The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-21
The Creeping Man

Jared DEVICES deliberately con.
Structed alibi for them, and consid.
ering the fact that Tuck was violat-
ling one of society s rules in inviting
them when they had not. called
upon her. But in spite of every
thing, they came, at four o'clock
almost too promptly, Tuck thought.
| Mrs. Murchison. had gowned her.
self in red a color quite inap-
Epropriate for Sunday afternoon in
the garden but MRS. MHrehison OBJ
viously was not. thinking of the
| garden.
I Her eyes flashed at Michael as
she shook hands with him, and
Tuck got a sudden shock, asudden
insight into the, woman'ss mind.
| Did she think that her smile might
accomplish what DEVICES disarm-
ing manner had failed to do? Tuck
>stifened mentally.
Were so glad you could come,
Mrs. Murchison, she said sweetly.
I'VE have been looking forward
to coming" the red lips said, just
as Sweetly. The eyes were, so dark
it was difficult to read any express
sion in them.
Subjects For Conversation
MRS. Deyoe stood behind her.
I'VE She looked i'll. Her eyes. were
heavy and lusterless, and. the flesh
on her cheeks hung fiabby and
pendulous as if she had suddenly
lost weight. She was in Hack again,
a heavy shapeless black, that some
how seemed more sinister that the
red. Tuck shook herself.
ITS lovely day. Mrs. Devoc."
"Yes." Her hand'Was limp-limp
and cold. E
Il think you'll find this chair
comfortable" MICHAEL said as he
greeted her. She sank into it with
out word of thanks, and sat :.iiere
al afternoon as inscrutable as any
BuddhasInscrutable,, ut.never un-
noticing. Her heavy eyes saw every
movement.
Her son was as affable and poll
ished as ever. He, complimented
Tuck on the condition of the gar
den, and moved on to Bunny with
suspicious haste. Bunny sat quietly
in her chair, and let him, talk into
her ear without evincin,, the slight
est interest in what he was saying.
Mrs. Murchison and Michael
drifted off together. Tuck. caught
one gray amused glance from Bun
ny, and turned resolutely back to
old. Mrs. Devoe. She picked, a SUBJ
| ject out of the air at random, as one
reaches for mosquito on a hot
summer night.
Have you seen our lovely SUM-
dial?" she asked. Il suppose. you
must have when your niece lived
here"
The heavy lids futtered for the
merest instant, and the eyes turned
toward Tuck. MY niece?"
Devoe broke in. ut was the SUM-
dial she spoke of, mother" he said
with a swift glance that Tuck
caught.
"The sundial. Yes, Yes, l have
seen it."
"Lnever owned a. sundial before.
They're so romantic, aren't they?"
Mrs. Devoe did not answer, and
Tuck was casting about wildly for
another subject when she saw with
relief Miss Lissey, snsart, in a fow-.
cred chiffon, coming hastily down
the outer path. Tuck almost liked
Alix Lissey at the moment. Ger
tainly, she told herself. there
would be no more of these awk-
ward pauses in the conversation.
Then she remembered what DR..
| McBain had told Michael about the
Devoe-Lissey contretemps, and;
groaned inwardly. That would
probably stop even Al'x Lissey's
agile tongue. But other than a;
slight raising of her chin Miss Lis
Sey showed. in no way her disgrun-.
Element at Devoe, and Devoe was
very polite, if a trif1e distant. with
Miss Lissey, - so affairs moved
rather more smoothly than might
have been expected.
But the afternoon was fated not
to go smoothly: not with the ease
and lack of restraint that had char
acterized Mrs. Deane's party. It
bmay have been the fact that the
Forresters and Bunny :. and DR..
McBain too. when he finally ar
rived, were putting every
movement, every word, under a
strong microscope, that put the
tension into the atmosphere. Not
only that, but tuck had a feeling
that everyone. excepting perhaps
| Mrs. Deane and Mrs. MeBain, was
conscious of this. There was appre-
henSion, wonder, mystery, even
fear IN sthe air. No conversation
seemed able to live.
Tuck decided mentally that IL
was no use to keep to harmless
subjects With an air of utter limo.
cence she introduced one. that
might. have sting OF which
she, of course, couldn't be expected
to know. The servant problem.
I'VE were told that it was very
difficult to keep maid out here
she commented. But. luckily,
Charlotte Jean, likes it very much,
and. hasn't any notion OF leaving
us. I'm very thankful"
Mrs. Deane, hot and putting as
usual, spoke. Il have always per-
, fectly terrible time with servants
I always think my boy Gordon
just might have something to do
with it. He's very trying. at, least
we find him so, even ourselves.
Really ! don't know what to do
about it. so rarely try to keep q
maid at ALL"
There was curiously. furtive
look in Marie Murchison's eyes
She glanced at Tuck with a little
frown. then looked Immediately
away.
seVVall I have an MD colIntrv uirl