The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-12-30

cent. Told 'em to send out and
take him to Grady"
"Okay," said Lieutenant Greg
DRY. "And now about this piece OF
telephone wire. It might not be
amiss if we had Mrs. Benedict
come in and tell US how it found
its way into her waStebasket."
I reached for the bell pull then
decided that did not wish to call
Andrew just then. He would still
be protesting about red-hot Goals.
She went upstairs just after
lunch, believe" I told Lieuten-
ant Gregory. "I'li go for her my
self"
Roberts, being near the door,
rose to open it for me. But did
not pass through the door. Not
Just then. For at that moment
there came from somewhere over
head the sound Of a perfectly
CHASTITY scream.
AS we stood uncertainty, there
was another scream, broken off
suddenly. Then silence.
Inc OaEB
"CTAND back, everybody" or
y dered Lieutenant Gregory,
drawing his revolver from its hol-
ster and daShing through the door
as I shrank back into the room
and attached myself to Bills arm.
Roberts and Anderson were right
behind their superior officer as he
charged out and up the stairs.
And, of course, none of the rest
Of us stood back, though Bill did
make an effort to park me in the
library. By the time I reached the
top of the stairs at the tail end of
the procession, the police were
coming out of mine and Bills
room and crossing over to the
other front bedroom, which was
occupied by Eve.
This time they did not come out,
and when / crowded in behind
everyone else understood why.
for what ! saw was Z tableau of
horror.
Eve, who evidently had decided
to take an after-lunch SieSta, lay
motionleSS on the chaiSe Tongue,
her face twisted in the awful
agony of death. There was a dark
red stain on the front of her white
chiffon nightgown, a stain that
spread and clashed oddly with the
flame color of her negligee.
Standing over Eve as she lay
there were Claire and Alice. Bill
says that when he first reached
the door, ahead of the police be-
cause he had not stopped to look
into our room, Claire was holding
Alice with both arms and had
one hand over her mouth to stop
her screaming.
This, no doubt, is why that Sec
ond scream had broken off in the
middle.
Hold on, there warned Lieu
tenant Gregory as Bob and Kirk
Surged toward the two girls now
covering backward from the
chaise Tongue. Someone turned on
additional light and we saw what
he meant. On the floor, where it
might have dropped from Ewes
hand, lay the feathered dart
which she had brought up from
the game room, ''for protection"
It's steel pin was red with her own
blood and even the pale yellow
Of the feather tips was beginning
10 be stained crimson.
Fer Gods sake, Bill" gasped
Mr.. Marshall, who had numbered
Up the stairs just ahead of me,
what sort of place is this? What
has happened to everybody since
you came out here?"
could well understand his hor-
rified bewilderment, for my own
knees knocked together and put
out hand to the nearest shoulder
IN order to steady myself. The
shoulder happened to belong to
Roberts. and I was so embar-
raised when I discovered this fact
that ! found myself quite able to
stand without support even to
murmur an apology.
But he gave me wintry half
smile that was almost human and
said, Pretty raw. Better 60 back
downstairs, Mrs. Stuart"
The griSly sight which met our
eyes seemed to me all the more
awful somehow because of the
setting. That stately old room in
which my grandmother had died,
less than a year ago, had certain
~ known its joys and sorrowS and
all the things that go to make up
normal living. But through the
years no alien forces had been
able to threaten the foundations
OF its dignity, never had there
been wanton invasion of its pri-
vacy. And now, violence and muir
der.
Nobody replied to Mr.. Mar
shalPs question, for Anderson had
stepped forward and was trying
to find a pulse IN Ewes wrist. AT
ter a moment he pulled back one
Of her eyelids and lad a look at
the pupil of the eye. Dead" he
said matter-of-factly.
don't think have ever seen
anyone more angry than Lieuten-
ant Gregory appeared when An
OCLSOA uId4c HIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
All right" he barked, wheeling
and facing US, his piercing dark
eyes resting first on one and then
another, which one Of you did
it?" It was plain to see that he
didn't care very much for any Of
US just then.
Nobody said anything at all.
Lieutenant Gregory turned TO
Roberts. "You and Anderson
search the house and grounds.
Check on the servants. Telephone
in and find out why nobody,s
come out from the solicitors Of
fice. And tell 'em to send an am
bulance."
viii never know whether Bob