The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-10-05
Meet MI. Loel1inyur
By Marie Blizzard /.

Laura, why do you do it? |
tials."
Il know you haven't but I'll
gamble this time" She smiled at
him. there's only one thing:
lohat shall l tell Cecily?"
Please don't tell her ANYTHING
and if you can keep the news
about being am pushed as you were
to yourself. please do. And, above
everything else. don't go out at
night aloriel"
II won't" she promised.
But he was not satisfied, .eYou're
quite sure that no one knew you
were coming here?"
ooh. quite!" Even then Laura
wouldn't tell him that Cecily had
begun the thing by saying she was
going to him. It wouldn't do any
good for him to know that. Laura,
incurable romantic that she was,
was determined to preserve Ce-
cily's romance.
"Then there's nothing to worry
about. Evidently the person who
did it, was taking shot in the
dark and it has nothing to do with
this business. Now, your story is:
you came here and found me gone
and that's all there is. I shall be
gone tomorrow and then it will be
the truth"
Out All Night
lCECILY STUART counted the
~ hours. Nine o'clock. Ten
o'clock. Eleven. Surely Laura must
come any minute, she thought.
Laura knows how anxious I am
to hear what Locke had to say.
"Yes, Mrs. Hargreaves," she
heard herself saying to a CUSTOM
er. you can always depend on
Fletcher for a good murder mys-
terry. Have you read The Connlu-
mist Corpse? think you'd like it,.
She was thinking: I wish to good
ness you'd take it and get out,
Mrs. Hargreaves. Smile, shop
keeper. Business before pleasure.
But this waiting is no pleasure.
| Twelve o'clock-and a new fear
took possession of Cecily's
thoughts. Suppose something had
happened to Laura? Suppose
Laura had been taken suddenly
i'll? Suppose there really was a
mountain lion. Stranger things
than that did happen. Suppose
Locke had kidnapped her?
At half-past twelve Cecily COR
rallied a small boy, gave him five
cents, promising him dime If he'd
run out to Mrs. Atwi1Ts and ask
her if she could come in at once.
With the small boy dispatched.
Cecily felt better and applied her.
self to satisfying the wants of her
customers who came in in what
appeared to be droves. Another
day, she would have been delight
ed at the squirt of business.
The small boy came back quick
er than Cecily had expected.
Cecily's note was still in his hand.
"She amt there" he reported.
"She amt been there neither"
"W-what?"
"She amt been there" the boy
repeated.
At that precise moment, Donald
Hemingway appeared at Cecily's
shoulder. -
Good morning, Cecily. I Won
dered if Mrs. Atwill had had
luncheon yet. I've a guest that I
would like her to meet. p
The little boy said, "Her hired
girl says Miz Atwill didn't come
home last night. Her bed amt
been slept in"
Cecily gave him his dime and
struggled for composure.
Her face was white when she
turned to Donald. She smiled
weakly, trying to down her rising
feeling of guilt and apprehension.
Its nothing, really" she said.
Has something happened to
Laura? Where is she?"
Il don't know" Cecily said mis-
erably. "But L. :" The rest Of
what she had to say trailed off as
she went back for her coat.
Donald was waiting at the door
for her. 'I'll go along with you."
Cecily caught her breath. She
didn't want him to go along with
her. Or did she? If something had
happened to Laura she would
never forgive herself. She had a
vision of Laura lying in ditch
with a broken leg. Perhaps she
had stumbled over a cow. Perhaps
car had struck her in the dark
ness. Only cars never went out
that dark road late at night. Oh.
what little fool she had been to
bring Laura into this. At what
horrible expense to her friend?
,"AIl right" she said. "come
along"
Donald's stride was long but he
was breathless with the effort OF
trying to keep up with her.
ing?"
"Out. Just out" Cecily said. She
was in no mood for explanations.
Why, of all things, did Donald
hemingway have to turn UP at
that moment? Whatever had hap
pened would be forgiven her BY
Laura, she knew. But what would
Mr.. Hemingway think of it?
Cecily was very much ANNOYED
at Mr.. Hemingway for being him.
self. Strong. Silent. Down-Easter.
Quick to Judge. Quick to think a
girl 2 fool. Unforgiving. Poor Mr..
Hemingway.
He matched his stride to hers
and they cleared the main street
striking off toward the left, fol-
lowing the road to the junction.
Eeci1y," he asked reasonably,
why are we going this way?
LatIra,s cottage IS in the other d.
rection." "
Cecily did not need to answer
him. Two figures emerged over the