The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-26
Chapter II
Tertius Prettyman

Tertius Prettyman
THIS time the man started to
l. walk toward the sound before
putting his light out. The instant
he did that, ASey entered by the
door and snapped on the troopers
torch.
Reach" he said. Reach. an
stand STILL"
To make it emphatic, Asey
squeezed the trigger of the forty
five, Internationally presenting a
black eye to an unframed Currier
and Ives lady lacked on a cross
beam of the loft.
The trooper came dashing back.
Take your gum" Asey said.
"1ts on top of the desk. That's
right. Continue to reach, teller, an
turn around"
It was not Mike Slade, or anyone
he had ever seen before.
"Know him." Asey asked the
trooper.
NO.. the troopers voice was
choked and hoarse, "but you can
bet will before get through with
him, the"
"Delve in the gents pockets, I"
Asey said, "an' see if he happens
to have any calm cards with
him."
To Asey's surprise and to the
troopers utter amaZement, the
first object to come from the mans
breast pocket was a fooled leather
case of calling cards.
"Ah," ASey said interestedly. "a
socialite. What's the name?"
The trooper held the card up to
the light. at says-oh, but it's a
fake. That can't be right 1t says,
TertiuS Prettyman.'
Tertius Prettyman. Asey thought
back. That was Eloise Randall's
boy friend. Old man Prettyman's
son. at the point.
"Well, well, how do you do, Mr..
Prettyman?" Asey said cordially.
my name is Mayo an this gentle
man you was so abrupt with is
what's your name? Konrad? This
is Konrad, Mr.. Prettyman. Konrad.
take some of Mrs. Randall's mailin'
cord an tie up Mr.. Prettyman,
will you? There's a nice yard stick
over there, an if you was to put it
under Mr.. Prettyman's knees,
Konrad, an then lash his wrists
an'-ah. You know. That's fine"
While Konrad trusSed up Mr..
Prettyman, Asey turned on two
lamps and drew the curtains.
"Cosier, / always think" he said
pleasantly as he strolled around
the barn. "Now you know, Mary
Randall has some fine stuff here.
That's good piece of early Israel
TraSk, that pewter. Too good to be
kicking around here. And she's got
good chests, too" He paused for a
moment in front of one and sur
veyed the sewing basket on 1t.
"You much of hand for old chests,
Mr.. Prettyman? / got a corker
home. Not family piece. l found
1t in the dump, an brought it
home, an they tell me it's seven
teenth century-Prettyman, just
exactly what is your basic an un-
derlyin' motive, anyway"
"Just exactly what do you
mean?" If his cool calm voice was
any indication, ASey thought, this
fellow was going to prove difficult,
more difficult than he had first
imagined. It was not the voice of
anyone easily moved or easily
bluffed. In fact, the fellow was
definitely amused.
What did you come after, Ter
tius?"
Really, that's none of your
business, don't you agree?"
Weak In A Blurred Way
ASEY pulled out the forty five
and twirled it by the trigger
guard.
"Wa-el," he drawled, sit d'pends
largely on your point of view," he
looked down at Prettyman, San
when did you write that policy?"
"Put that thing away" TertiuS
said. at might go off again. What
did you say? When did / what?"
"You know" Asey said, you
look awfully like a truSSed chicken
down there on the floor. In fact,
you look plain silly. / asked you
when, more or less, you wrote that
policy for Mrs. Randall?"
TertiuS smiled, but plainly the
answer was beneath his dignity.
ASey looked at him thoughtfully.
Someone had said - probably it
was Zeb Chase, that Tertius was
around fifty. You had to look twice
to believe it, for he was slight and
wiry. His hands and eyes gave him
away, and to certain extent, his
lace.
Asey studied the face. In gen
eral ii was weak. weak in a blurred
way, as though the mould had been
used too many times. But there
was nothing pliable about it. Mr..
Prettyman, he guessed, was the
sort of person who would probably
pursue the wrong course, but he
would pursue it with vigor to the
end.
Old man Parliamentary tried
TO remember about the family. He
knew something about them, il he
could only drag the details from
his mind. Old Prettyman had made
fortune from some patent medi-
cine. Everyman's Elixir, that was
it. And he'd lost the fortune in
some scheme like getting gold
from seaweed, or silk purses from
sows ears, or something. Asey
wished he had paid more atten-
finn tn p0SSip and IN Rillin0SCaf