The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-01
Chapter II.
NIGHT CHASE

DlRK glanced at the watch on MS
wrist. 1t was exactly two
o'clock. He was curious. and did not
turn out of the intersecting street
which ended opposite his gates. but,
dimming his lights. drew up to the
curb. and waited. Perhaps the WON
. an would see him. Perhaps not. AT
any rate. it was not in his direction
she had signaled.
8 She appeared not to see him. A
car came presently past the gates.
and halted some twenty feet below
The figure emerged from the shaG
ow and went swiftly toward it. In
the light of the car-lamps Dirk saw
Hopes face. and. as the cape fell
( back. her snowwhite satin gown
She stepped into the car. and was
gone.
3 Dirk. too, was gone. He could not
Rstop her. perhaps. but he could fol
slow. Whatever her errand. she
should not go alone. The car i'll
which she rode-a black and green
taxi, a pirate taxi-was flying to-
ward the south. Dirk flew silently
after it. through the empty streets.
+ The green taxi entered Broad
way. flew through Yonkers into Man
haitian. There. at Dyckman Street.
i 1t turned into Riverside Drive where
all traffic signals were suspended at
this hour At Seventy second Street
it mounted the speedway. racing
like mad to Fifty-seventh. and there
serpentined eastward. avoiding
pauses for red lights.
In the west FOrties. near Sixth
Avenue. ii drew to the curb before
brOwnstone dwelling that still
housed fashionable speak easy. For
the fraction Of second it paused
while a man who had been waiting
in the shadow Of the basement steps
came out and stepped aboard.
Dirk saw him as he came, slim
and dapper and quick The door of
the taxi closed behind him. and the
driver turned with the traffic into
Fifth Avenue. There he was forced
, to pause. and Dirk. pausing too.
drew his car abreast of the taxi.
1t had been his intention. il such
situation occurred. to speak to
! Hope. TO take her aboard his own
car. and accompany her wherever
she might be bound. Since the new
passenger had come aboard. how
ever. he had abandoned such an idea
/ He had even feeling that he should
: cease following her. Her errand was
no more than rendezvous. perhaps
and he. himself. merely a spy.
He could see her now where a
light from the Avenue fell across
1 her face and that of the man beside
her. The man was dark. youthful
rather handsome. He was talking
rapidly. inaudibly. with Hope. max.
h ing quick foreign gestures with his
| hands. She sat staring before her
], catching the cloak together at her
I throat. her eyes wide and thoughtful
her face pale.
THE lights went green and they
! darted forward. flew swiftly
southwark. then at red light. east
ward again. They had reached Sec.
ond Avenue in the upper Twenties. a
dismal neiGhborhood Beneath the
elevated tracks asu'affic light blazed
suddenly. permitting the green taxi
by a hairs breadth TO fly ahead.
Dirk would have followed. but an
officer beside the red signal had an
4 eye on him. When he was released
to follow. the green taxi. having
burned east again. had disappeared
Dirk flew along First Avenue. al
most deserted now. and along the
Waterfront. There was no sign of the
Green taxi.
His half.formed resolve to give up
following had been accomplished for
I'm. There was nothing TO do now
Vt return home. II had been hardly
tcent anyhow trailing her like this
ben her errand was patiently a
.tret one.
Nils intentions in the beginning
kd been honorable enough. Some,
ling. he supposed. had called her
ft-something she could not tell
rupert. and he. himself. had not
zen there to tell. Wearing Rupert's
Jewels. she was not safe without a
Protector. body-guard OF some sort
Now that she had chosen her pro
ector. having come forth no doubt
pr the sole purpose of meeting him
et any unlimited guardian accept