The Key West Citizen Newspaper, August 29, 1947, Page 3

«2h Chapter 16 OUG stared back at Sven Lar- son incredulously. For an in- stant a wild impossible theory leaped to his mind,—that Sven himself had set the fire to collect insurance on the mill. Then he realized that the whole idea was fantastic and dismissed it. ’ The subsiding fingers of flame were reflected in the old man’s pupils. Suddenly he looked weary and aged and’ Doug took the heavy fire pump from his knotted hands and continued spraying it into the burning sawdust. “I won't tell anyone, Mr. Lar- ‘son.” he said slowly, “but I’m afraid the men are already look- ing for something of the sort.” “What do you mean, Andrews?” “They know about the severed cable.” “They know! But how?” He swore vigorously in Norwegian. Remembering the old man’s bad heart Doug wondered uneasily if he should have told him, then knew it would have come out anyway. “You know how talk spreads through a lumber camp,” he said, “It only takes one man to start it.” “Yah. It must have been that damn fool Charlie ... unless... .” His voice ceased abruptly. A man had come around the corner of the building. Doug saw that it was Ed Frawley and wondered if that was why the old man had shut up. Then Sven resumed talk- ing. “Ed, we found some _ waste soaked in kerosene.” For a moment Frawley’s eyes glittered dangerously. He cursed. “Then they were deliberate!” The old man stared and Frawley went on “That’s what you meant, wasn’t it? That the fire had been set?” .. “That’s what I meant.” Sven’s voice was heavy. : “The fire and the cable,” Fraw- ley muttered, “and those other accidents too, Someone is out to ruin us!” (RUMBLING he disappeared around the building and Doug THE KEY WEST CITIZEN Re errr et nce Ieee nent hth BY CAMERON DOCKERY unteers were returning to the vil- lage leaving the actual mill em- ployees to straighten up the acrid- smelling mess. A smoke pall still drifted skyward slowly mingling with the faint mist that rose from Sound with the coming of Old Sven moved away to give orders to some of the younger boys poking hopefully in a pile of mill ends and Doug, his lungs feeling ready to burst in their need for fresh air, walked out onto the end of the long dock. Elsa was there, sitting on the wooden ledge, her back against a piling. As Doug approached she put a hand up to her smudged forehead and smiled tiredly. “Come and sit down, Doug. If you’re as exhausted as I am your legs won’t hold you up much longer.” He grinned. “It isn’t that bad but if Hardin asks me to do any spar-rigging today he'll get no for an answer.” “He won’t. Grandfather called off all logging operations until to- morrow.” Then her eyes grew anxious. “You haven’t seen Bill since your fight?” “No. What became of him, do you know?” “I saw him wandering over to Indian Joe’s afterward. Naturally I thought he was. around camp until you said he wasn’t in the bunkhouse.” “Perhaps he went to town for the weekend.” “Perhaps.” Her eyes looked speculative but she switched the subject. “Well the fire didn’t do much real damage, thank Heaven. Mostly sawdust and odd lots and part of the pier. Whoever set it was extremely stupid or extreme- ly clever.” “Then you know it was set?” “Grandfather told me about the kerosene-soaked waste,” she ad- mitted. He stared at her noticing how even soot and exhaustion could not mar her fresh healthy coloring and the liveliness of her eyes. “Elsa, tell me something about these other accidents—the ones that occurred before I came.” Her teeth flashed in an irre- and old Sven continued to spray |pressible smile. “You're certainly the sawdust until it was nothing but a sodden blackened mound. The fire was out and weary vol-'tective.” -—---- - x The Weather FORECAST Key West and Vicinity: Partly cloudy weather with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, tonight and Saturday. Gentle to mdoderate’ variable winds mostly northwesterly. f- Florida; Partly cloudy this af-. ternoon, tonight ‘and ‘Safurday. Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, to- night and .Saturday. East Gulf and Jacksonville through Florida Straits: Gentle to moderate variable winds this afternoon, tonight and Saturday, mostly westerly over south and central portions and northeast- erly over extreme north portion this afterncon and_ tonight, be- coming gentle to moderate north- easterly over entire region® late Saturday. Weather partly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms, No small craft or storm warn- ings are’ being displayed any- where in this area. REPORT Key West, Fla., Aug. 29, 1947 | | | ' } | | (Mbservation taken at 8:30 a.m.,| Eastern Standard Time, City Office) Temperatures Highest yesterday 89 Lowest last night = Ot Mean 85 Normal 83 Precipitation e Rainfall, 24 hours ending 8:30 a.m., inches Relative Humidity 69° Tomorrow's Almanac (Eastern Standard Time) Sunrise x. 6:07 am: Sunset _. 6:48 p.m. Moonrise . es 6:36 p.m. Moonset scien OES MTs TIDES Tomorrow Naval Base (Eastern Standard Time) High Tide Low Tide 9:00 a.m. 2:20 a.m. 10:00 p.m. 3:34 p.m. Additional Tide Data Reference Station: Key West Time of! Height of Station— Tide |high water Bahia Honda —Ohr. (bridge) _...10min. 0.0 ft. No Name Key -+2hr. (east side) _...20 min. Boca Chica —Ohr. (Sandy Point) 40 min. Valdes Channel +<:r. (north end) —.10 min. +1.4 ft. fo} @Te) (NOTE: Minus tions to be s sign—correctio sign—correc- tracted. Plus to be added.) Inexperienced ——— ' persistent Doug! If I didn’t know better Yd think you were a de- ne te + ee ee is Guaranteed PURE Refrigeration | on- a REAL ICE BASIS and You Will Get GUARANTEED Refrigeration Service REAL ICE Thompson Enterprises, Ine. (ICE DIVISION) Place Your Her story merely corroborated the details he had already heard from the loggers but hearing them described in Elsa’s clear low voice confirmed the suspicions that had been growing in «his mind. ¢ “Elsa, haven’t you noticed that every one of these accidents has been planned so as not to cause much damage? Look at the fire here. It could have been set so that the lumber would have gone up first, but it wasn’t.” - what She nodded. “I know .. can be behind it Doug?” “The person who is doing it doesn’t want your Company to lose its value, he simply wants to establish an atmosphere of ‘bad luck’ or fear so that your men will quit and make operation dif- ficult.” _ “So we'll sell cheap,” Elsa fin- pened. “It looks like Cady, doesn’t its They fell silent staring at the still-steaming pile of sawdust and a‘ flock of curious sea gulls that circled over the pier then came to rest on the pilings, their beady ~ yellow eyes examining the smoke suspiciously. Then they became aware of another figure moving along the pier toward them, his face enigmatic as he studied the debris of the fire. It was, Hardin. His eyes took in Doug, fell away to Elsa. “What happened?” “Just what it looks like.” Elsa’s tone was crisp. “Where were you Bill?” “In town. It’s obvious isn’t it?” He indicated his business suit. “I wish you’d been around.” “Why? It looks like you’re be- ing well taken care of.” “Oh, Bill!” Elsa reproved, “Why can’t you and Doug be friends!” “Being a woman you wouldn’t understand why,” Hardin’s eyes smouldered. . , “I understand that you’ve gone out of .your way to ride Doug ever since he came. That you de- liberately picked a fight the other night.” Her voice broke with weariness and exasperation. “A fight we never finished,” Hardin reminded. “It’s still un- settled.” : : _Doug’s jaw tightened. “Any time,” he said, “Any time you're ready Hardin.” (To be continued) is More Economical! It Is PURE Healthy and Safe KEY WEST. FLA. Fast, Dependable Freight and Express Service Between _ MIAMI and KEY WEST Also Serving ALL POINTS on Florida Keys Between Miami and Key West nighi, LEAVES MIAMI SUNDAYS) at clock P.M, LEAVES MIAMI Overseas Transportation Company, Ine. 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