The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-19


her experience t1ith the criminal.
Chapter 81
Death, Not Destruction
"TF he shot again, he didn't hi,
l me-" Kay went on. II wouldn't
have known anyway. I lodged
and jerked and switched around
as though ] had st. Vitus dance
He got hold Of me just before you
came, and ! thought he was going
to throttle me, but then I'D you
dashed--and you know all / could
think Of? That ditty about the girl
in the saw mill, and the saw COM
ing closer and closer and closer
"A more appropriate ditty," Sara
said. "being Nearer My God to
Thee Kay. don't know whether
to scold you for being utterly
bereft Of your senses, or to con-
graduate you on being alive"
''What I'm most interested in, n
Asey said expectantly. sis the
man."
Kay sighed.
"Kay. you don't mean you cant
tell me anythin' about him?"
"He's good shot. He's an artful
dodger. He's strong-he has fingers
like pilliwinks."
Like what?" Cummings de-
manded. -.- =,
"Pilliwinks,. Kay said. 'eThey
werefa torture thing for squeezing
fingers. ! learned the word from a
dictionary. and I've waited ten
years for chance to use it, and
my. is it apt! He nearly broke my
whole right hand, with one
squeeze. Every finger"
What was he like?" Asey asked.
"If he throttled you. you must
have been near enough to see
somethin'."
"He had on dark clothes, and a
handkerchief over his mouth an
chin. can't tell you If he was short
or tall or anything. He seemed
mountainous when ! was on the
ground. but he didn't when ! got
onto my feet. It was so dark dir
mansions didn't matter. never
was really near him. He held me
off at an arms length during the
throttling process. Death was his
aim. Not destruction. as DR.. Cum
mings was inclined to think at first.
No. Asey, / can't help you a bit"
Didn't he make a sound. or
speak, or cusS. or anything?"
mot peep out of him, not even
an Ugh, Kay said. Strong and
silent. that was my pal. And a
more grimly determined individ-
ual I never met. Well. did what
is probably the silfiest thing Ell
ever do in my life. and from now
on. ASey. I'll leave the case to you.
Next time l have any bunch that
pals coming. you get told. And
ruined your coat, Jane. to abso-
lutely no avail. I'll buy you an
other"
"It was awful, perfectly awfull''
Eloise was goggle-eyed. "Oh,s ]
think you were brave. do. really!
That awful mani always say.
you can't tell about these reds. No
beard. of course, but still red. I'm
sorry now ! said we'd keep this
thing quiet-not that don't think
mother would have preferred 1t.
and of course one must always re-
spect the wishes of the-but Just
the same, if the people really knew.
that man would-why, the papers
would have him Jailed at once
really. Mr.. Mayo. not that / don't
think you know best, of course.
And I'm always willing to be con-
vinced-but why don't you arrest
that man, instantly? II makes my
blood boil, to think of that MUIR
derer-and I'm sure he was going
to kill Kay. too. if not worse-the
nick Of time, wasn't II, really? ]
do think perhaps tomorrow you'd
best arrest him, before we're all of
us murdered in our beds. at the
least"
Dental Disaster
"a RE you," James voice was
II curiously hard, "by any
chance talking about Mike Slade?"
why of courSe-who else. I'm
surei" Eioise said nervously. I'VE
know mean, we do know don't
we-though of course we keep
pretending it's all q mystery-but
I'm sure ] may say here, in the
privacy Of our own group-why
we know Mike Slade is the one!"
Jane walked over and stood In
front Of Eloise.
Am uncomfortable silence fol.
lowed. Twice Sara leach started
to say something and twice she
changed her mind. Everyone knew
there was going to be scene, but
no one knew exactly how to stop it
$50 strange of you" Eloise go
I'D from the sea chest on which she
had been sitting. really. Away!
said to mother. so strange OF her K
like that-my dear, really, dom
you think you're going a bit TOT
far? You know-I'm sure mothel
said often enough, myself. otter
wished she had said more-tht
mans a scoundrel. So unsportinj
of you, to take this attitude-so-s,
grim about it. when it's proved
to you
Jane moved so swiftly that Asey
later, admitted he had not seei
the blow that struck Eloise square
ly across the mouth. It caught he
off balance. and she fell heavil,
into the corner.
"And the next time you mention
Mike Slade." Jane said. f'Pn d.