The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-23
Chapter 80
Il Knew Too Much

I'LL begin at the beginning"
said Miss Lissey. "The night
school closed. l had been at a
party. 1t was very stupid party,
and / hadn't been enjoying my
self, but 1 stayed late. Very late.
1t was after two o'clock when my
taxi dropped me at the Univer-
sity, and started to walk through
the back path" She must have
seen the interrogation in MichaeIs
glance. for she interrupted her
self TO say, Il had dismissed the
taxi there, because l didn't want
anyone to know how late it was
when / got home. People are al
ways looking for something about
me to make gossip about-espe-
clally that little cat next door,"
Mrs. Murchison?"
Yes. So-you can see that if
didn't want to be seen or heard
coming home in taxi at that time
Of night, certainly wouldn't want
to be caught walking through the
woods. And just after I passed the
fork in the path and turned this
way, / heard someone coming, dis
hnctly. slipped off the path, and
hid behind a tree"
MichaePs eyes were dark. Tuck
was leaning forward in her chair.
Bunny was as pale as death.
For minute | couldn't make
out what | saw or who was COM
ing. 1t didn't sound just right
there was sort of squeaking
noise, and as it got opposite me l
realized that it was the wheel of
a barrow squeaking. The moon
was low, but there was just
enough light down the path to
make the outlines clear. The man
wheeling the barrow was in a
hurry"
"The man." Tuck gasped.
Eyes. A man q. we all know. I
knew him by his figure. But that
wasn't what caught my eye. 1t
was . =. what saw in the barrow"
by his figure" Michael re-
peated strangely.
Miss Lissey Shuddered.
Il didn't realize then what | was
seeing. 1t was such a strange mys-
ferrous business, l almost believed
Twas dreaming it. when ! saw that
man, bent with the load. that
heavy barrow, with mans leg
dangling from the end, and one
white hand over the side near me.
thought | thought someone
had had too much TO drink. didn't
stop 10 wonder where, or who he
was =. tlct was the thought that
flashed into my mind. The man
and the barrow turned of and
went down toward the river g.
and | slipped out and ran home.
''The next day | heard that Pro-
fessor Murchison had gone away
on a trip and for a minute |
believed it. until | remembered
that thing | he'd seen the night be-
fore. When il was dusk | went out,
AMI looked at the MurchisCn gate,
and there were the marks Of the
barrow. clear and deep in the path.
So 1 knew"
Michael started TO speak, but
she held up her hand. IN tell it
in my own way" she said. There's
a lot else you must understand
first" She looked at him. "Where
did that barrow go?" she asked
sharply. i've tried to find the
path. / can't" She rubbed her head
again with that same nervous ges-
ture.
The Murchisons weren't hap
py," she began after a minute. 1T
wasn't his fault i was hers.
She's too fond OF clothes and jew
els, and g.. men. She has no breed
ing. You can sec that. That's why
she hates me. She knows that |
know what she was when he mar
ried' her"
"A lady'S maid?"
'fYes. That was il. He met her
in Williston. when he was a stu
dent. ! saw her there, too, in a
friends house. 1t was humiliating
for her to come here as a Profess
sor's wife, and live next door to
me, when l knew her secret. She's
as common as dirt. If she'd tell the
truth it wouldn't be so bad.
I'm wandering again. Where was
II"
Spoil His Life
you were saying they weren't
i happy. Butt want to ask
one question very much. Miss Lis
sey. How does it happen that Mrs.
Murchison was a servant? The
DEVICES surely might have helped
her"
She looked at him sharply. "Why
the Devoes?"
Her relatives?"
"Humpf. They're not her rela-
tives."
What"
mot a bit of it. She's always
been scared stiff I'd tell that too.
But . they say they are re-
lated, Miss LisSey."
''Well. they're not. You won't
catch old Mrs. Devoe owning to
any such relationship. It's just
some other tie, that's all, and De-
voc and she have some devils
business together. She lived in
fear that her husband would find
out she'd lied to him."
"Poof. II isn't very sweet" Mi
chael said.
mot very"