The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-09

1ney met al the 'front.' OF the
house. "As far as can see there's
not thing wrong" Hall said. But,
by the Lord Harry, we don't dare
take any chances. I'm going to get
them up"
He stepped to the door and
pressed the door bell. They heard
it ring in the interior of the house.
Silence. He pressed it again. long
loud peal. Nothing stirred.
put your shoulder to that door.
Donovan" Hall said suddenly.
Were going in"
The two men lunged against the
door together. It was strong. Hall
pressed the door-bell again and
again as they threw themselves at
the heavy barrier. but there was
still no evidence of life within.
"I-don't-like this" Donovan
gasped. Come on now. here goes!
It's crackin'. man."
One panel went in with a smash.
Donovan reached in and turned
the key. They stepped into the
little hall and Hall CROPPED for his
f1ash-light.
It was Donovan who reached out
and opened the door into the living
room, and almost Immediately put
his arm out to hold the other man
back. For the love of God. don't
strike a match" he swore. "it's
gas"
"Gas!"
1t poured out through the door
in food.
The windows, quick!"
They ran around the house
smashing the glass with their
clubs, and came again to the open
door. Donovan whipped off his wet
hat, and held i before his face.
Hall followed suit.
IT'S the first turn to the left, j,
Hall said, and they dashed up the
stairs.
Are They Dead?'
4 T the top, Hall jerked open the
~ bedroom doors while Donovan
raced for the door to the sleeping
porch. unlocked it, and flung it
open. A welcome gust of wind
came in and blew through to the
windows in the west bedroom that
Hall opened. Each man gulped at
the fresh air. and then turned
again to the work in hand.
Michael and Tuck. from the beds
III that west room, were carried
down first, carried down and laid
on the wet grass in the rain, while
the men went back. There's girl
i don't know where she sleeps
and a maid" Hall said, and it was
the work of but few moments to
find them and carry them out.
Are they dead?" Donovan de-
manded.
II don't know. They're not NOV
ing. The doctors still here. thank
the Lord"
They were not dead, although
another few minutes would have
been too much for Tuck. The
Deane'S house was turned into a
hospital that hight, with Mr.. Deane
running about in beWilderment
and Mrs. Deane hanging distract
eddy over her son, whose head was
tlOW 0WoIAlCO III Od1lOoSCOs
Charlotte Jean revived first, and
Bunny next. Michael was very
sick, but he recovered quickly.
He listened to Halls tale, lying
back on his pillow. without a
word, until he heard of the attack
on Gordon. Then he swung his
feet around to the floor, his head
in his hands.
We've got to do something
quick" he muttered. "Gordonl It's
madness, it's insanity"
'It's too big for u.s." Donovan
said ashamedly. you were all near
done for tonight, Mr.. Forester.
It's devil we're up against, that's
what it is"
1t was not until morning that
they discovered how it had been
done. In the gray dawn Donovan
covered his face again, and went
down to the basement, to discover
the gas in the furnace turned full
on. But he could not stay to in
vestigate then; he turned it off. and
went back outside while it cleared
out of the house. But later they
discovered that the pipe leading
from the furnace to the chimney
had been disconnected, and so the
gas. turned on but not lit, went up
the heat pipes and so all through
the house. And they found. also.
a long heavy cord tied to the fur
mace lever, the gas control lever;
a cord which went up across the
furnace, lay along the top of a pipe,
and had the end dangling just
below one of the basement win
dows.
Hall examined it closely. THAT
end was on the other side of the
window last night" he said. "See?
There's this little corner of glass
broken out He had it ready in adj
vance. and the string through-all
he had to do was sneak in here for
a second and pull it.
But when did he make all these
preparations" Michael demanded.
Hall shook his head. How long
since you had that furnace lit?"
We've never had it lit since we
came"
There you are, then. 1t might
have been fixed like this for
weeks"
mo. / was down here about a
week after we moved Unlocking
| for some beads my wife dropped.
It wasn't there then"
1T wouldn't take a man more
than five minutes"
Michael turned away. ut might
have been done at that Sunday
party" he said YEARLY. "The day
Miss LiSsey was murdered"
He went directly to the tele-