The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-01
Chapter 48
The Round-Up

AaktFA ~
The Roundup
INSIDE the Randall house, Asey
= greeted Kay absentmindedly.
@You. huh? Bout time. Wait
outside. Ham. Sit down, Kay.
Listen an don't interrupt. You got
a job
She was white-faced when she
came out on the porch short
while afterwards.
rHamiltonl" Asey,s voice had
the quarterdeck ring to it.
Yes. sirl' Hamilton raced in
go to the Town Hail." Asey
said. sJust before the last dance,
give these notes to Mr.. an Mrs.
Leach, Weston, Brinley. his wife,
Win Billings, Madame Meaux, an
Jane an Slade. Give this one to
Zeb an see he starts right along.
Corral the others an take'em to
Aunt Sara's. an see they go. an
stay Lane or soneone'l1 tell you
what to do from there Get,em all,
an keep'em all. see? Beat 1T"
OF all the group assembled final
ly in Aunt Sara's living room, no
one was more bewildered than
Hamilton himself.
Lane came at last. "All here?
Come along. please"
He marshaled them into their
cars. whispered orders to Hamil-
ton. and acted as a rear guard to
the procession up to the hollow.
Now" he said, "if you'll come
aWhya" Sara demanded with
Asperity. what is this nonsense?
@Asey,s orders, ma'am," Lane
said with finality.
Asey himself came out in a mo-
ment.
Sorry to keep you waitin,," he
said. %bdt on the whole, thought
II might be a good thing to have
you all here together. Some things
has got to be cleared up"
Another figure appeared behind
sMyl" Brinley said in a choked
voice. @Patersoni"
THE auditori" Sara's voice was
even more choked.
II you'll all come in" Asey said
blandly, maybe we can settle
some things"
He was tremendously solicitous
about finding seats for them all in
the living room. Sara couldn't help
thinking how her gray cat had the
same manner while he waited at a
mouse hole = bland. casual, and
apparently not bit eager.
sNow." Asey said. ado let's get
this shortage fixed up first"
Sara and JEFF exchanged glances.
my fault JEFF said promptly.
Il know. I'm getting too old-I-I
might as well face it, / suppose.
Whatever the amount is. I'll make
II good, Paterson. And then I'll re-
sign and let someone else take my
place. On my word of honor. Sara
and have shaved over those fig
ures-what's that. Bessie?"
Mrs. Brinley was muttering re-
proachful things under her breath.
Il wouldn't Asey said. look
quite so SNUG. Mrs. Brinley. Pater-
sons found you an ]. Arthur out"
]. Arthur's shoulders sagged
He seemed to shrink.
-Asey." Weston said, (which
ofem IS it? For my part. I've
worked over the books, and
worked over'em, and"
"All Rrinley." Asey said. "He
didn't dare play with your figures
as much as with Jeff's. You wrote
that note to Slade. didn't you.
Prinley?"
Money And Rate
T-YES, didl But what about
JEFF and Sara? Where were
they on Monday night7" Brinley
said. Where were they when
Mary Randall was killed? What"
Were not gettin' ahead. here"
interrupted Asey. Lets consider
this shortage. an let's consider the
problem Of motive Bessie Brin-
ley, shut upl First things seemed
70 be against the town. an then
against Mary Randall. an then
Jane--with so much planted on
her, an then Eloise. As matter
OF 'fadt. we got just two motives.
Ones money 1.-The towns money.
The others pure hate. The money
come first, an the hate come in
later. The money come in because
someone got ambitious, an the
hate parts mostly on account of
Jane what'n times the
matter. out there. Hamilton?"
II didn't hear anything" Hamil-
ton said truthfully.
go see
Hamilton went outdoors. When
he returned his face was drained
Of color.
"Asey-that figure! Asey. look
look out the windowl"
The whole group rushed to the
front door, and every head turned
toward the four figures, more
grotesque than ever under the
moonlight.
what figure7" Sara said. "They
Its movingl"
Nonsense" JEFF said.
But one Of the figures tDds NOV
1t fell down, righted itself. and
stood up again. The face was glob
Of chalky white. apparently with
out any features at all. Suddenly 1t
wheeled and ran with peculiar