The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-01-01
ElaSa3 1 [!|1:|s : IS; $; s.;

his hands on the desk. his gaze
narrowed and suspicious as it
fixed Della Stewart. Whats that
Miss Stewart" he said.
Her recovery was magnificent
Shocked by her fears into an in
voluntary and audible reaction,
she had had the quickness of
mind to hide her face: now. as
she met the detectives stare. she
was smiling. That ,smile was thin
and twisted. skin deep and forced
yet Bacon had toL s1cepE fHfCe '
"I'm sorry" she. said huSkilY.
81 couldn't help it. It was Ward
Il couldn't help laughing. really
I couldn't"
Ooh" Bacon said. ~You
couldn't. huh?"
Joyce was watching Ward Al
len. He sat very straight. no long
er looking at the detective. but at
Della. His face seemed frozen and
there was something in his eyes
that Joyce could not diagnose
alarm perhaps. or incredulity.
When she managed to look again
at Bacon shr saw his cheeks We're
pink and his mouth hard. Some
thing had happened that he did
not understand. It had slipped
away from him before he grasped
its significance and now it was
gone forever and he knew it
For long second no one spoke.
no one seemed to move. Some
where in the house a door
slammed and presently there
were sounds of footsteps in the
adjoining room. Sergeant Keogh
automatically disappeared. BY the
time Bacon had cleared his throat
he was back.
"See you minute. Lieutenant"
he asked.
Bacon went out with him. W.
Hestor stirred on the divan.
'I'm worn out" she said, 81 really
am. don't know about the rest
of you but I could do with a
drink"
81 could do with one myself"
Thorndike said.
Hestor went over to the desk
and pressed a button.
Although her face still lacked
the proper color Della was trying
very hard to be gay now as she
reached out and put her hand on
Wards knee.
''You shouldn't talk to police
men that way, darling" she said.
its not good form"
"You mean they won't like
me?" Ward gave her a twisted
smile of his own. Wouldn't that
be tough?"
The butler appeared in the
doorway.
Drinks, Edward" Hestor said.
Scotch. I think. And some sher-
ry."
The Dropped Glass
WHEN Bacon returned the but
W Ter wheeled in a tea wagon,
well weighted with glasses and
bottles and ice. Thorndike pre-
sided.
Sergeant Keogh came back.
Hes the guy the maid saw on
the back terrace, all right"
"Tell Malloy to bring him in"
Bacon said.
Keogh jerked his head at some
one in the other room and plain
clothes man entered. holding the
arm of a tall, notwithstanding
man with blue-black hair and
opaque black eyes. His smooth,
almost beardless skin had the
color of a summer-long tan and
his features were sharply cut. the
nose straight and thin.
He stopped just inside the door,
way. his eyes taking in the room
in one swift, hostile glance. Joyce
stared at him. confused by the
impression that although the man
was stranger she had seen the
face somewhere before
A loud crash ruptured her
thoughts. By the time she had
located its source Hestor was
leaning over, looking down at
what remained of her drink.
How awkward of me-" Hestor
said. She looked up and her face
was white. her smile unnatural
and fixed. cit knocked against my
knee and slipped out of my hand"
No one else said word. Bacon
was Scowling at Hestor.
To be continued