The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-10-18

not as though she figured at all in
his plans, she realized, but as
though he were turning some
vague idea over in his mind. He
seemed like a man to whom moth
ing was of any great importance
at the moment, at least.
NO." he said finally. Might as
well get along, now I've got start
ed. That's the worst of feeling like
this: the initial impulse is
dimmed, if you know what l mean.
Getting up steam's about the hard
est thing / have to do" He shook
hands tremendously with her,
with Mrs. Webb who appeared
promptly in the hall. Buff caught
a glimpse of a greenback chang
ing possession in the latter act, and
again she reminded him of his
rental money.
'I'll write you about it from
Boulder. Got to be going now!
He hurried out of the front door,
circled the house to the garage and
presently drove out a small car
which, Buff knew at a glance, had
seen long service. It chugged away
purposefully, seemed to leap as it
met the first boulders of the road,
then disappeared from sight.
Buff was somewhat pensively
consuming her fourth biscuit when
she heard it returning; or at all
events heard a car approaching
the house.
Atkins" Mrs. Webb said, ap-
pearing at the dining room door.
"And late enough, too! It's almost
dark. Observation-Disclosures
alive" she added. "He's got Mr..
CorliSs with himp
Cor possibly" Buff said with a
touch of grimness. "Mr. Corliss has
Atkins with him! There's little
matter Of renting this ranch
heavens"
She broke off abruptly and ran
out on the porch, followed by the
portly housekeeper. Atkins was
supporting the late tenant of the
ranch, who limped and put a hand
occasionally to his bandaged head.
"That road!" calculated Buff.
what happened, AtkinS?"
"He busted a tie-rod, Miss Car
roll. Car turned over and threw
him out. Messed him up little.
Now, Mr.. Corliss, if you can ne
gotiate the steps, we'll soon have
you comfortable"
The girl ran down and placed
her shoulder beneath Tins arm.
Lean hard!" she commanded.
"Come on now-up you go, and up
that's fine! Open the door,
Webbyl"
They got him into the living
room before he collapsed.
Due For A Smash
IT was long after midnight before
the ranch house settled itself to
slumber. Atkins had done yeo-
mans service, calling a doctor
from Loveland and driving to the
highway to meet him. "He sure
can't make that road after night"
and conducting him without acct
dent to his patient.
"Ligaments torn from the ankle
bone," was DR.. Westland's pro-
nouncement. Head? Nothing to
worry over; just bump. But this
Corliss felloW-how come he hap
pens to be out here, Miss Carroll?
lis about due for a smash if he
doesn't slow up. Maybe this acct
dent is a blessing in disguise. It
will keep him quiet for a while.
anyway"
He had attended Eleanor during
one or two of her chronic head
aches, and was at ease with the
daughter of the house.
"Your folks coming back? l
thought they'd gone to Chicago
for the winter"
Buff explained; asked how long
it would be before the invalid
could be moved. ''Not that there's
any reason why he should. but he
was bent on it tonight"
ooh, well" said the doctor COM
fortably. He'll not be bent on
much of anything for the next few
days but catching up with his
sleep. I'm leaving him some sed-
alive pills, Miss Buff, and | rely
on you to see that he gets them. I
want him-for every reason-to
relax and snooze."
docs he need a nurse?"
He shook his head. "You and
Mrs. Webb and Atkins can look
after him. Not much to do for him,
at that. I'll be out some time to-
morrow. if can get over that con-
founded road of yours. Why don't
you have it fixed?"
81 WILL" Buff promised. THAT
is, I'll have Atkins hire some men
to haul out a few of the largest
boulders. The fall rains will un-
cover a couple of thousand more
but by that time no one but Atkins
himself will be using it, and that
not often"
This reminded her of the fore
mans villainy. and she considered
her intention of discharging him.
She decided she would talk to him
first. Just how they would manage
without him for the next week or
two, she didn't know.
Atkins himself was disposed to
let bygoneS be bygones, she
noticed with amusement the next
day. He made no reference at all
to the fact of his fraudulent rental
OF the ranch to Corliss. The man
might have been-and was, Atkins
implied by tone and manner-a
guest of the CAROLS, given the
freedom Of the place in its owners
absence