The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-01
Chapter 43
SECRET DOOR

oDDlE was dazzled'" said Hope.
~ "He said, Gee. Las. II l didn't
know you so we'll I'd think you were
the angel come to get me- It was
like Roddie-joking at such time.
"He came through all right, and
the first thing he did when he left
the hospital was come out to see me.
No, you didn't know. But I had lots
of callers, your friends. and Ru.
pert's. Roddie came on three or four
afternoons.
81 took him up to my room, and
showed him the big book on the
Joris family-I was reading it then.
We worked out puzzle in it, pug
zle that seemed to be about the
tower. You could see some one else
had worked on it. There were pencil
marks, and words that had been
erased. Some of the words were in
Latin. l would never have noticed
the puzzle, all buried as it was In
the fine old print, il / hadn't been
reading so carefully.
1--WE discovered the wall-safe by
it, and studying the diagram. found
the screw under the wall-safe's floor.
There was a small crow-bar under
there too, and a big key. 1t didn't
say what they were for. We loved
working it out.
when we turned the screw the
door opened-tEe secret door. Only
! didn't know then it was secret.
Roddie had some matches. and we
went out into the little hall. and
down the stair. and along the pas
sage. When we tried to push up the
trap-dOor we saw what the key was
for. There was a lock, and the key
fitted it. but we couldn't turn 1t.
couldn't unlock it. 1t had been locked
SO long. Roddie said he would come
back another time with flash.
"Of course l knew then had
found the secret stair. that it hadn't
been burned. knew you didn't know
about it-that no one knew except
the one who had marked and written
in the book"
"Grandfather," thought Dirk.
sit was fun" she added. at was an
adventure Roddie and were having.
meant to tell you about it as soon
as we had finished working it out,
but many things happened before
that came to pass.
"Roddir brought his flash next
time. | held it while he worked with
the trap-door. He finally unlocked it.
but we couldn't lock it again. We un.
locked the door, and came up out of
Dncle Peters grave.
"The lock was under the lions
head. The long bronze plate was the
floor that fitted so smoothly into the.
fstone. And there was the inscrip.
tion. -.
81: scared us both. Through the
cedars we could see men working
down on the tracks. 1t was bright
afternoon. We scrambled down the
steps as fast as we could. and pulled
down the door. We didn't play with
the secret any more. When we used
that passage again it was not in
play.
81 wanted to tell you about it.
wanted most of all because we
hadn't been able to lock the trap.
door. Any one who knew the secret
any one who guessed it-might
get into the house. But by then /
was positive you were watching me.
I didn't think you'd believe we
worked the puzzle out in fun. If you
were suspicious of Roddie and me-
if you had been told about Roddie-
you would believe anything of him,
anything wrong.
CIT WAS that night in the library
L l became sure it was you watch.
Ing ulS, udtluS ulS IOlIOWeu. lou
came in on me that night right after
/ had been talking on the phone
with Torrobin, telling him that Rod
die was not able to ride in the rodeo,
that would get physicians certif1.
cate saying he was not able. Roddie
didn't know l was doing this. Rod.
die wanted to ride.
"Torrobin informed me that he
and Roddie needed money. That per.
haps Mr.. Joris would help them out
in that respect. l knew then that he
knew l was married. But l knew,
too. that if l bought him of now.
would have to do it again and
again. Besides. Roddie was booked,
and meant to ride. l told Torrobin
to go ahead. And l called up and got
seats for the evening Roddie was to
TiHo