The Key West citizen., 1940-12-03

III the cdnQ1e ana look me IN MS
arms.
He didn't tell me to be sensible
or to be reasonable, as some hus-
bands might have done. And COM
forfed by this unfailing, unques-
tioning tenderness, ! suddenly
felt very sorry for all those hus-
bands and wives who miss the
substance of true marriage while
clinging so tenaciously to the
shadow Of romance.
/ thought of Kirk in love with
Claire. Of Claire in love with Bob.
OF Bob. so long in love with
Claire, but who tonight had
acted so strangely. On account of
Eve, no doubt, who was never
really in love with anyone, but
always out for trouble. Of Alice,
whom nobody seemed to love but
who. I suspected, cherished a
secret yen for Kirk. Well, there I
was back at the beginning. What
a mess.
Then it occurred to me that in
stead Of wasting sympathy where
it could do no good / might better
be sorry for Bill, who swears he
cannot sleep in a lighted room.
81 didn't mean to be such a nui-
sance." l told him. 'Tm all right
now. You can turn out the light"
"Turn out the light, my eye"
Bill grunted. It'll turn itself out
in a moment. That's a candle, my
simple sweet"
In spite of his aversion to light,
Bills even breathing soon assured
me that he was fast asleep. I my
self must have dropped off short
ly afterward. while the candle
still fiiekered in its silver holder.
For we were both aroused from a
sound sleep by such blood-curd-
ling screams as / hope never to
hear again. One after another
they ripped through the night
mare of returning consciousness,
full of some nameless terror and
turning the blood to water in my
veins.
The candle had burned itself
out and for a moment ! don't
think either of us remembered
where we were, for Bill kept
pulling the lamp cord at the head
of the bed, swearing a little un-
der his breath. Meanwhile the
screams continued and it was
clear now that they came from
the upstairs hall. Bill finally
found the matches and 1 gave him
the candle at the head of my side,
of the bed.
"Stay here" he ordered, throw
ing a bathrobe over his shoulders,
grabbing up the candle and max
ing for the door.
No Murder
QUT, of course, / did not stay
II there in that dark bedroom
alone, with something, knew
not what, going on outside. The
screams had stopped now, and
when Bill halted suddenly just
beyond the door in an effort to
get his bearings / was so close
on his heels that / bumped into
him. almost knocking the candle
from his hand.
For Gods sake" he COM
planned in that tone of complete
evaporation by which a husband
can shift to his wife's shoulders
the entire responsibility for
whatever has originally upset
him.
Other doors wefe opening.
Someone could be heard running
up the steps, and in a moment we
saw that it was Bob, for he had
the fashlight in his hand.
Bob reached the prone figure
at the head of the stairs at almost
the same time we did.
It was Alice.
She was breathing and there
were slippers on her feet and a
heavy, quilted robe over her
nightgown. Obviously this was
no sleepwalking jaunt. It is evi-
dence of my own state of mind
when / confess that for moment,
as / looked down upon her, I
shrank back little. Was this our
killer? Had Alice suddenly gone
mad? At any rate, why was the
supposedly timid Alice, afraid of
her own shadow. prowling around
after everyone else had gone to
sleep in house in which a mur.
der had been committed?
Kirk had brought water and
Bill and Bob placed Alice on the
hall sofa. / put a pillow under
her feet
Looks as though she is out for
a record" " Eve observed caustical-
ly. 1.-TWO fainting fits in one eve
Ming"
Nobody paid any attention to
her, for Alice had opened her eyes
and begun to shudder.
"Did-did you see it?" she
gasped.
"See what?" we all asked to-
gether.
Alice shut her eyes again and
started moaning Take me home,
Bob" she begged. 'We can't stay
here in this awful place"
''But. Alice dear" said Bob,
patting her hand, "we can't 90
back tonight. We have to wait un-
til morning. The best thing for
you to do is to let us put you
back to bed" Not waiting for
Alice to say yes or no, he gath
cred her up in his arms and, with
the rest Of us trailing behind, car
ried her to her room and de-
posted her in the big. canopied
bed. We were an odd-looking
procession, no doubt, with the
women in negligees. Kirk and
Bill with bathrobes over pajamas
and Bob the only one fully
dressed.
Alice had no sooner hit the bed
than she buried her face in the
pillows and began to cry. II just