The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-02
Chapter Is
/ AMATEUR DETECTIVE

HOPE did not come down to break
IL fast, and Rupert had already
left when Dirk. later than usual.
started for the office. Dirk, having,
with mixed motives, taken on him.
self the office of spy, visited Rupert's
room before leaving. as he had Wis
tied Hopes the night before.
Hope might safely have brought
the gems back with her, but he had
no way of looking in the cache this
morning. There was chance that
Rupert Mad them now. In that case,
he knew where to look.
He found the jewel-box in the
inner drawer of Rupert's desk, the
strand of pearls lying loose beside
it, the contents intact. Hopes COM
panion had not robbed her, nor per-
mitted her to be robbed.
Hope, herself, when he saw her
that evening, seemed much the same
"a bit tired, for, as she explained,
she had been shopping again. She
and Rupert had lunched together,
They had also looked at cars, and
they had a disagreement regarding
them. Rupert wished her to have
town-car and a chauffeur. Hope
wanted a coupe, and to drive it her.
self.
what do you think?" Rupert
asked Dirk at dinner.
Dirk was in favor of the chauffeur.
Hopes eyes met his with the shadow
of surprise. Apparently she had ex-
pected him to take her side.
She had shown no inclination to
confide in him, though there had
been opportunity. Before dinner
Dirk had sat with her in the library.
She had shown him the guitar she
had bought that day, had played and
sung for him. He would not soon
forget the picture.
He had not known the room could
be so beautiful. The presence of
Hope had seemed to draw out its
latent colOrs, to warm and kindle it.
And now she filled it with song.
Her voice had for Dirk the dis
turbing quality of her eyes. A rich
voice, liquid and warm and deep.
She sang plaintive things, little
dark-haired Lorelei. in a blue dress.
in the freight. Dirk had not let the
vision, the song, lure him to COM
plete forgetfulness.
He said, when she had stopped
singing, and sat plucking cords.
looking at the fire-said with every
intention of disturbing her:
81 saw you last night"
She gave him her swift dark
glance. and he added.
"At The Black Swan You looked
wonderful"
Her eyes had gone back to the
fire. She asked.
WAS that Isabel beside you
the one in pink"
So she had seen him, too. And
who had told her about Isabel? Ru-
pert, no doubt.
Yes, it was Isabel, he said. "She
wants to meet you. waited around
last night after got home. Wanted
to ask what you thought of the play.
You must have got in first"
She said that she was not sure.
At any rate, she had been sleepy, and
had gone straight to her room.
Which was no doubt true.
D UPERT came in the library then,
IN and must be shown the new
guitar. must be sung to. She sang
again in Spanish, the most tender.
the most passionate of all her songs.
Her eyes moved now and then to
Rupert's face, ecstasy and pathos in
her glance
Rupert liked the song. He asked
what the words meant.
ut is a song" she said, about
little turkey"
Dirk laughed outright, feeling
distinct relief. He supposed it. of
course. a love-song. Rupert too
laughed. asked her to sing again.
She sang a cowboy song, swinging
and valiant. tapping her small blue
slippered foot. a song full of hi-yi's,
and git-aloLg's. that ended in a fine.
clear whoop. Rupert was delighted.
At dinner it was learned that
Elinor had called that afternoon.
Elinor and her aunt. Mrs. Raeburn.
Isabel's mother. No one had been at
home, and Elinor had left note.
She wished to give party for Ru-
pert's wife. Would dinner a week
from Thursday be agreeable?