The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-19

her On Broadway, giving all Won
mad through these years. Ciint
Won must have loved her verv
much or
Then I suspected
he didn't speak: there was M
sound from behind the glow al
ms cigarette. Suddenly the the
alter wasn't any longer warm ard
Coy: II was an enormous cavern
nlled with cold dark danger. !
wanted to get out. I stood ID and
the floor was hard and lev under
my stockinged feet.
Let's go out and wait for JEFF
-All right
l didn't scream because I has
pressed my hand tight over my
lips, loidlng them closed before
the sound got TO them. The voice
that had answered me had net
been Clint Bowers voice. But Il
was Il must have been. I told nv
self Tantically II had come from
right behind that point Of light.
II was Clint Bowers voice with
All is pleasant friendly warmth
gone Il was Clint Bowers voice,
harsh and cruel and with a dead
~ quiet.
Il was then knew.
The burning cigarette was
there, unmoyed. barring me from
the stage door. I felt sick with
the weak nzuseous feeling that
pervades you when you're com
ing out OF ether. I couldn't run
or fight or scream.
Then the light leaped toward
me. the length Of a step. and my
head cleared and ! snapped out
Of il.
Putting my cigarette behind
me I crushed il between my
thumb and forefnger- crept for
ward toward the footlights, feel-i
ing for them with my toes, NOV
ing toward them By slow inches.
Thank God for the rain and the
snow that had soaked my shoes
and had made me take them off.
The lights couldn't have been
more than three feet from the
davenport where had sat, but il
was taking eternities for me to
reach them.
Hide And Seek
THEN the edge OF their groove
L was beneath my toe and /
stepped across the reflectors and
lowered myself into the oreheS-
ira pit Unless ] had moved far
70 one side, the center aisle should
be almost IN front Of me. reached
out and swept my hand across the
blackneSs and il touched one seat.
another. and then no more.
/ looked back. The cigarette was
moving across the stage 70 the
davenport where 1 had been.
moving as stealthily as I had
moved. / started up the aisle,
feeling for the rows Of seats.
counting them as I passed. How
many rows did the Colony have.
how long would it take me to
reach the back? The Music Box
has fourteen rows. The Plymouth
has nineteen ] thought hysteri-
cally, why doesn't Clint Bowers
chase me through the Music Box?
Then I'd know how far / had TO
60. I'd know when I had passed
them all. Then I'd have 2 chance.
! could hear him behind me or
the stage, moving about and
humping into things.
/ could see the faint glimmer
OF daylight through some crack
IN The outside door. Ny hand tan
gled IN the velvet portieres tha.
hung behind the last row Of seats
and the brass rings above them
changed together and ratified.
stopped dead, holding onto the
mass of velvet to keep myself
from falling He had heard the
sound on stage. His voice came
booming through the house.
Haila. where are youl"
/ made one last stab at keeping
up this insane farce. I'm going
out the front door. Clint. JEFF viii
be coming by this way"
The voice was calm, laughing.
Its locked. Haila."
didn't try 10 be Quiet. then. or
TO pretend wasn't terrified. I felt
wildly for the door. In my wet,
sticky hand the knob was cold.
tuned i and my hand slid aim
lessly around while it stayed stin.
! put my coat over II and turned
again. II was locked.
/ ran from one door 10 another
and they would not bulge.
turned and with my back w
close against the doors. / faced
the stage. The light was comma
down into the orchestra Dit; now
u was starting up the aisle.
Hugglng the wall and side
stepping. 1 moved along me back
q the theafer. my eyes holding
orto that small circle Of light wiitii
an intensity that made them burr
ard water. ! moved toward the
SIDE aisle. ] was a step from il
when the light turned too and
crossed the row Of seats toward
the spot where was going. He
had seen me. Perhaps that tiny
shaft OF light that crept through
the doors at my back had been
enough to outline me for him.
! crouehed there for a second,
then eaSed myself under the seats
into the last row and lay there.
my knees almost under my chin
my arms squeezed in around me.
holding my breath TO make n.y.
self smaller could hear him not
four rows IN front OF me now.
walking up the aisle. He would
pass an arms length from me. Or