The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-05
Chapter 40
Suicide?

OaANAOCs
MICHAEL shut the garage door
that evening, and turned to go
into the house. He heard a shout
from behind him, and turned.
Gordon was in his own yard
wrestling with his tent pole, which
had evidently fallen down.
Can you give me a hand. Mr..
Forester" he asked. 'I'm in
kind Of a mix up"
Michael vaulted lightly over the
hedge, and went up to the tent.
Gordon crawIed inside the COL
lapsed canvas, and pushed up on
the pole. Michael leaned over and
pulled at the canvas, which
seemed to be caught together
somewhere down below.
There was quite an opening in
the canvas at the top of the pole.
Gordon's face was just beneath it.
ITS old Mrs. Devoe," he said in
q low tone. 81 think the old DANES
gone crazy. She came home after
the inquest s'afternoon, and went
out for a walk all by herself She
never does no walking, you could
tell that TO look at her. She went
out along the path in the woods.
and she acted like she didn't hard
~ know what she was doing"
What do you mean?" Michael
asked. - .
ooh, rubbing her hands to-
gether, and putting them over her
face, and moaning every once in
while. could hear her clear out in
the brush where / was crawling
along beside her. And after
while she just Topped down on
her knees right there in the woods.
and she had her hands over her
face. And then she took them off
and crossed herself. So guess she
was praying. She stayed there an
awful long time. got cramp in
my knee"
"And them"
"Oh, she just got up and come
home again. You know what !
think?" Gordon's blue eyes shone
fiercely through the aperture. Il
think she knows he did it, and it's
driving her crazy, cause she
thinks they'll hang him."
Gordoni / shall have to soak
your head in a mixture of vinegar
and goose grease if you. . Oh
good evening, Mr.. Deane."
Good evening. Giving the boy
a hand?"
yes. / think he's got it now,
haven't you, Gordon?"
yep. Get off the canvas SOS
can pun il up, will your"
"Gordon!" his father said stern
ly. THAT is no way to speak to Mr.. |
Forester"
There was no answer from be-
meath the canvas. Michael smiled |
IT'S not so easy to be polite
when someone's stepping on your
leg" he murmured. Il think that's
what | was doing"
well, he's very impolite child
anyway. Very" Mr.. Deane took
off his glasses and polished them
The eyes beneath were small. with
pupils the size of pin points. He
peered at Michael, near-sightedly
This is a horrible state of af-
fairs. Mr.. Forester" he said.
1T seems to be-" Michael moved
away from the canvas with the up
heaval taking place beneath it.
Gordon crawlcd out and started
tying down the ropes.
what do you think of it?"
Dcane put on his glasses again
and put his handkerchief away
Michael kicked at a tent peg.
ITO tell you the truth. | am COM
pletely bewildered."
Trembling Hands
nEANE frowned. 81 heard today
II that you were out here for the
express purpose of investigating
DR.. MurchiSon'S disappearance,
he said sharply. 81 cannot under
stand why | was not informed of
that. II is a great surprise, to put
it mildly, to discover that ones
neighbor and colleague has disap-
peared-that the police are work
ing on the case-that in all proba-
bility he has been murdered. and |
that one is told nothing"
There isn't very much to tell"
Michael said apologetically.
81 gather that. What progress,
may ask. have you made on the |
case?"
Almost none" Michael replied |
sadly. He looked away over the |
tops of the trees. ats all very con-
fusing. Their family affairs seem
20 be in terrible state. A stranger
finds great difficulty in under
standing them"
'fYou think this disappearance
Of DR.. MurchiSon has come about |
through these family differences"
Michael looked straight at him
"What else can ! think? You heard |
the evidence this afternoon"
"Yes." Mr.. Deane cleared his
throat nervously. Eyes, indeed. / |
feel sure that you are right. They
are not a pleasant family. DR..
MurchiSon himself was a most OBJ
tectionable person - most objec-
tionable." He clenched and I'M
elenched his hands. ''Most objec-
Gonable," he repeated again |
anyone would have found it irri-
Eating TO live with him. I wonder