The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-15

"You viii hang for this" Mi
chael said. His voice was calm,
and he had stopped struggling. He
sat quiet lie must have found out
that it was useless.
81 doubt it. You see, after to-
night. shall do nothing more.
This is the final test. Once before
thought could say that, but
unfortunately. my subject strug-
gled rather violently before |
could induce him to come here,
and I was forced to give him a
severe blow. He has been very i'll
ever since-rather he is quiet
now. but in no physical condition
as yet, TO stand the operation.
have had to keep him drugged in
order to keep him from ESCAPING
or making a noise. and his nerves.
are not in a good state at all. Still,
| expected to use him eventually.
But shall not have to now If the
operation fails on your wife,
and anything unforeseen happens,
there will still be yourself" He
made a little. courtly bow. 1.-Two
such young and healthy speci-
MEMS. both mentally and physi-
cally, are all that any seientist
could desire. If the experiment
fails twice tonight, shall merely
set fire to this basement room and
leave it as it is. / shall be con-
WINGED that mine is not the hand
to carry out the research. But we
will mrs fai1-t0nicht :"
He was ready. He wheeled the
little table over close to Tuck. He
pulled open drawer in the table
and took out a white mask which
he unrolled from its sterile wrap
pings and tied across his face.
perhaps. he said to Michael,
"you will find this a little trying
since this lady is your wife. But
you can scarcely fail to find it in
teresting With this knife shall
make the first incision, a sm-l
three cornered one at the base OF
the brain. But first. of course. !
must sterilize the area"
You Devil
LIE turned her head gently away
Il from Michael and she felt his
hands at the back of her neck. He
united the gag and took it off. I'll
is in my way" he said regretfully
Her mouth was stiff. Then she felt
the GOODNESS of water on the back
of her head. and, in a moment. the
scrape of a razor.
She heard him move. She knew
he was still trying to break loose
He never could. Her own bonds
cut into her wrists and ankles.
The man laid down the razor.
He picked I'D the shining knife.
And in that instant Michael
threw the severed bonds from his
hands and sprang.
The man gave a cry like the
roar of a wild beast as he went
down beneath Michael Tuck did
not see that battle on the cement
floor. but as she lay bound and
helpless on the table she pictured
it and agonized for Michael The
other man was bigger. and very
strong. He had a grip like steel.
Michael. Michael" she called
in agonY.
The other man was bigger and
very strong, but Michael was fight
ing for Tuck and for her life. He
got on top at last and pounded
| that dark head again and again on
the cement; and then he dragged
him and tied him. in turn, to the
ring in the wall, where he stood
with frightful blazing eyes.
You devilt" Michael painted
And then he turned to Tuck.
AS he lifted her tenderly in his
arms from the table she chung to
him and choked out. Michael -.
how J.. | can't believe =. Michael
darling! Oh, you are really
Oh. Michael!"
why. sweetheart, my fingers
were free, d'you see. and l was
sort of half sitting there. . and
my iackknife was in my pants. |
nearly died getting it out-and
cutting those damn things-for
fear he'd hear
And at that moment two things
happened. The first was the APP
pearance of an apparition. from
that inner room. the figure of
tall, CHASTITY pale man with cadav-
erous cheeks and sunken eyes. He
!! supported himself against the
door, said, $50 you've got him at
last" and tainted. And the second
was the sound of many feet rush
ing into the house above, and
Bunny's voice calling, tuck,
Tuck! Michael. where are your"
Michael flung open the door and
shouted. and in a moment the
basement was filled with people:
strangely Duncan Murchison was
there with the Commissioner, the
District Attorney. group of po-
licemen, and Bunny with Aga
memnon' in her arms.
81 had to bring him." she ex-
planned, because I thought per-
haps if we couldn't find you he
could. But we saw Michael's boat
and the handkerchief tied to the
tree on the path below"
Michael held Tuck in his arms
still. She leaned her head against
him and the room whirled round
her.
Duncan Murchison had raced
across the room and dropped down
on his knees beside the sick man
from the inner room. He lifted the
dropping head and held it or his
arm.
MY God" he said brokenly,
and there was deep silence at the
sound of his voice. "It's my broth
err. Edgar!"
The District Attorney frowned.
He took his hand from MichaepS
shoulder. He turned and surveyed
the icy rigid figure of that other,
| gowned in white and tied against