The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-18
Chapter 80
CURIOUS VISIT
DEVINE laid the hat and coat he

DEVINE laid the hat and coat he
- had picked up on the table again.
Dirk went upstairs. where he
found Mary in the hall Mary said
that Mrs. Joris was awake.
Dirk assured her that Mrs. Joris
must be prepared.
"Say to her. Your father. the Rev.
Devine, is here Just that. Then II
she wants to see him. be may go in.
Tell her that l telegraphed him. Not
because she is terribly i'll. but be-
cause thought it would do her good
to have him tere. You see. if it won't
do her good. if she doesn't want to
see him, there'll be no sense in his
going in"
Mary looked so mystified at Dirk's
insistence on this tautology Mrs.
Joris wasn't so ill that she needed to
be reminded who her father WASH
that Dirk added:
perhaps Id better tell her. my
SELF"
"Oh, no, sir!" said Mary.
OF course she wouldn't tell Mister
Dirk, but Mrs. Joris had asked that
very afternoon that he be kept out
of her room.
She repeated the words to Hope
a moment later. Hope lay passive
atom in the great bed. The shadows
beneath her drowsy eyes were blue
as bruises. The eyes flew open. dark,
incredulous.
"Who?"
"Your father. Ma'am. The Rev.
Silas Devine."
Hope sat up.
"Dirk did this" she whispered.
ale telegraphed
Mister Dirk wired him that you
were ILL.,"
Hope. sitting up in bed appeared
to be thinking. thinking fast.
"I'll see him." she said. please
say to Mister Dirk that I'll be glad
to see Tim. Glad. Do you under
stand"
81 do. Ma'am."
They seemed very careful about
the message they sent each other.
my Clothes" said Hope. Get me
my clothes"
She was out of bed. standing
whitley. looking little dizzy.
Mary. who had not anticipated
that sudden move. drew her back.
pressed the covers abou her.
But Ma'am, your own father! He
VIII come in here. He will come to
you"
"Alone!" breathed Hope. "He
must come in quite alone. and e.
main in here, alone. No one else. No
one. See that Dirk understands that.
And that I'm glad . glad to see
him. How does he seem?" with lit.
tie catch of the breath. 81 mean
does he seem kind? Merciful?"
81 haven't seen him. Ma'am. But |
know that everything will be as you
would like it. Otherwise. he would
not have come. And now
don't talk any more. Except to him.
will brush your hair and we will
put on the bed jacket with the roses.
and all the little lace pillows behind
you"
There were dozens of these. Hope
lay enthroned like a pale queen
when Mary stole out to summon the
Rev. Devine. Dirk was waiting in the
hall.
How was it," he asked.
shes glad. sir. Glad to see him.
Glad he's come-just as knew she
would be-"
Dirk was relieved. Mary added:
"She must see him alone, sir.
Quite alone"
"Of course"
"And he must be kind. sir. He
must be forgiving. She's a little .
nervous about that, sir"
i've cautioned him." Dirk said
But I'll speak of it again."
THE REV. DEvINE when eau
! toned again. repeated that he
understood. He came with Dirk up
stairs. Mary admitted him to the
room. and withdrew.
She said to Dirk in the hall:
"rll fix up the south room, shall
/. sir? Mr.. Devine may wish to stay
the night"
Dirk assented. and Mary prepared
the room. She was sleeping in
Rupert's room now, occupying col
that had been placed in the passage
between that room and Hopes. The
door was closed tonight. but Mary
-o.I~. AoI GOULD hnoy