The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-11

ANY one you knew?" asked Dirk
Timothy looked at him.
at was a ghost, sir"
Dirk felt rebuked. and properly.
81 know" he said. But did you
recognize
Il thought afterwards of your
grandmother. sir, but it was not like
her. The room was dim, merely the
night lamp. saw only that she was
slender. and beautiful in a shadowy
sort of way, and all in white, with
something white and misty around
her hair"
did she speak?" Dirk asked.
"She did not sir. She merely
looked at me. and at her. Then
instantly | begged pardon, and closed
the door. In the hall it occurred to me
that she might have wished to give
an order since she had rung the bell.
| turned back. and knocked. and
opened the door again. But she was
no longer there"
did you look?"
81 did. indeed, sir. Your grand
father returned home as | entered
the room, and he helped me search"
He was as mystified as your"
Naturally. sir. The figure had
been there. and now it was gone"
HE believed you. of course" said
Dirk.
81 am not so certain" replied Tim
othy.
81 suppose he laughed" Dirk sug-
gested. HE was rather bluff, | re-
member"
well, yes. he laughed ;. when |
spoke of the scent"
"The scent?"
There was sort of perfume, sir
-. the faintest possible when
the figure was in the room Embar-
raised though | was, | could not
but notice it. Even after the figure
had disappeared the fragrance
seemed to linger. | spoke Of it, and
that was when he laughed, and
opened window"
DIRK thought of Hope command.
- ing Martin to search the room.
Could there be some other pocket in
that wall. some larger panel behind
which human being might secrete
himself?
"And you never saw the ghost
again?" Dirk asked.
mo. sir. So far as am aware, she
has never reappeared. But Martins
account Of the voice. and no tracks
about the house. :"
sit sounds like Il same thing"
agreed Dirk.
However. the voice that Martin
had heard was that of a man. Obvi-
ously. Martin had not mentioned this
fact to the servants. and the sex OF
the tower-ghost was not a point of
discussion below stairs.
Alone. Dirk stood thinking of the
revolver.
Why did she possess it, why did
she want it, if she was not afraid?
1t was a recent acquisition. that he
knew. for he had looked into the safe
one night himself. Surely she would
not have felt the need of such a
weapon If she had been in league
with the sounds Martin had heard.
If she would only confide in him!
She had yelled herself studiously
since she had caught him watching
her in the mirror that night. Perhaps
she had never really disclosed her
self to him. But now. IL he moved
carefully. might he not surprise her
trust, her condolences?
He went downstairs, and knocked
on Hopes door.
The door opened almost at once,
as if she were expecting some one
:. Mary. probably. who. Nora said.
was the only one she would see.
Having opened Il door. she stood
without moving. looking at him.
She was fully dressed. or was It
indeed sort of n6glige she wore? -.
a pale yellow dress. girdled just be-
low her breast. and trimmed about
the throat with ,hite fur Her hair
was rumpled. tumble of dark curls.
and she Rugged a little shawl of
painted silk about her as If she were
cold.
Even in the dusk. Dirk could OBJ
serve the change in her. the pallor
of her face. the almost tragic shad.
ows beneath her eyes.
MAY | come in. Hopper"
She drew back. admitting him.
When he had entered. however, she
did not sit down. but stood beside
the bed. her hand resting on the
great carved post that somehow
looked like totem pole beside her,
so immense and ancient it was.
Every doubt. every torturing sus-
picion. melted at sight OF her. flowed
from his mind as il it had never been.
He knew only that she was i'll, that,
seeming only to touch the bed be-
side her. she really braced herself
against it, otherwise she could not
have stood.
(cosv,shi. 1858 NarSa,s. BtH RoassosJ
Dirk smells cigarets, tomorrow,
In Hope'S room.