The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-01-06
TEEE ARMY POST MURDERS
Rv VIRGINIA Hanson

voice. walt LOT me!
Adam hurried me out of the
house.
Doc Moore, his hair mussed and
new lines in his face, stood in the
door of the waiting room.
"She's got wonderful constitu-
tion," he said. Wonderful. There's
IA ehsnce--just chance. 80"
~Hef mother and father here?'
k Yes been here fer hours, wait
ing. When she finally opened her
eyes called them. / think she rec
ognized them, but she kept whis-
I'pering, Barney There may be
something she doesn't want them
to know The old lady went to
pieces-had to give her sedative,
put her In one of the other beds"
"Anne still conscious?"
"Fitfully. She dozes. wakes, asks
for Barney"
He turned, looked down the hall.
Here they come. I'll see if she's
awake"
He was gone. with light. noise
less steps.
Barney and Charlie came in, ig-
noring me, fastening their gaze on
Adam. They were hollow eyed. I'M
shaven. but they had taken time to
don day uniforms. They were in
olive-drab Stacks, fresh khaki
shirts, and they carried their cam
pa;gn hats.
"What's happened?" asked Bar
ney evenly. Except for an I'M
healthy pallor he seemed to have
recovered from his mysterious at
tack.
"Anne is alive-she's been ask
Ting for you," Adam said gently.
. Dazed Eyes
J. HEARD the faint whistle Of
Charles indrawn breath. saw
Barney's sudden rigidity, the quiv-
er OF emotion on his face that for
moment broke up his iron con-
troll.
where is she?" he asked in a
high, unnatural voice. He turned,
was on his way.
Just a mlnute-Doc will let you
know. She may be asleep. You'd
better wait here"
Barney stumbled back into the
room.
"Why wasn't I told of this be-
fore?" His dazed eyes were fixed
on Adam.
'The chance was too slim. I
thought you'd rather not be kept
in suspense"
Charlie broke in eagerly. "Then
then she's going to get well?"
He was trembling uncontroll-
ably, and he did not seem to know
that I was there.
ITS still in the lap of the gods, I"
said Adam.
Suddenly they were all there
Annie with her hair in wisps under
the belligerent black affair. Lou
Orpington with excited eyes
darling from face to face, Eliza
beth calm, contained. radiating
strength. Al,
She went at once to Barney, put
her hand on his arm, murmured
that she was glad; but I thought
he scarcely heard her. -
And then my eyes leaped to the
doorway again and l wondered if
the strain had been too much for
me. Was imagining things. or did
I really see Mrs. Flower?
She came at once to me and I
saw that her husband was behind
her.
"It's Anne. isn't it?" she asked
brightly, cheerfully, in that nerve
shattered room. II just told Flower
that's what it was. You see, there
weren't any lights at the CareweS',
and the doctor being gone all eve
ming and all, and cars coming and
going all the time-you can see the
hospital from our quarters. So /
just told Flower, .Anne's alive
and we came to see if I was right
and to see if We can do anything.
of course"
She smiled confidingly. "You
see. Gilly woke up when we came
in, and it's so near morning of
course he wouldn't be able to sleep
any more. so Flower and l didn't
bother to go to bed. For while
Gilly's always very sood with
Nurse, he's always very full of
spirits in the morning, and even
if one could, don't believe in sup
pressing child" !F
q I said, "Ohw rather inadequate.
ly. Then, to my surprise, Adam
took her off my hands.
He drew her into a corner, spoke
a few words unobtrusively and
drifted away. ] was just beginning
to feel that he had withdrawn his
confidence from me when he
paused beside me.
Keep your eye on Annie" he
said in voice that was little more
than a breath.
I must have shown that I was
startled, for before ! could frame
a question he answered it.
Nothing is going to happen If ]
can prevent it, but I can't take any
chances. lift Anne knows any
thing there may be an attempt to
silence her-the murderer may
show hand. -"