The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-16

McBain's m outh frightened.
Surely. Forester. there is a more
direct way than this Of going
about this business?"
"T'm afraid not. It's a case of pa
tent untying Of knots until we
| find the straight thread. It looks
pretty hopeless right now. BY the
way 80" he paused. There's an
other knot ! want to unite. IT'S a
very small one. Do you happen to
have a, hat around here that
doesn't belong to your" MichaePs
smile was very engaging.
"a 1Dhdt?"
"a hat"
'hat?"
II don't know. Miss Lissey in
formed me this afternoon that
/ there was hat left here the night
school closed that might have a
bearing on this situation. II sounds
ridiculous, but / ask merely to try
and see what she was getting at"
McBain shook his head impa-
tiently. The woman's a fool" he
said angrily. There wasn't any
one here on that night. No one
could have left a hat here. l was
at home all eyening-I'm posi-
tive"
"Still-zdo you mind If ask
your wife? There might be some
reasonable suggestion back of
Miss Lissey's words"
For answer, McBain went to the
door and called, Lucy? Where
are you, my dear?"
''In. the garden" d woman's
voice came faintly.-s4'm in the
| garden, John"
SWELL go ION out il you like"
McBain said, preceding Michael
down the long passage that led to
the back door.
An Owl Hoots
MRS. McBain was sitting in a
WI garden chair in the dusk. She
sprang to her feet lightly as Mi
chael followed her husband out.
Il didn't know we had a guest"
she said chidingly. 81 was enjoy
ing the evening quiet. Why didn't
you call me, John?"
We've been talking, my dear,
and I didn't notice the time flying.
Lucy, Mr.. Forester has rather a
ridiculous question to ask you
can you tell him if there is a hat
here that was left on the night
school closed?"
She stared at him. "a hat?" she
repeated slowly. Whose hat?"
81 don't know" Michael said
lightly. "Just any hat. that was
left here that night"
Perhaps it might -. per-
haps that was the night found
a strange hat hanging in the pas
sageway =. Il don't iustremember.
Is it Important"
S''What kind of hat?" McBain
asked her.
why :. a gray felt. I think it
was"
"a mans hat?" Michael asked.
eyes. certainly"
'Is 1t still around, Lucy? Do you
mind getting it?"
Il think it is-certainly not"
she said. and turned into the door
way. They followed her. She lifted
the lid of a carved chest standing
Just inside the door; it held sew
eral hats and caps. She snapped on
the light, and examined them.
~That's strange" she said. 'Tt
doesn't seem to be here any
longer"
"When did you see it last, Mrs.
McBain?" Michael asked quietly.
II don't remember. She looked
at him, and her brow was smooth
and untroubled again. Il really
didn't pay any attention to it. ]
remember wondering at the time
who owned it, because no man had
called here the day found it."
mo man? A woman, them"
mo one but Miss Lissey, and
she only ran in for a few min
uteS."
"A gray felt hat, Lucy? Do you
remember if it had a round brim?"
She looked at her husband. II
think it did," she said.
They left her. and McBain
walked to the gate with Michael.
''The last time / saw him." he
said. and there was no need to
tell VINO ne meant, "he was wear
ing gray felt hat with a round
brim. And Heaven only knows
why it was left here. Perhaps if we
knew that we should know every
thing"
Michael took the path that
wound along between the edge of
the woods and the hedges at the
back OF the gardens, and started
for home. He walked slowly,
thinking over the events of the
day. and the strange information
he had just received; and his steps
were n0iseless on the pine needles
which had drifted across the little
used pathway. He passed the
Deanes', and was rounding the
curve of this outer horseshoe when
ne saw movement on the path
ahead. He stopped involuntarily,
and watched. There was someone
just outside his garden gate, some.
one who crept rather than walked.
and kept close in the deep shadow
Of the hedge. As Michael peered
at 1t. the figure melted into the
hedge and could be seen no long
er. He waited.
It seemed to him that he could
hear heavy breathing, and other
small noises. which he could not
quite distinguish: but there was
no longer any movement that he
could see. because Of the dark
ness.
Suddenly. out Of The woods be-
hind him, an owl hooted loudly.
Michael jumped. The sound OF
breathing stopped. }rnue.
The owl hooted again.
HnnAaa...a2 A..