The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-08

yet lnQulrlngly. You're both
pale" he said sharply. 81 suppose
it's this air of mystery and terror
surrounding us. My wife is really
i'll with it all"
'It's been awful, hasn't it?" Tuck
said. 81 thought Mrs. McBain
couldn't be well. She looked dread
fully pale yesterday"
I'm glad she isn't living as close
to it as you are" he said, tapping
his pipe on his boot heel. @Your
husband is working hard, | sup
pose? l haven't had long talk
with him for several days" He
dropped his voice. IT sincerely
hope he is making headway." he
said.
Il think he is. He's down town
working this morning. He doesn't
tell us very much, you know. It's
very complicated business"
McBain's face was stern. 1T is
that" he agreed heartily. I'VE shall
be more than glad when it is
cleared up. It is terrible-terrible.
/ do not :. oh, shouldn't say that
:. | dad not believe that DR.. Muir
Gibson could possibly be dead. ]
am beginning to change my opin-
ion." He drew deep breath. "Oh,
well. / mustn't burden you with
my feelings. I'm thankful that it's
Mr.. Forester, and not l, who has
to deal with it. He is a very keen
lad. noticed how very cleverly he
concealed his real knowledge at
the inquest, regarding Miss Lis
sey's last talk with you. No one
who didn't know BE-. or who hadn't
suspected the truth would have
guessed that he didn't tell all he
knew"
mo, 1 don't believe they would.
Of course he couldn't possibly tell
everything she told us"
mo. Poor soul! | detested her
heartily in life, but it seems a very
small thing to cost one ones life.
However must be off," He
looked at his wrist watch. 81 have
lecture. Good afternoon . and a
pleasant walk"
Big Log
THE two girls went on only a few
L steps until they came to the end
of the path, or, rather, to the edge
OF the wood. Perhaps at some time
the trees here had extended to the
waters edge, but they had been
cleared for distance of an eighth
of a mile along the river and per-
hapS twenty feet back from the
edge. This was the rocky stretch
of ground although Michael had
not told them i. where he had
seen Miss Lissey with her reading
glass. This also was the place, Just
at the end of the path, where Mrs.
DEVICES body had been found. Not
knowing the exact spot, they did
not shiver, and avoid it, but went
on, slowly, up the bank.
DO you see that big log, about
half way up the clearing?" Bunny
asked quietly. "It's just under the
overhang of the trees. Look :. that
big stump is almost directly be-
tween it and the water. Tuck, that's
where we were sitting the night
we saw him the Creeping Man.
On that log. You know :" she
stopped suddenly, and turned to
Tuck. "It never occurred to me be-
fore. How stupid we were! That
man he could perfectly well
have been hidden on the other side
of the stump. Perhaps not hidden
at all, Tuck. Perhaps just some
body sitting there enjoying the
sunset. And then we came along,
and sat down, and perhaps he
didn't like to startle us by getting
up suddenly. So he just crept away
quietly when it got dark. Oh. Tuck,
of course that's the explanation"
Tuck said nothing, although her
rueful face betrayed her feelings.
They had reached the stump. now,
and leaned against it. Bunny
looked behind her swiftly to the
fallen log, where she and Duncan
had sat. Tuck, you slip down on
the other side of the stump" she
commanded, "and I'll go and sit on
the log. Then, We'll see if that idea
would be possible. 1t would GER
tainly answer big question in my
mind"
mo, we better trade places.
You're bigger than I. This stump
isn't so awfully tall, Bunny. You
come. A man would be more your
size"
So Bunny went over and
dropped down behind the stump
as if she were a man smoking his
after-dinner pipe. Tuck surveyed
her from the log.
Il can almost nearly see the top
Of your head, but not quite" she
said. But it might have been done.
Still l don't see how you and
Duncan could possibly have come
all along the bank and not seen
him. if he were sitting there all the
time. T ere's no underbrush
around at ALL"
Bunny got up and came over to
her. She bent down and picked up
something from the ground. "This
must be yours, Tuck. this hairpin."
she said.
Pearl gray shell? Who in the
world wears pearl gray shell hair
pins in this day and age?"
The answer came to both of them
at once. Mrs. Devoe did" Bunny
said quietly. "She must have
walked along here just before ="
Tuck jumped up. Hush, Bunny.
Don't say it"
And then they heard, quite
plainly, the murmur of voices.
Bunny swung around and gazed
into the woods, where all was still.
Tuck. keener of hearing. perhaps,
went forward cautiously and
peered over the steep cliff. She
gazed down incredulously for a
moment, then tiptoed back to Bun
ny. "You know what it is?" she de-
manded. "It's that Michael For