The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-08
Chapter ~
The Hairpin

GENERAL hours later, on the az
- ternoon of the same day, Tuck
stood looking out of a window in
the living room overlooking the
Horseshoe. A car drove up to the
Devoe door, and Mrs. Murchison
accompanied by Jared Devoe came
out Of the house and drove away.
Bunny" she exclaimed. Hes
gone. Jared Devoe. mean"
Bunny looked up from the
needlepoint chair cover she was
working at. ''Well. Tuck?"
Don't you see? It's all right
let's 60 out and hunt for YOUR
Creeping Man, BunnyI Out where
you saw him. the other night! May
be he had a ladder. and came up
over the cliffs. We could find the
mark, perhaps. You know Michael
hasn't paid any attention to that
story. because he seemed to have
his mind just set on Duncan being
guilty. Do you believe Duncan is
guilty. Bunny?"
Bunny laid down her work and
crossed her hands over her knee.
She looked up at Tuck with hint
Of pain in the clear gray eyes. y
don't know what to think, dear.
Michaels aWfully clever, and aw-
fully decent. He wouldn't talk that
way TO me about Duncan unless he
had some basis for it. He never
talks like that without a reason.
But honestly, looking at Duncan,
listening to him talk. can you be-
lieve that he is the d. e. . the fiend who
Is running wild here?"
NO." said Tuck promptly. 81
cannot. | don't think MichaerS tell.
ing fibs, but think he's mistaken.
] think he's prejudiced, for the first
time since I've known him. So, let's
60 ourselves, Bunny, and find out
what we can if we can find out
anything. I'll go to Father Forrest
er with it if Michael won't listen"
Michael would listen. He is fair
minded. lamb. / don't want to ad-
NIT it. but I must"
Bunny" Tuck said, her eyes on
the geraniums blooming in the
window boxes, "are you in love
with Duncan?"
Bunny frowned. II don't know"
she said, as if they were discussing
a remote question. Il don't honest
ly know. ] could have been, sup
pose. if I'd seen more of him. I'm
all upset and sort of miserable
these days because it seems as if
its no use having faith in human
nature any longer if that nice boy
turns out to be a dreadful criminal.
] didn't see very much of him,
Tuck"
mo. Well, I like him. I'd like you
to marry him. You make a lovely
looking couple, both of you so tall,
and his eyes so blue. and his hair
so wavy. and his shoulders so
broad, and you slim and gray-eyed
and black-haired and generally
darling"
Bunny laughed in spite of her
self. and jumped up to give Tuck a
hug. "You are lamb" she said. Il
feel better. Do we go to the
woods. them"
Feeling quite sure" said Tuck
seriously. in a lowered tone. that
the real villain of the piece, as yet
unmasked, has gone away-I'm
not afraid TO go. What could he do
TO US, anyway? Nothing"
"She could have let him in, that
night, couldn't she?" Bunny asked.
"Ifs all there Motive, opportunity,
everything. You know. Tuckie. !
think Duncan believes that too.
He's afraid he can't prove it. He
hates Devoe 1t was Devoe he was
threatening to kill, Tuck. 1t must
have been. He didn't mean it, but
you can't blame him for saying it.
He doesn't know the truth, and he
thinks that woman is his sister in
law, and"-she paused-"he hates
her too. in spite of what they're
trying to make out. I'm sure of that
much"
They reached the garden gate,
and stood hesitantly there; behind
them the house and security; be-
fore them the dark woods, but, per-
hapS, the unraveling of a secret.
Dark Woods
At THE moment, Charlotte Jean
a came running down the path.
Mrs. Forester, ma'am, you
gave me quite start, indeed you
did" she said, wiping her hands on
her apron. Mr.. Michael said that
] was to keep my eye on you, and
If you started off into the woods,
like, i was to tell you to come
back"
Tuck'S eyes were round and in
nocent. But why. Charlotte Jean?
It's perfectly safe now"
The two girls went on down the
path. reached the fork where the
fainter trail turned off toward the
river and followed it. The woods
were dark and full of mysterious
shadows; Tuck jumped off the path,
when a rabbit hoped out of the
underbruSh.
Il don't have the slightest idea
what I'm afraid of, she whispered,
"but the place gets me. OH"
What is it?"
Tuck put her hand over Bunny's.
Something moved L saw some
thing there, in the shadows l.. it
moved against the light =. just
ahead in that clump of trees.
Therel" She clutched Bunny's arm
as she spoke. Don't you See?"
Bunny did not need to answer,
for just as Tuck spoke the figure in
the shadows resolved itself into DR..
McBain, wandering along the path
toward them. head down. pipe in
his mouth. He looked up quickly
and was obviously as startled to
see them as they had been to see
him.