The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-28
Chapter So
No Question OF Staying

NO SueetlOh vi Staying
THE Colonel explained to me
with cold contempt that he
had charged Jeff with murder,
that JEFF would inherit by San
dra's death.
But surely you don't think
that Of jeff Why, you said he
was like a son to you'll"
IF he were actually my son it
could make no difference under
these circumstances. Any man
who would kill a lovely young
girl-a girl he had been fortunate
enough to win as his bride"
I remembered that he would
hear nothing against Sandra. Yet
he was ready to believe this of
jeff The little fame of resent
ment that Minis story had kim
died in my mind, fed by my own
sense Of angry guilt, f1ared out in
reckless speech.
Lovely young grill" l said hot
ly. What do you know about
her? If you weren't so Blind, so
sure of yourself, this thing would
never have happened. It's all
your fault, all of it! Marry a
lovely young girl yourself and
treat her as if she were a house
keeperl Pat yourself on the back
because you rescued her from
starvation - and then starve her
for a little love and understand
ing! Did you ever stop and look
at your wife and see how unhap-
py she is? Have you ever asked
her what was the matter, encour-
aged her to talk to you? Or have
you snubbed her every time she
gave way to a human emotion I'M
til she's afraid to tell you when
she's in trouble-afraid to tell you
that Sandra was running your
daughters life with a vicious lie
she had trumped up about her,
Mimi Afraid you wouldn't be-
lieVe your own wife, that you'd
sit in judgment on her as you've
just done on jeff"
It's a pity l didn't burst into
tears sooner, before had said all
there was to say. He seemed in
capable of doing anything to stop
me. His face was the color of the
overworked tomato; his eyes
looked like green marbles about
to roll down his cheeks. His whole
attitude suggested that Of a man
trapped with a raging tiger.
/ ran out Of the room before he
could recover his senses and took
refuge in my room. From behind
my closed door heard him, pres
emily, tramp heavily up the stalls
and knock at his wife'S door.
It was a warm night, but l was
having a chill. With buckling
knees l stumbled about the room,
found my hat and my pocketboek.
picked up the overnight case and,
closing my door behind me so
that they would not miss me. tot
tered as quietly as I could down
the stairs. There was no question
now of my staying under that
roof.
AS I opened the front door
thought once, vaguely, of Fringy
] had gone to the library with
that one additional bit of infor-
nation and | had not told it. But
! would not have gone back now
if had known that Fringy him.
self, grown dark and dreadful and
menacing. was lying in wait in
the Shrubbery to make mo third
victim.
I could not go back. I had
thrown the gauntlet in Gods face,
and hell would be a better place
for me.
A Lifetime
AS THE distance between me
IA and Colonel Pennant wild
ened I stopped shivering and my
step grew firmer. But I knew l
had done for myself forever as
far as Fort Michigan was con-
cerned. would pack tonight, and
the first train in the morning
would take me back to Chicago
/ only hoped my raShneSS would
not get Adam into trouble.
It was dusky. about the hour
at which the carriage had arrived
last night. Was it only last night?
I seemed to have lived a lifetime
during those twenty-four hours.
! Shivered again and glanced
over my shoulder.
The post was very quiet. Lights
burned behind drawn shades
along the row, but there drifted
out no sound of light voices, no
laughter In unison these people
were paying their respects to the
dead as last night they had paid
them to the living.
There were lights in the chapel,
too. Thursday night. Did they
have prayer meeting on an army
post?
But as I approached, the lights
suddenly went cut and heard
the opening and closing of the
heavy oak door. A little hurrying
figure came down the walk to-
ward me.
Good evening"" intoned a IA
miliar voice. "Oh, is it you, Miss
Kay? I'm afraid my eyes are not
yet accustomed to the dim light. !"
Good evening, Chaplain Hen
~. Have you been conducting
services"
"No, no. Merely attending to
my own devotionS." He sighed
heavily and, relieving me of the
light case, fell into step beside
me. This unhappy affair has
shocked me deeply, as of course
it has everyone on the post"
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