The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-10-20


gathering up her bag and gloves.
"0f course he said he'd come down
to ask us about jim"
With her foot on the bottom step,
Caroline stood rigid. What had Rob-
ert Arbuthnot wanted to find out?
She made an effort and said.
About Jim?"
"Yes. Someone has told him about
that broadcast but they'd forgotten
the name of the hospital. He wanted
to know whether we had any reason
to suppose that Jim was on the Alice
Arden"
And you said?"
Il said you thought he might have
been. told him it was the Elston
cottage hospital. and that you had
been over and found the man wasn't
Jim. told him the name wasn't Ran.
dal at all--it was a man called Rid.
dell, and his wife had taken him
away"
HE was quite satisiied?"
"He went on asking questions.
He's so thorough. I think it's won
derful to be so thorough and con.
scientious."
Caroline leaned on the old oak
balustrade. The cottage had been
there for three hundred years. and
for three hundred years the hands
OF men, and women, and little chill
dren had been rubbing the baluster
smooth. Caroline's hands slipped on
Il now. She came down q step and
stood against the newell. What sort
Of questions had Robert been asking,
and what sort of answers had Patsy
given him?
what did he want to known" she
said.
when You heard from Jim last
and what his plans were and
whether we'd seen him since he
landed. Oh, and most particular
II. whether we'd heard from him. or
about him, since the wreck OF the
Alice Arden. And OF course said no,
We hadn't. And then he said most
awfully curious thing"
E"WHAT did he say7"
~ ut wasn't so much what he
said as the way he said it. He
coughed and cleared HIS throat, and
poked the fire, and then he asked me
whether we'd heard any rumors.
What do you suppose he melnt?"
what did you say?"
well hadn't heard anything
really so | said l never listened
to gossip. And he said. Quite right
quite right and blew his nose and
wouldn't say anything more except
vague things like not getting drawn
into any scandal, and remembering
that we were two women living
alone.
And of course, after saying that
about not listening to gossip. didn't
like to ask what he meant - he
mightn't have thought It quite nice
OF me. You know. he thinks women
ought to be protected from contact
with the sordid side Of life. He said
so at lunch. He said their place.was
the home. and that really nice wo.
man asked for no higher or wider
sphere. He said"
'.Why?''
@That,s the sort Of woman he ad.
mires."
Il don't mean that. why did he
say all that about q scandal"
II don't know. It sounded-well.
It sounded as II Jim"
Caroline stamped her foot.
PATSY Ami"
well, It did sound like that-and
OF course when Mrs. Smith was
scrubbing out the kitchen yesterday
she did say--vou know her sister.
in.law's eldest girl Is kitchen-maid
at Packham Hall-she did tell me-"
"Well7" said Caroline.
@You know how she talks--l
wouldn't ask her anything. but you
can't help llstening-well. she says
there used TO be photograph OF
Jim In Mrs. Van Berg's sitting-room
"a big one like yours" she
paused
Caroline did not speak: she looked
instead-proudly and a little con.
temptuously.
Patsy's color rose.
.It's no use OF your looking at me
like that And you didn't let me I'm.
ish. Mrs. Van Berg might have flfty
photographs Of Jim II she liked. and
II her husband didn't mind. Even
Mrs. Smith didn't mind her having
the photograph
"what did she mIndg" said Caro-.
line In q deep. angry voice.
@weil. It isn't there now" said
Patsy.
aWhy should II be?-
III isn't. But 1t vast was there
the very day Mr.. Van Berg was shot.
and it's never been there since
and. as Mrs. Smith says. things like
that are bound to make people talk.
Caroline turned round and went
NJ the stair. Her door shut SHARPLY.
fcesyrsoAs. 1sss. ,. B. Lsppiaests CO..