The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-29
Chapter As
More About Dummies

More About Dummies
NOV, Lane" Asey said, (which
! was the dummy that you said
had dropsy, the one that toppled
over all the timer"
That one" Lane said, with the
scarf arounL his neck. The one you
Just brought in from the lawn.
That was the one that dropped,
but ] fixed IT,"
"An'. this one from Brinley's car,
with the stock an fancy vest?"
That's the one that's just ac-
quired dropsy," Lane said, "just
today. was going to fix it tomor-
row. What in the name-what are
you doing?"
Asey set to work disrobing the
dummy he had Just brought in
from the lawn.
But it's the other one" Kay
said. '9t's the other one he took,
Asey! You're working on the one
that was here, the one he didn't
take, the"
Il know it."
But he continued to rummage
around in the pockets and the lin
ing Of the tail coat belonging to
the figure he had just taken from
the lawn.
Therel" he said triumphantly
at last. There! Catch, Lane
G tic h e m an no ] d onto'em.
There's your clues"
Lane and Hamilton stared
blankly at the two shells Asey had
brought out of the lining of the
figures coat.
Hamilton turned to Kay.
See what / mean?" he asked.
II knew he was after something"
"Asey," Lane said, show did you
guess that?"
'On Monday night" Asey said,
Il went to the fire at SHADES shack.
Men cut across lots to this place.
Them dummies scared me to the
point of DRAWN my gun. But got
this, Lane. saw only three figures.
Two women, an a man. Next day
said somethin' about it, an you
told me that one man kept fallin'
down. So / thought of course that
the fourth figured been on the
ground when first saw 'em. But
its been botherin' me. all this time,
just the samey. Because I was GER
tain of there bein' three then, an
only three later when Zeb n /
drove up. An / couldn't remember
one on the ground either time"
But there really are four fig
ures," Kay said. 1.-Two men and
two women, what do you mean.
only three" Lanes look Silenced
her.
Put it this way" Asey said.
When ! came here first on Mon
day night. there was three figures
standin' outside, but the fourth
wasn't on the ground. It was in
the woods. An somebody was busy
peelin' off his coat an things, an
putin on the dummy's clothes.
Then-the land slopes there. re-
member. Then he rolls down easy
an cautious. dressed in the dunn
my'S clothes, with his shotgun.
After a while he gets to his feet.
To any car goin' by, or anyone
passin. he's just dummy. An he
can wait there for his chance to
shoot Mary. An he's also. Lane, in
the proper place to fire accordin' to
your line"
Lane nodded slowly. II begin to
that's why placed him over by
the garden, w here the figures
wouldn't have been in his way. /
neve.; thought about-go on"
The fireworks begin" Asey
continued. MARY Randall leans
across the window to get ciga-
rette box. Fellow shoots twice at
her head outlined on the shade, all
under the cover of the fireworks
noise. He don't have to run. Be-
cause If anyone hears, or catches
on, he's the dummy on the ground
again. But no one comes. James
listening to the concerts on the
short wave, with static galore. an
the fireworks is boomin'. He waits
till he feels he's safe, an then cuts
back TO the woods to put on his
own clothes. An then. I'd say, to-
his great annoyance an alarm, Zeb
an / come back durin' the proc
eSs."
But the Shells" Lane said.
"How do you account for"
In The Pocket
WYATT. He's stuck'em in his
w pocket he must have re-
loaded, an he knew better than to
leave the shells. So he sticks'em in
his-that Is to say the figures
pocket. Then Zeb an I come. We
rattle him. He changes in a furry,
puts the dummy's clothes back on
IL, an"
But now wait" Lane said.
There were four dummies there
when ] came with the doctor. /
know that. The fourth was on the
ground then"
Sure 1t was. Zeb an I 60 in, see?
Fellow gets on his things, dresses
the dummy, puts the hat on-it's
held on with safety pins, see? Any
way, after dressin' up the dummy.
he rolls IL down the slope an goes
The dummy lands back where ii
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