The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-25
Chapter SO
HOPE TALKS
nEAR Dirk. the letter began in

HOPE TALKS
DEAR Dirk. the letter began in
Rupert's swift, erratic hand.
Life's a roundabout road, and we
don't know where we're going, but
whatever the end, there's many a
shortcut.
l thought I'd find one hunting in
the woods around Big Moose, but
the snow caught me on the way, and
! forgot what I'd gone for, and
stumbled into safety. That has its
humorous side.
Now that I'm home / find l de-
bate the thing. Couldn't make up
my mind which is worse, the drudg-
cry of the road, or the mutiny Of the
shortcut.
1 decided to gamble on 1t.
Tonight, my dear Dirk. when we
played backgammon. ! was Death
and you were Life. Death won as
you know.
Only you didn't know-so don't
let 1t worry you.
Apologize to Graves He had lot
Of work for nothing. Miss Andrews.
too. l never got the other nurses
name, called her Hippy for some
reason. Apologize to them all.
I'll do my own apologizing to
Hope.
A good girl, Dirk. I've not left her
badly off. But look out for her. And
De sure you carry on
1t was not signed, and Dirk no.
ticed what Connolly had not OBJ
served. that the mark at the close
was not period, but merely trace
of the pen. as if it had rested there.
inadvertently, or been about to be-
gin another word. the upward stroke
Of ct" perhaps. BE sure you carry
on the NAME" Rupert would have
written. And Rupert would have
signed his name.
His own apologizing to Hope. Had
he risen abruptly to apologize to
Hope?
Dirk returned the letter to Con-
molly. and Connolly placed it again
with his notes.
D UPERT was buried on Friday
IN from the little Dutch chapel at
Lowrie Wood. Hope was not pres
ent. 1t was generally known that
Rupert's wife had not recovered
from the shock of his death.
Isabel returned from the funeral
with Dirk. They sat together beside
the :ibrary-fire where he had so
often sat with Hope.
How does one come to realize a
thing like this?" she asked. and add
ed. "Elinor doesn't know yet. She
can't have heard. I'll have a letter
waiting for her in Delhi. She mustn't
hear it over there-from some one
else. mean"
Dirk agreed. but she felt he had
not been listening.
Does Hope know" she asked.
"Not yet. She's just as she was
that night. You see, she was i'll :.
or had been when this hap
pened."
Poor Dirk" softly from Isabel.
what month you've had! Rupert
i'll, and then Hope. And now this"
Presently she rose. leaned little
closer to him, smoothing his hair.
81 must go. Dirk. No. don't come
outside with me. l want you to go
upstairs, and / want you to rest.
You look You don't look like
yourself. Promise me you'll rest"
1t was not until the next evening
that DR.. Graves permitted Hope to
see and talk with Dirk. All day she
had begged to see him. Both Graves |
and Miss Andrews knew that she
wished to tell Dirk she was going |
away.
How long has it been?" she
asked. after their first unhappy |
And as Dirk. sitting near
her, did not answer. scarcely know.
ing what she meant. she added:
mo one will tell me anything. But
know that Rupert died. He died |
that night. How long ago was
that night?"
1T was last Wednesday," Dirk
told her. To-day is Saturday"
ut seems years. Please tell me |
about that night"
He said.
Don't you remember at ALP"
81 remember il. some things. They
come back to me. But other things
. II they happened at all, can't
remember them. Did they ask me
You must have sent for
the police. Did they ask me ques-
tions?"
mo. The physician would not per.
nit you to be questioned. 1t was not |
found necessary. anyhow. since the /
case was so plainly suicide" AI
She was silent. I
"You see," he added. Rupert left
a note" :,