The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-04-11
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Chapter "a
Out Of Danger
BY Ann DemaFest

sergeant calling me from the
stairway. Explanations were get
ting to be second nature, so it took
me only few minutes to tell him
the little / knew. I said I wasn't
at all certain when / first heard
the sound of the engine. I was
afraid to ask who had been found
In the garage.
We'll, that's that" he said. 'Tt's
good thing you heard it. He'll
pull through"
So the man was alive. ''Who is
it!" l finally said.
"Whitefield."
"Why-how-?"
That's what I'd like to know"
The Sergeant shook his head an
grlly. His car wasn't in the garage
at six o'clock. There's supposed
to be someone watching this house
every minute, yet he drives in,
leaves his motor running to com
NIT suicide and no one sees him."
He stamped down the stairs,
leaving me in a ferment. White
field had tried to commit suicide.
And for what reason? And where
was Dirck? And when | thought
Of him, l knew why Bermuda had
lost caste. New York with its muir
ders. billiards and mysteries was
better with Dirck than fields of
fragrant Easter lilies and sunshine
would be with Toby.
And then thought, THAT law
yer has high regard for you.
Miss Howarth. He goes dashlng
off, leaving you to the mercies of
people who break into rooms and
roam around fire escapes"
That Wednesday night. the third
evening I'd spent in the house.
was the longest I've ever put In.
sat up in the wing chair by the
fireplace with the lights on, alter
nately furious at Dirck and then
melting. | got snatches Of sleep, |
suppose. but the little had was
interrupted by dreams. and
would start up, my eyes going
first to the fire escape and then
to the door.
In the morning about eight
o'clock Dirck appeared without
word of explanation. looking as
though he'd been up all night
After breakfast with him at the
Knife and Fork he brought me
back to the house and left again.
He had said nothing except to
ask me how I'd slept.
The shop was still closed, of
course, and IShi wandered around
the house following the reporters
who had arrived in droves. The
attempted suicide seemed to make
more impression than the muir
derS. Mary Ann and AdrIcnue
were both out and Mrs. Evans
was among the missing for a
change.
Sarah finally showed up and
gave my apartment more of lick
and a promise than the thorough
cleaning that it needed. She went
about her work in sullen silence
and departed with a backward
glance of disapproval.
Mr.. Kimball called me about
half-past ten. He asked me if |
minded sitting in the shop for a
little while in case anyone called
The reporters had nearly driven
him mad and he wanted to take a
short walk. IShi had to stay with
the reporters while they were in
Whitefeld'S apartment.
Tho c,thc;1DI
after he left and the house was
fairly quiet and desolate. though
the day was clear and the sun
shone brightly on the snowy
street. had the feeling you have
after a funeral when the shades
are still drawn and VOICES are
muted.
Ada'S Mother
a BOUT eleven O'clock a woman
"A came to the shop and asked
for Miss Wells | called up the
stairway. but neither of the girls
had come in yet. And the woman
| took her to be about Mr. Kim
balls age, asked if she might wait
She took a chair by the window
and sat there until Mr. kimbalI
came back, and then | took her
up to my apartment.
She took chair by the window
sitting on the edge of it and look
ing at me timidly from time to
time without speaking. | tried to
talk little. but she didn't seem
to be listening, and suddenly she
interrupted me in the middle of
a brief survey of New York
weather.
do you know Miss Wells?" she
asked.
eyes" said. mot very well,
though. I'VE lived here for only
three days"
She was silent again and |
looked at her curiously. She was
rather attractive in a faded sort
Of way. Her clothes were I'M
pretentious, but she held herself
with a quiet pride.
81 wonder" she said after a
moment, Il wonder if you would
mind describing her-MisS Wells
Ito me?"
/ was surprised. 1t seemed odd
that she had come to see the girl
without knowing her. But when !
finished a very lame description
the woman nodded her head vigor-
ously and a smile lighted her face.
"You don't know what this
means to me-" she said, drawing
her chair closer to mine. "I've
worried for months not knowing
where she was or what she was
doing. Then I saw her name in