The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-30

on those front steps! Ion tNlst
around an look. Just you listen!"
Asey listened.
81 can't hear a thing. Jennie,
he said at last. Il think it's just
your imagination. An III grant
YOU he added, shat thiss
enough TO set anyone's magma
ton leapin' around IN circles
still"
From the steps outside there
came a thud and a rattle, and
then smaller ratfles. and finally
a geod-sized bang.
There tcaS someonei" Jennie
said. Hes knocked over a bucket
of clamsr
Asey raced for the door.
There was no one IN sight, but
he could hear the sound Of foot
steps pounding around the side
of the Inn.
Disregarding Jennie's plaintive
protests that she didn't want 10
left alone IN that place. ASey
promptly set of In pursuit
He followed the sound Of the
footsteps as they crunched along
the Inns heavily graveled drive
way, and swung of 10 the right
when they did For a moment
the noise Of the rain and the
wind drowned them out, but then
he heard cracking sounds, as II
someone had plunged into pile
of branches. so he set of again
That was just what had hap
penea. he told himself as he ran
toward the continued swapping.
is fellow had slammed into {
brush pile. and nov he was foun-
dering his way through
ASey heightened ms stride, and
almost at once fell headlong into
a puddle.
Picking himself UP, he shook
t water of his coat, brushed
the mud from his chin. and lis
tened
From somewhere behind him, a
outset church bell began 10 peal
out urgently, completely drown
ing out any other possible sounds.
Asey wiped his face with a
muddy handkerchief and waited
for the bell TO stop. Then he real
lied that the bell was signaling,
four long Peals and two short
ones. That meant that the Quis-
set Fire Department, unable to
use IFS regular siren with the
electric current of, was utiliZ-
ing the church bell to call its
members. and tell them where
the blaze was.
And, Asey thought, If he knew
anything about FIRE departments,
that bell would be ring until
every last man jack IN the de-
parEment had phcned IN tEaI he
was on the way.
Footsteps
WITH a shrug, Asey turned
w back toward the Inn. Il was
pretty much OF wiId-goose
chase anyway. this was, anG ne
shouldn't have left Jennie there
all alone. At least he should have
waited long enough TO tell her
to phone Hanson of the state po-
ESe and -epoE this business.
Tsc beil finally stopped, as he
strobe along. and at once he
heard fcotsteps. very near and
moving toward him.
s.1lglng around. Asey dashed
for the person. who nimbly
ducked and raced away.
And again the church bell
started ringing, carefree. con-
certed pealing which Asey dag
noSed either as QuiSset's "All
OUT or its False Alarm signal.
There was no doubt, in any event.
but what the fire department
meant everyone within a radius
of ten niles 10 know that the Sit
uation was under control
he was glad for outset. but
under the circumstances he
couldn't have followed the sound
&C 2 scisSors-g-inder with a bell
HUH" AScy said aloud. and
marched for the Inn.
For his part. he couldn't imag-
Inc why anyone should be sneak
irg around the front door of the
Whale Inn. anyway. A person
) Il Belonged there would have
entered without any preliminary
lurking. Conversely a person WIN
didn't belong there. and had de-
signs on the silver, say, would
hardly reconnoiter. around the
front door. And. finally. anyone
involved with the shooting of the
voi an IN the telephone booth
would. II he had any sense. stay
away from the place.
He was so busy thinking about
the Inn. the prowlsr, and the
woman In the telephone booth
that 1t didn't dawn on Asev for
some time that. in spite of his
being constantly in motion. he
didn't appear 70 be reaching the
Inn.
He stopped and looked around
him.
There were no lights 10 be seen
anywhere No houses. not even a
tree, doomed IN the rain.
ASey sighed
Il had been many years since
he'd been forced to use a COM
pass on Cape Cod, but he had to
admit the need Of one now. He
was lost.
He hShed around IN his breast
pocket for a full minute before
he remembered that he wasn't
wearing his everyday clothes or
carrying his big old-fashionsd
watch with the compass face.
oh vel, Asey uaurmuref
Yearly, and turned to the right.
Quissef was a small village. bat
g wasn't 50 small that you could
loSe touch with il entirely In such
a brief tramp.
He walked On. sloShed through
a small brook. and then, ahead.
ne saw someone duck ninblv be-
hind pine tree.
He was Just gathering himself