The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-25
The creeping Men
by Fronees Shelley Wees-

eusUWgX ,WQSSss ss.ssss 1890 =
automatically. Charlotte Jean. do
you know who lives in that house?,
Number Eight2"
cts a Professor Devoe and
his mother, Mrs. Forester. The
mother is very queer and nobody
likes her, and the Professor is very
soft spoken and gentle but he can't
keep a dog, ma'am."
my goodness, Charlotte Jean.
are you claiTvoyant?"
Charlotte Jean frowned anxious
-ly. 'Tf1 sure ! hope not, Mrs. For
roster. 1T doesn't sound !"
How do you know about them,
them"
Charlotte Jean blushed. 81 asked
the delivery boy, Mrs, Forester.
I thought there might be some nice
girl around for me to 60 out with
on Thursdays, but he says no,
there isn't one out here. Mrs. De-
voc does her own work in kind
of way, he says, sort of Cutlery
and messy, it sounds to me, and
Mrs. Deaf1e is good houSekeeper,
and does her own work excepting
the laundry, and Mrs. McBain has
a cleaning woman twice week..
"WeIl-did your delivery boy
happen to tell you whether or not
there is anybody staying at the
DEVICES 2"
ooh yes, ma'am. It's Mrs. MUIR
Gibson. She's the Professors
cousin, and that sounds as If she'd
be Mrs. DEVICES niece, but she
doesn't call her aunt at all. Maybe
it's niece by marriage of course"
Cousin! Oh" Tuck meditated.
whats she like. Charlotte Jean?"
Frenchy'
"XLTELL, he doesn't like her. She's
w very economical housekeep-
er, he says, making lot Of soup
mostly and salads like all them
Frenchy people do; and she puts
that red varnish on her finger nails,
and won't let anybody talk back to
her. He says she amt bit like Mrs.
-McBain that treats everybody like
they was human beings; you got to
keep remembering you're only a
delivery boy with a snub nose
when you're talking to Mrs. MUIR
Gibson. He doesn't like her."
"Oh. He doesn't like her.
Frenchy. Oh" Tuck puckered her
brows and thought. Charlotte Jean
turned back to the china.
| "Why can't he keep a dog?"
Charlotte Jean blinked. ooh. The
Professor, you mean. Maybe he
doesn't really want to much. But
he doesn't like them and he kicks
the delivery boys dog-though
very soft spoken you know.-and
somebody gave him puppy and
it ran away. The delivery boy
thinks probably he Kicked it, too"
Lots of people kick their dogs
and they don't run away"
mo, Mrs. Forester, ma am. Not
| after they get to be dogs. But may
be puppies don't realize yet that
anybody's liable to kick you and
you might as well stay where you
are. Maybe that's it."
Il think you're philosopher,
ICnafIotte Jean.
eyes, Mrs. Forester. Do YOU
want them patty shells filed with
something for lunch, please?"
Eyes, something. Anything"
Tuck propped her chin on her
hand. She could think better that
way. Charlotte Jean gave her a
friendly understanding glance and
went out to the kitchen.
1t was only a few minutes before
Tuck was in the kitchen too, a red
| Jacket slipped over her white
dress, red silk tam pulled down
over her cur1s. Charlotte Jean saw
her as she came through the door.
you do look nice in that, Mrs.
Forester" she said in honest adj
rn1jiIration- at does become YOU so
Thank you, Charlotte Jean. BY
the way, what happened to that
parcel of things we found in the
house when we moved in? Did you
put them away somewhere"
do you mean the books, ma 'am,
and the pipe? I've got them right
here" She went to a cupboard and
handed them to Tuck.
81 won't take this old dog cared
thriller" Tuck decided. "'The Bar
tered Brides bad enough. Burn
this, Charlotte Jean"
She carried the other two ar
ticles in her hand as she walked
swiftly down the path to Number
Eight. 1t was very much like the
house they at present occupied,
built of brick and alf-timber, but
the placing on the lot was little
different. and it was not quite as
large as Number Ten. Tuck app
preached it with a growing, feeling
of excitement. AS she lifted the
brass knocker her throat was dry.
It was several minutes before the
door was opened. In the hall stood
a young woman in a smart blue
afternoon dress. with her hair in
careful waves; too careful. Tuck
thought quickly. As if cap had
just been taken from them. and
the hairpins removed.
This was undoubtedly Mrs.
Murchison.
MRS. Devoe" Tuck said uncer-
tainly.
You wish then to see Mrs. De-
voe?" the other woman asked.
THANK you-it doesn't really
matter" Tuck replied with smile.
II am Mrs. Forester. from Num-
Der Ten, and i understood that
Mrs. Murchison who used to have
that house lived here now. We
found one or two things that be-
long to her in the house when we
moved in. and I wanted to return
Them"
The woman unbent little. al
though her black eyes were still
sharp. 81 am Mrs. Murchison." She