The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-03-27

/ dropping pages of the paper until
l found the rest of the story. And
there, much to my surprise, found
a fairly concise report of Sergeant
Longs interviews with the people
in the house. And-more amazing
there was an old photograph of
me when / won a prize for a paint
ing at Paris exhibition. So it
took, not eight years of hard work,
but murder to get publicity. l felt
a little grim about that.
A soft knock sounded at the
door and l jumped up. 1t took all
of my courage to cross the room
and open that door after Dirck'S
warning. Much to my relief it was
Mary Ann Rogers. She was
wrapped up in a heavy blue bath
robe over her green frock with a
wool scarf knotted al her throat.
81 look a fright. | know" she
smiled, "but it's so cold in our
place. Do you mind if | come in
for a little while, if you aren't 60
ing to bed, of course? It's pretty
late" she added, then Whirled
around quickly as Richard Mac
Donald came up the stairway. She
turned back to me with a breath
less laugh. IN be with you in a
minute" she said shrilly. Il forgot
something"
And then she followed Richard
down the hall. | could hear the
murmur of their voices and | was
pretty curious, but when she came
back in a minute or two she said
nothing about it. | told her | was
delighted to have company. and
then we pulled our chairs up close
to the fireplace.
Mary Ann leaned back in the
chair, stretching her slim legs COM
fortably before her on the stool.
She lighted a cigarette, smoking
thoughtfully. 1t was warm and
pleasant in the room and the fire
was drawing beautifully. | turned
out all of the lights except the
small one on the wall over the fire.
place.
Nervous AS A Cat
YOU know" she bent forward
l unexpectedly, her brow
eyes or mine, "this is getting on my
nerves. I've been sitting around
all afternoon and evening and I'm
as nervous as a cat, and worried,
too. Adrianne is in there crying all
of the time"
/ didn't know what to say. so
just murmured something nom
committal.
81 can't make her stop. It isn't
very cheerful" she added. with a
short laugh.
though OF tke paper. "The Ser
geant isn't going to arrest her, ia
he? The papers said it was a wo-
man that was suspected"
It seemed to me that she started,
but it may have been my magma
ton. 1851
"What seems to be the matter
with her?" asked.
Mary Ann wrinkled her fore
head. II don't know" she said
slowly, Except that she's terribly
upset. ! don't think the Sergeant
has threatened to arrest her. It's
just that her name was in the eve
ming paper" She paused.
| got up and went over to the
table for pack of cigarettes. "All
of our names were in," said.
Mary Ann nodded slowly. II
know, but when she saw hers she
was wild"
curled up in the chair again.
''Well, it isn't the pleasantest thing
to be mixed up in"
For a moment she was silent.
"She's afraid of something" she
said suddenly in a taut voice. Il
don't know what it is. can't figure
her out at all"
''She was upstairs with Mr..
Whitefeld last night, you know"
eyes, she finally told me. But it
isn't that. At least think it's some
thing else that's worrying her.
She's huddled in a chair by the
window and all she does is cry. She
won't even talk" She shivered. ut
makes me nervous. And she's as
pale as a ghost" .
Mary AIMS face was pale and
drawn and the rouge on her round
cheeks stood out in two bright
spots. \
II took a lease on the apartment
we're in now" she said unexpect-
| edly, "and then found I couldn't
aTtoro II alone Wnen the dress SHOP
needed me only half days So told
Mr.. Kimball and he said that a girl
had been trying to get an apart
ment in the house. He suggested
that she share mine. It was the
| only way out for me, so | told him
to have her come to see me. 1t was
| Adrianne. Think she knew Harry
Kincaid and wanted to live here
on account of him. She's been here
four months now and l still don't
know anything about her" Then
she added irrelevantly, Your
friend, Mr.. Kolff, is very nice"
| suppressed a smile. Dirck,
gathered, had made an impression.
Before | could answer there was
a terrific crash from the stairway.
We jumped to our feet.
l thought the whole house had
collapsed.
Mary Ann gripped my hand and
we stood motionleSs, too startled to
move.
"Murderi"
The voice was Mrs. Evans from
somewhere in the hall.
Somehow. to hear her shrek
| xyaS reaSSurino She was such an
idiot and spent so much time
screaming that imagined nothing
serious had happened. However, l
opened the door with due caution
and we peered out into the hall.
Continued tomorrow