. I don't
think he really made it up him
self, or it would have strung along
little more smoothly"
you mean he was deliberately
trying to deceive us? What for?"
"Well-we thought there were
diamonds in the tin box. didn't
we, before we opened it,"
yes"
$50 did he. If there had been
diamonds in it, they'd have been
well worth the trouble of concoct-
ing or memoriZing >. a story
like that, wouldn't they?"
Bunny did not answer him. She
thought it over.
Michael, you're mistaken for
once" said Tuck. Miss Lissey
hadn't finished her story and any
way she might have been wrong.
Duncan's nice boy if there ever
was one, and he's telling the truth.
If he were telling a lie it would
sound better, like your excuses
when you can't come home to
dinner"