The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-12

SOUND OF glass breaking, lnauQlple
in the flow Of music. Quickly Tacks
scufffed his foot over an unseen
hell brew on The Heel Tap carpet
A second. And then, TO his nostriis.
came an acrid stench. At the same
instant a cloud Of smoke swept UP
from beneath the table.
twas Mr.. Adan1s's moment and
he converted it handsomely. PUSH
ing back his chair. he leapt noisily
to his feet.
"Firei' he roared. "Fire!"
There are few more, effective
ways Of stampeding the genus
homo than by believing the news
of a confiagration near at hand.
With the echo of Tacks' roar stin
causing wall brackets, windows
and glassware to iittet, pande-
monitim broke loose in The Heel
Tap. With one accord the patron-
age was on its feet, overturning
chairs and tables in its haste and
excitement. Men shouted. Women
screamed. in the midst Of the
hubbub the lights went up on
scene of wild disorder. And smoke
was everywhere. thick. acrid,
visibility i'm pairing smoke. This
smoke arose II waiting clouds
from at least three distinct parts
Of the night club, notably that
small section which had been oc-
cupied by Mr.. Tacks Adams. But
no one seemed interested in dis
covering its sources. The custom
of The Heel Tap was not. at this
point, Investigation minded. It
exhibited, rather, a pronounced
inclination to vacate the premises.
When Mr.. Adams's ringing cry
of FIRE first sounded. a high note
had been on the point of faring
forth from Miss Packy North's
larylx. And then, quite suddenly,
its travel aspirations were cut
short by gulp. Even beautiful
girls may gulp when startled.
Packy's gulp, however, was such
as to win commend ation from Mrs.
Emily Post. II was a gulp of ex-
IRENE delicacy and refinement
absolutely justifable under the
circumstances. But, adylike
though it was, it Knocked her song
for d row of radiator valves.
For the space Of two seconds
Miss North rem2ined rooted to the
floor with the spotlight still play
ing over her. Their. even before
general illumination pervaded The
Heel Tap, a wild figure burst upon
her from out of the Shade WIS.
"Quick!. it Larked. We've got
to get out of here And while she
was still recognizing him as that
ubiquitous Adams person, Tacks
seooped her UP Like a loose ball.
Insane FooP
|NHISS PACKy NORTH stood five
w feet and six inches without
benefit of footwear. She had wide
shoulders and WELL nodded arms.
Her legs were long and straight
and beautifully proportional. She
was the sort IF craft who permits
no jostling by gentle winds. But
tonight the demeanor of Mr.. Tacks
Adams was as that Of the hurri-
cane.
In fact, Mr.. Adams was inspired
almost to fanaticism. AS If Miss
North possessed the tonnage of
mere kitten, he sped with her to-
ward the door.
At first Packy was too startled
to register protest Her mouth.
which had been open for purposes
of song when the shainbles started,
remained open for purposes of
establishment. Then, as she felt
herself being borne swiftly across
the dance floor, she recovered. "A
protest poised on her lips.
But before she could deliver Il
Mr.. Adams stopped suddenly, as If
equipped with four-wheel brakes.
With the cry o. fire Dmitri, the
colossal and bewhiskered doorman
who lent charm to the exterior OF
The Heel Tap, had been hastily
summoned inside. It was q foolish
notion on the part Of the unknown
summoner. Invited to participate
in a tug-of-War or q building-l lift.
ing contest, Dmitri might have
acquitted himself with credit. But
where the situation called for clear
lucid thinking, he was distinctly
behind the eight ball. As q conse-
Quence, his presence merely added
chaos to chaos. And when he came
tc the attention of MIR. Adams, he
was daShing hither and yon about
the smoke filed Heel Tap after
the manner Of one who saves the
napkins while the hostess burns.
Mr.. Adams paused. under the
! oumDTounueu burden OF MISS
Packy North. The broad back Of
Dmitri doomed before him, even as
the Alps may have doomed before
Hannibal. Into the eyes of Mr..
Adams there came wolfish ex-
preston. He felt like a Sicilian
about to close D vendetta with
honorS.
Dmitri moved suddenly. It was
his obvious intention to go else
where in hurry. And. divining
this, Mr.. Adai.is acted. AS Dmitri
began swift dart N the direction
of elsewhere, Mr.. Adams inserted
his foot between the Dmitrian
ankles and gave it q dextrous
twist. Dmitri rose into the air.
descended with grace, slid on his
chin across a table and wound up
in q plate of chicken livers en-
brochette. The Adams honor wa
avenged.
Tacks. however, did not have
time to remain and gloat over his
fallen adversary. Gripping Miss
Packy North, he c0ntinued on to-
ward the door of The Heel Tap.
At this point Packy North re-
menhered her speaking voice.
s'Put me down. you insane fool, "
Kissed Miss North, into the port
side ear Of Mr.. Adams.
But Tacks had reached the en-
| trance Of the night club. The head