The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-03

a present! She knew I wanted a
new one"
"Fine. Is that the gun you was
brandishin' the other night up to
1.-THE midway"
mo. that was my old one. But
shotguns don't make any differ
ence-"
"They do. Asey said. Where's
your new gun now?"
"Oh, it's been stolen! Il was
stolen from my studio the night
fof the fire. Don't you see." Slade
demanded holly, 'it's conspir-
acy? Someone steals the gun that
Jane gave me, that night, and kills
Mary Randall with it. Then you
find it. and then"
NO Kulak'
NOV" Asey said. we're get
" tin some place. Jane bought
gun, give it to you, someone steals
it from you on Monday night. Was
that what made you run off an
hide, after shootin' your mouth
off all over town, an gettin' Brin-
ley's goat. an workin' up the Old
Settlers?"
mo. you fooll" Slade said. "Of
course it wasn't! And you're sup
posed to be a detectivel Can't you
get anything straight at all?"
with a mite of cooperation"
Asey said, 81 might pick out the
giSt OF this, but right now you put
me in mind of Mrs. j. Arthur
Brinley. Well. we'll go to it again.
Maybe we'll get it by degrees. 1
saw you Monday night at brush
fire near your studio. You was
burned. an worried about your
paintings. Next thing, I hear
you're rampin' around town with
a shotgun Why. exactly?"
Because the fire was. set, don't
you see? Someone intended to
burn down my studio! l found
places later where kerosene had
been poured around! And some
one had stolen my gun, too. And
I was mad. So l took my old gun
and went up to town to show
people that they couldn't intimi-
date me! I'm no"
You're no kulak," Asey said.
1--WE know. C1c, your wife was
caught on the ferris wheel when
it stuck, wasn't she?"
"And," Cummings said feeling
| ly, "and how! She and Bessie Brin-
ley both. What they told the man
who runs it isn't fit 30 print. She'll
never get over that. 1t was better
than the time she got stuck in
an elevator in Boston for eight
hours. and they threw ham sand
Wiches in at her from the fourth
floor. She seems, to have a bad
effect on elevating machinery.
somehow E !
doc, you was there at the mid
way, wasn't you at the timer"
my, yes, l gave her moral sup
port until Nellie sent someone to
tell me that you wanted me. My
wife"
"How long, now" Asey said.
"were you there before Nellie sent
someone?"
Half an hour or, more. They
were up there an hour and a half,
all told. And, by George, all told.
tool" $500
The doctor laughed. heartily at
his own joke.
"Uh-huh. Now. did you see
Slade?"
Man alive, everyone aw
Slade. Couldn't miss him. He and
the stuck ferris wheel were major
attractions. Lots of people thought
he was some sort of clown con-
nected with the midway. He made
quite a sensational appearance"
/ doc" Asey said patiently, Tim
gettin' at something. Was Slade
there when you Gamer"
"Oh, yes. He was practically the
first person ! saw and / was going
to offer some helpful suggestions
about bed and. the necessity for
relaxing-that's another trouble
with. you, Mike. You don't relax
enough. You're getting along in
your thirties now, and you've got
to realize that you can't keep up
your youthful pace forever"
'Docp Asey said. Listen to me,
will you? Slade. was there when
you came. an that was half an
hour before you was called to the
phone. Now. is that right?"
eyes," Cummings said. "why?"
"He was there during theslast
part of Philbricks fireworks dis
play?"
"I'm sure of it. He stood near
newly yes he was there. He
made some crack about the last
piece"
That's all l want to know"
Asey said. MARY Randall was
killed just before the final piece
of fireworks went off. If Slade was
up at the midway, that accounts
for him. Seems to me it took a lot
of pryin' to get that out of you
two. Now. Slade. let's get back to
your yarn again. Your idea in flip
pin that note was to get enough
money from Madame Thingummy
to take Jane an beat it. That's
what you was climbin' the maple
for. huh. to get Jane? Did it ever
occur to you that the fellow who
runs away is most usually consid-
cred the guilty one?"
Slade opened his mouth and
closed it again. "Why--uh-why.
no. But we wouldn't be running
away from"
mo. But It wouldn't help you
any to run. would it? In fact, If
you was in my place, how'd you
feel if the two of you beat it,"