The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-13
Chapter Six
Double Fireworks

Double Fireworks
A SEY couldn't find Zeb, and the
car keys were in the boys coat
pocket. And Weston was clearly
hunting for him. Asey grinned,
and started back to town on foot.
When they inveigled Asey onto a
radio program, it would be be-
cause he wanted it.
Deliberately he chose the net
work Of back roads, preferring to
get lost than to be picked UP by
Weston. It was damp there in the
lowlands, and he pulled the collar
Of his shooting jacket UP around
his neck.
There was a name for this part
Of town, he thought as he strolled
along. Something Hollow. It took
him minutes to recall the name.
Hell Hollow, that was it. He'll Hol-
low. There were a lot of stories
about il, too, and about the curl
ing mists that rose at night from
the swamps and tiny pools.
He tried to remember the leg
ends he'd heard about it years ago
in his childhood. It was a place
youngsters were threatened with.
"Be good, or the DOGGY man from
Hell Hollow'll get YOU" There was
something about witch, too. The
early settlers had ducked her in
one of the muddy ponds and pack
ed her off to Boston. Oh, there
were lots of things, but he couldn't
sort them out. He'd ask Sara about
it the next day.
He came suddenly onto a tarred
road. He looked ahead, then jump
ed back and put hand on his gun.
Ahead of him, under. the dim
street light, were three weird fig-
ures, two women and a man. Two
women in bonnets and hoopskirts,
and man in a tall beaver hat and
a tail coat. The mist blew around
them-they hadn't faces, or feetl
Asey blinked, and then laughed.
Dummies, of course. Du m m y
figures. Yes. he could see the sign
beside them. Antiques" 7 h e
was another sign on the street
light. Mrs. Larkin Randall. An
tiques."
Asey laughed again. So Mrs.
Larkin Randall, the antiquer, had
changed the name of He'll Hollow
to Pleasant Valleyl No wonder he
h d MT recognized the location
when ] a n Warren spoke of it.
Pleasant Valley, in this god for
saken hollow full of swamps, and
dampness, and that chilly curling
mist!
He walked on toward town, past
the dummy figul -, and the Squatty
house beyond. That house, he re-
called, had been a favorite rendez-
yous of the gay blades of Wellfieet.
back in his boyhood.
Fireworks began to Splutter in
tn e town, a n d colored balloon
lights fioated out of the ] cts of
sparks. and then dissolved one by
one.
As he stood t there wondering
h ow General Philbrick expected
to compete with this lavish display
on nights to come. car whizzed
by him, then braked and backed
up.
"Where'd you go?" Zeb demand
ed. I've hunted high and low and
in between for half an hour How'd
you get here?"
"Oh, ! been roamin' around"
Asey said, "delvin' into the past.
like. Your girl friends fancy fig
ures was like to scare me half to
death. ] never saw anythin' so
creepy, with tn e mist crawlin'
around'em. II was a drinkin'
man, I'd have signed the pledge
an gone on the wagon by now"
"A lot did," Zeb observed, "the
first week those figures were put
up. It's a scufvy p la C e anyway.
When was a kid. and we spent
SUNNI ers out at the old beach
house. used to stick my head I'M
der the blankets and shiver till we
got 70 the clearing. We never had
a horse that could go fast enough
past that place to suit me. Boy,
Look a the General. spreading
himself! Aren't they loud? Look.
Asey ] want an excuse to call on
Jane Drive back with me?"
mo" Asey said. @Zeb, If this,s
just the Initial blowout, what's
Philbrick plannin' to work up to,
a panoramic view of tn e world
war, with special reference to the
bombin' of Parish"
Wee Mite Metallic
"TTS the old come hither, I
i guess Zeb said. wow. see
that! Yes, I gathered from the gos-
sip at the store that he was going
20 put on the blazer of show to-
night. BY tomorrow. the w h o l e
Cape'n have heard, and come to
see more. Asey, come on and come
calling with me. there's the old
SPORT"
aNo," Asey said, awhy should II
B'sides, want to watch tn es e
things. Never had anything like'em
in my day. The most l."
"Come on Zeb persiste d.
rHaven't you any respect for young
love? know James b o m all
alone, because ! saw Eloise Ran
dali UP by. the ferris wheel. Mary
Randall goes to bed at sunset, prac-
tically, and either Jane or Eloise
has to stay there with her. What's
the matter, didn't you Ike Jane?h