The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-11

| s1A0S@ Pt@SCo "a PoPGAs CfCtl IL VIC
have mixed them; are they all Just
alike or not?"
| Michael looked at her approx
ingly and pushed the heap of peb-
bles into long row.
"They aren't quite all alike, {"
Tuck said obviously. Are they?
1t seems to me some of them aren't
quite as shiny as the rest"
isn't it the way the light strikes
them. Tuck?p
II don't know. Can you see it?"
IT don't think ! can, not quite"
II believe / can," Bunny said.
THAT third one looks little mud
dy. Is that what you mean, Tuck?
Those on either side of it are black
and shiny"
That's what / mean. Now I.
Bunny, you watch and tell me If
I'm right. I'm going to move out
of line all the. ones that look black
and shiny" She put her finger out
and went down the line slowly,
carefully, pushing here and there
a pebble out of line.
There they are" she said, when
she had finished.
you've got sixteen black ones,
and fourteen dull ones. Tuck"
Bunny counted! t
"Try it again." Michael said
with a queer note Of excitement.
Tuck went down the line again.
Here's one I'm not sure OF" she
murmured. at might be either"
She picked it up and scrutinized it
closely. 81 believe it's black one.
though"
She went on: and when the ex-
pertinent was over, they had
eighteen black and shining peb-
bles in one heap and twelve. lit
tie duller in the other.
'Those are the pebbles that came
out of these pieces, then" Michael
said. "Now, what the devil-gosh.
this is getting exciting"
Bunny shut her eyes tightly, and
leaned back in her chair. Tuck
wandered around the room, head
bent, in deep abstraction. Gordon
Deane's dog. next door, set up
furious barking. Tuck stepped out
on the sun porch, and peered anX-
iously about for Agamemnon.
The garden, white in the moon
light, lay before her.
THE Pattern
CUDDENLY she called Michael
- in strange voice. Look" she
said. There it isl There it is, Mi
chael! .Bunnyl"
'eWhat, Tuck? Where is It'll"
"The pattern-don't you see?
The pattern! ] knew it was ia
Il don't see anything but the
sundial. Tuck =. is that the pat
term"
"No, don't be so stupid. That's
the hole! That's the thing that he
left out. the sundiall Those long
oblongs are the four paths, and
the triangles are the flower bedsl"
Michael Strengthened up sudden
ly. She's right, by Georgel"
"And he left out the sundial,"
Tuck said to herself. "He left out
the Sundial."
eft made one piece too many.
Tuck"
"Umhm." She stared out at it.
white under the moonlight. "It's
very pretty" she said. "It's too bad
he left it out" Her eyes danced
suddenly. and she turned on them.
Don't you see?" she cried.
Cant you guess?"
81 admit can't" Michael shook
his head.
"Nor !. Tuck"
"That sundial it's carved
out Of something, sandstone or
something, ! suppose. And around
the bottom is a row of round
stones; and around the top.
just at the edge Of the face,
is another row of round stones -.
only they're hitler. Pebbles" She
ran indoors and sized one of the
little dulled pebbles, to rub il
with a moistened finger.
"WhitewaSh," she said succinct-
ly. "He couldn't wash all Of il of"
Michael whooped suddenly. "If
you aren't the brightest grill" he
said happily. That's where they
arel1
The diamonds, Michael?" asked
Bunny.
az suppose it must be-
Hadn't we better wait until
| it's darker. Michael?"
mo"
an a moment all four were
grouped about the sundial, staring
down at its calm face excitedly.
Tuck touched the row of pebbles
around the outside. "They are ex-
actly the same size" she told
them.
There are a hundred and forty
/ four of thefn," Michael murmured
after moment. 81 suppose that's
what gave the old boy his idea.
It'll probably be every twelfth
''But where do we start? Mi.
chael. ! think I should just col.
lapse if this turned out to be a
mistake! | couldn't bear it."
Michael touched q pebble slow
ly. 81 think this is the first one,
right. at the top Of the sundial,"
he decided. He shook it with his
fingers: it was firm. although some
Of the whitewash came off in his
hand. He took out his penknife and
thrust it underneath, and the peb-
BILE came out of its setting easily.
Michael cut at il with his knife.
Fright" he said. that's no peb-
bic. It's lump of wax--and here's
fho fret diamond rsnxs Ioorc