The Key West citizen., 1940-12-17

entire length of the kitchen and
dining room and that only a part
Of this inside space was used as
the buffers pantry. In fact. ! had
always known this, but had not
connected the fact with our search
for a hidden room.
"But this here space is all took
up." Bessie pointed out. "This
here's a supply closet" she add
ed, opening a door about midway
the length Of the room. "And
this"
"Let me see," said Bill, crowd
ing Bessie aside and entering the
supply closet. Eyes. but that still
doesn't take up all the space. Now
what"
Bessie. show him." said.
Bessie stepped to the left-hand
side of the supply closet. touched
hidden spring and a wall of
shelves pivoted around. leaving
space for passage. "It's the silver
closet" she explained. "They's a
lock TO lock it with. too. But no.
body never would find il, no way"
Bill and Bob crowded into the
small room. which contained
nothing but the family silver not
already in use. some broken china
put aside for mending and sew
eral bottles of old wine which had
been there goodness knows how
long.
well. here's your secret room"
said Bill. disgustedly. "And all
this hullabaloo about nothing.
What are you going to do now.
Sally. with your big idea that the
secret room would solve the mur-
der?"
'But l knew about this one all
the time" | said. 81 can't be sure
Aunt Maggie did. though. She and
my grandmother didn't get along
so well and Aunt Maggie hadn't
seen much of the house before
grandmother's death"
well. YOUR grandparent who
built the house seemed to have
quite a fair for this sort of thing"
said Bill dryly. "He never was
mixed up in the smuggling busi-
ness. was he?"
THAT isn't fair" said. Back
in those davs and in a wilderness,
every mans house literally was
his castle. And he had to have
safe places to put things"
Such rooms were not at all un-
usual" Bob backed me I'D. "The
tendency is reflected in the furni-
ture of the era Desks and tables
and chests of drawers nearly all
had their secret compartments,
just as we found this morning"
What l can't see." said Bessie,
"is if they had the kitchen in the
back yard. how did they get them
waffies and hot breads and things
to the dining room without 'em
gettin' cold?"
I smiled in spite Of myself. 81
always understood the cooks
Young children acted as runners"
I told her.
The Law
IVES'M," she nodded. then a
L look of horror spread over her
features. Sweet Jesus, Miss Sally,
do YOU hear that?"
"Of course. / do" l answered
Grossly. "It's the siren of a police
car. And why they should be
sounding it as though they were
going to fire. in broad daylight
out here in the woods with not a
sign of traffic anywhere. can't
IMAGINE"
They want to be sure the
criminal has a chance In ppt
| away" said Bob. "You wouldn't
want them to run into him unex-
pectedly. would you?"
Then the law walked in with
heavy tread.
I'VE sure had a heck of a time
finding the place" said the older
of the two patrolmen. who intro
duced himself as Hendricks and
his partner as Adams. Nobody in
| Roswell could tell us where the
Stuart place was. but they knew
all right when we remembered it
was called Wisteria Hall"
1t was my grandm others
house" | apologiZed That's why
nobody recognized the name of
Stuart. We only came out for the
week end"
"Whe-e-w!" calculated Officer
Hendricks. "and this is what you
get. Orders we picked uO on our
radio said il was murder"
Yes. said Bill. giving an out
line of what had taken place lust
after dinner the night before and
answering few routine questions
put bv the two policemen. Then
the three of them went in to
"view the body" as Officer Hend-
ricks expressed it
Soon afterward heard his voice
at the telephone. Better send
somebody out to make a complete
investigation on this call you told
us 10 look into at Roswell. Yes.
Murder and no evidence so far as
! can see. No. Nobody here but
Mr.. and Mrs. Stuart and : house
full Of company Mr. and Mrs.
Stuart live in town but they were
| all out here for the week end.
yes. I'd say get in touch with
the solicitors Office. Tell 'em TO
ask for Wisteria Hall at Roswell"
What are they going to do?"
I asked Bill.
Il gather the case Is not quite
I'D their alley" he said. Some
thing that was open and shut and
nothing to do but snap on the
| handouts would be all right But
this requires-detecting. And by
the way. when thew finish getting
the lay Of the land. they want to
ask everybody some preliminary
questions in order to file a report
and. / suppose. TO have some
thing to turn over to whoever
comes out later. Better round up
everybody in the library"
Il don't think Eve has dressed
yet" I said. "Mavbe ! had better