The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-10
The Creeping: Man
. by Frances Shelley Wees =

say to Duncan on that Sunday
afternoon of the day she was
killed? Was she threatening him
with exposure? It seems strange
that she should have died-and by
poison - Immediately afterward,
particularly when you realize that
Duncan, as a chemist, can buy
poiSons in any amounts he desires,
without creating suspicion. Keep
ing that fact in R1ind, who had a
better opportunity to put the poi
son in the meat that came here in.
tended for us? ! tell you, GENTLE
men, the whole business is a very
carefully planned and carried out
bit of villainy." He held up his
hand as his father started to inter-
rupt. "Just minute" he said.
"You are going to say that / should
have traced the strange stuff that
killed the dog and cat by now. !
have. 1t is gaseous poison, which
was made by DR.. Murchison and
DR.. Murchison only, in the process
of some of his experiments, and
the remainder of the supply stands
at the present moment in a blue
glass bottle in his own cabinet"
John Forester broke out. "Are
you trying to palm that rigmarole
off on to us as reasonable?" he de-
manded Indignantly.
Dad. do you think it's nice to
doubt my word so obviously?"
Michael asked. His tone was sor-
rowful, but his eyes twinkled.
"Humpf! Your first, seconds and
thirds! Your plausible could
haveS' and might have beens'-
Humpf!" He gesticulated angrily
with the end of his pipe. "I'Ve a
few questions, my son. Maybe
you'll answer them, and maybe
you won't. FirSt,-where is Muir
Gibson? Second-why didn't Dun
can mean he'd kill Jared Devoe if
he didn't stop monkeying with the
woman? Any decent boy would
talk like that. though he shouldn't
have talked so loudly. Third
why the devil don't you find out
where the woman was the night
her husband was killed, instead Of
limiting that she might have been
with Duncan? Fourth.-you can't
tell me the lad intended to poison
the girls, even if he did think you'd
be better dead, with his poisoned
meat. Indeed! Fifth,-why couldn't
the Lissey woman have passed on
some of her slanderous tales to
Duncan the afternoon she died,
and told him it was time he did
something about his brothers
death, for instance? Why? It's
what she would have done. And
SiXth,-my son, how did it happen
that he had the poison on him to
kill her with before he knew that
she was going to blow up and
threaten him with something? An
sWer me that?"
The Proof
DAD," Michael said critically,
- II can see now why you were
good defense lawyer. You are
positively eloquent, man, although
you do get bit mixed. However"
he paused-''well, in case any
body happens to ask, you'd at least
warrant, wouldn't your"
mo" said John Forester de-
cidedly.
There was a rap at the door.
Michael jumped to open it. Dono-
van stood on the threshold with a
small package in his hand. He said
nothing. Michael took the parcel.
Here's your proof" he said.
Donovan, tell hiYS: where you
found the contents of this parcel"
I'm the bottom drawer of Dun.
can Murchison's dresser, sir"
Michael tore off the paper. He
held cut a bunch of keys and a
small gray box. with my compli-
ments," he said. Edgar Murchi-
sons key ring, and :. :" he took the
little gray box back, and slid it
open. Ten of the tablets of the
poison that killed Miss Lissey.
How about that. dad?"
Donovan at sign from Michael
stepped out onto the sun porch and
brought in Higgins, whose knees
were visibly shaking.
Higgins, where were you last
night?"
Higgins gulped. "S'welp me, MIR.
Forester. | was 'ome in bed"
Can you prove that?"
That can, sir. rooms with one
OF the undergraduates, sir"
Were you rooming with him on
the night of the mur6er?"
Higgins little eyes darted to his
face, and fell. "You mean Miss Lis
sey.s murder, Mr.. Forester"
mo"
You means-Professor Murchi-
sons murder, sir?"
you've got it now. Were your"
Yes sir, I was. But it's no use,
ne amt got brains enough to re-
member back that far" There was
despair in his tones.
1T looks very bad for you, Hig-
gins"
The narrow shoulders drooped.
Michael leaned forward. How
did you know the necklace was
hidden here on the campus?" he
asked.
Didn't know nothink about It."
"Oh, piffle. Come clean. You
were hunting for it. and you ex-
peeted to get several thousand
dollars-fve thousand preferably
reward for finding it. And YOU
pinched the key to the study. and
caxrn IL fn Corc1v ~.