The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-10-12
Chapte, %
The Man Is Mad

JULIE caught back scream.
~ Because of course | couldn't
permit that. Not at this hour of
the night, the voice went on
smoothly. "a young lady alone in
these wild mountains!"
Didn't he know that Pete stood
just inside the black shadow be-
side the car? How much of their
whispered conversation had he
overheard-if any?
"Why no." she dared, cody.
mo, / wasn't going anywhere. I
Just couldn't get to sleep, so ! re-
membered l had aspirin here in
my doctors bag. / came to get it. !"
She spoke loudly and it seemed
her voice rang out across the
silent farmyard. Pete couldn't
fail to hear-to take warning.
"Then let me help you" He took
the bag in one hand and with the
other, grasped her arm firmly.
helped her out of the car, across
the yard, into the house.
Walking beside him. trying des-
perately to control the trembling
that shook her, Julie didn't dare
look back, couldn't have seen
anyway. probably. whether Pete
got into the car unnoticed.
Inside the narrow hallway,
Mounts fashlight stabbed a shaft
of light up the steps. AS she pre-
coded him up the narrow flight.
Julie knew real terror.
THANK you so much" and
tried to smile as she reached the
door of her room.
mot at ALL" a flicker of smile
a short bow.
She closed the door quickly
behind her, leaned against it, her
breath short as if she'd run miles.
Then, even as she listened, hor-
rified, she heard the key turn in
the lock.
Automatically. she tried the
knob. Then raced to the open
window. She even, in her sudden
panic. started to climb over the
sill Then common sense caught
up with her again. Stupid. She
couldn't slide down that roof
without rousing the whole house
hold-to say nothing of breaking
her neck in the process. There
was no escape this way.
She went back to the door
again. Prisoner. all, right. Flat
tened against the door lamb, she
heard voices from across the
hall. Muffled sobblng. then quick
steps. A door opened. shut with
a bang. Then silence. Long, eerie.
unbroken silence lowering like
pail over the darkened house.
Grave Danger
A the moments crept by and
"A still nothing happened, Julie
went back to the window,
strained to see through the dark.
Was Toms car still there? Or
had he gotten away? Was he even
now on his way for help? On the
alert, her senses waited for sound.
movement from the drive. When
she fancied she heard a motor
starting on the road below the
river bridge, she could only hope
IL wasn't just her own wishful
thinking.
She had the answer to part of
her questions in a few moments.
Just when the very silence itself
seemed to shrek warning, foot
steps sounded in the hall again.
The key turned in a lock, and
her door swung open, admitting
the uncertain yellow light from
the kerosene lamp Arnaldo held
in his hand. A yellow light that
touched his face. gave it grisly
pallor.
$50 sorry to disturb you, Doc
tor Hamilton" he said smoothly,
closing the door behind him be-
fore he set the lamp in a wall
bracket. 81 assume, however, that
you are still-not 'sleepy'?"
Julie stood quietly erect, gath
ering courage, commanding we'll
disciplined nerves.
Arnaldo's lips curved into a
grimace, a real challenge to her
stcut-hearted poise. 81 under
stand that my wife has told you
the whole story"
Still Julie only watched him,
silently.
ut was very unfortunate that
she chose to become confidential
after all these years. / thought"
that horrible smile again, that