The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-28
Chapter 80
The Creeping Man

II guilty of anything very bad,
Tuck went on. you can see that
in his face, Michael. He's got ar
awfully nice, clean look"
Soap" Michael muttered, but
subsidized hastily. Finally he came
TO a stop. He leaned against the
wall. "Al right, I'll talk sense, u
he said. Real sense. First, I'll say
this-the worst criminal I ever
saw, who had committed unSpeak-
ably rotten crimes, had a face like
an angel"
Duncan doesn't look like an
angel" Tuck cried. HE looks like
a man."
Michael disregarded her. He
talked straight at Bunny. This
isn't romance we're living in,
Bunny. It may not even come all
right in the end, the way romances
do. want you to understand that.
II 1t were a romance, we should
quite rightfully suspect Duncan
about this time, knowing in our
Utmost hearts that the hero can
really do no wrong, and is in all
probability suffering for another's
crime, suffering in silence. Later
on, of course, it would all be
cleared up. I'm not so sure that
this will come out that way"
"You are almost insulting,
Michael" Bunny said.
Probably. I'm just stating facts,
that's all" He paused. Really
now, DIncan's little story ex-
planned a lot of things very nicely,
didn't it? About the reasons for
his brothers disappearance. But
why didn't he tell it to the Com
missioner long ago? AS far as that
goes, why did the wife, knowing
that her husband was deserving
her, go to the police at all? If Miss
LisSey was right" he said quietly,
Duncan was probably far more
anxious to get those letters this
afternoon than he was the dia-
monds. However" he said grimly,
"he didn't get them all. We kept
one to identify the handwriting
by-when the time comes"
"Michael-why should he want
the letters?" Tuck asked.
He did not answer. He was look
ing at Bunny. She stood with lifted
chin staring out into the wood.
Bunny" he said after a mo-
ment. Il want to ask you favor.
1t Is for your own good. / want to
ask you not to see Duncan or have
anything to do with him again I'M
tai this matter is cleared up. Will
you promise that?"
She considered. mo, I don't
think / will, Michael" she said
after moment. ~ am sure he is
innocent. Why should l treat him
like a criminal?"
'Do you believe me to be a
truthful person, Bunny?"
"Yes."
DO you think / would make &C
cusation against anyone if I were
not a b solutely sure of my
ground?"
mo. Michael"
Then, / will say this. Remem-
Der, have chosen my words.
know exactly what I'm saying.
Bunny-if / told you all l know
about this case. all | am absolutely
sure of, you would not dream of
speaking to Duncan Murchison,
You would avoid him like the
plague. Your own feelings would
not allow you to associate with
him. Do make myself plain?"
Dangerous
CHE did not speak for a long
~ minute. Thank you, Michael"
she said at last, very quietly but
her hands were locked tightly to-
gether.
Michael went back to Tuck. ISIS
there more tea?" he asked in his
natural tone.
Tuck poured a cup with shaking
hands. Michael bent swiftly and
kissed her as he took his cup. She
bit her lip to keep the tears back
Bunny turned round. Her voice
was firm and controlled. "There is
something / am sure ! had better
tell YOU" she said. 81 promised
Duncan I would say nothing, but
now feel that that promise car
be broken"
Michael waited.
The other evening"" she wen
on almost Immediately, 81 wen
for a walk with Duncan. It wa!
just at dusk-you and Tuck wen
for a drive, perhaps you remem.
Der. We went out along the rive
bank to look at the last of the sun.
set. It was very quiet and calm on
there, and we sat down on a 10;
TO look out over the river. W.
stayed there quite a while, no
talking much. just enjoying tn,
evening and the quiet.
1T was nearly dark" she wen
on, when the thing want to tel
you about happened. Remember
we were sitting there perhap
twenty feet back from the edg,
of the bank, just under the over
hang of the trees. You know tn,
place-there is a sheer drop o
rock from the edge of the bank t
the river below; it must be thirt,
feet down. No one could posSibl,
climb up there"
Bunny, just a minute" Michae
said quietly. "Was this just thi
side Of the first big ravine?"
Eyes"
go on"
well, we were just going to &c
UP and come home-when, as tru,
as I am sitting here. Michael, Their
was a man creeping along TIL
ground between us and the edg,
Of the cliff. He couldn't have CONF
up over the cliff: he couldn't -
don't see how he possibly coult
have come all the way along TIT
ground from the ravine. We wer'