The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-04
Chapter Is
lightning Strikes Again

Lightning Strikes Again
I'm NOT especially anxious tc
4 see. you-ever again." Buff tolc
Tim when he telephoned. -
7 don't wonder. But honestly,
Buff ="
Hurry upl" she said, a crackle
In her voice. "Tve only another two
minutes"
will you let me come some time
today-any time? When I can see
you alone?"
Sorry. I'm full up for today. To-
morrow, too. In fact, my time is
pretty well taken up for weeks.
'ByeI" -
Nevertheless he was waiting for
her when she returned at lunch
time.
"And you have to be polite to
me because I'm a guest" he said.
"Webby invited me to stay. She's
set place for me-"
Her expression of austerity did
not soften.
i suppose" she said, you've
discovered the SNUG philanthro-
pist who paid the exact sum for
your slice of mountain, and have
come around to apologize"
"How you do put your finger on
the TRUTH" was his admiring COM
ment. Il have; more than that, you
rang the bell a second time. It trdS
Iris"
'IrisI" This startled her despite
what she had said the day before.
"You mean to say Iris DeMuth-
the girl who tricked you into buy
ing up a lot of useless land-IriS
bought it back? But why?"
"She says -"
Says? Do you mean to tell me
you've talked to herr"
For hours. last evening. At the
hotel"
Her knees gave way beneath her
and she sank into a chair.
Has she experienced religion, or
did her partner in crime discover
there really is silver in that mine
after all?"
Neither. She I know it
sounds screwy, Buff. It did to me.
In fact, it was long time before
could believe it! But it seems Iris
was-well, it was really Latshaw
who thought up the scheme and he
had sort of a hold over her :"
Sort Of? What sort of? Black
mail?"
You'd have to know Iris to I'M
derstand." A softened note crept
into his voice. "She's trusting,
innocent sort of a girl; not indie
pendent and self-reliant like you,
Buff. She .. well, it's almost made
her i'll all these Notwithstanding
that she'd been the unconscious
partner in fraud, / mean. She :"
Tim had been called to the tele-
phone soon after dinner the night
before. Buff, of course, he.theNght,
TO say she was sorry for their quar-
rel of the afternoon. Buff, thank
heaven, never held to a resentful
mood long. Her anger fiared white
and quick, and died almost before
the beholder knew it had been
kindled, save that he was apt. for
days after and to his intense sur
prise. TO discover he had received
rather painful burns.
Tim made his way to the hall
where the telephone stood with a
lightneSs of heart which aston
ished him. He had not known how
much he had suffered beneath the
girls displeasure until he believed
II was TO be lifted by this call. He
was daZed when he heard voice.
which was not Bluffs but was still
undeniably familiar, speak his
name
'Tim!"
'Yes? Who is it, please?"
ooh. Tim," sighed the voice sor-
rowfully.
1risv
TT WAS then he knew. No one
else in the world spoke with
the the same wistful sweetness.
the same little curling upward in
Election of his name.
'fIrisi"
"Yes. IT'S Iris, my dear! Come
back to undo-So far as ! canl--
the great wrong / did you last
summer"
He stood dazed and silent, the
receiver at his ear. For weeks after
Iris had left Boulder. and before
he himself had shown signs of coll
lapse, he had dreamed, sleeping
and waking, of just this thing: of
Iris returning to say it was all a
mistake; that she loved him, that
there was reason for her SEEM
ing treachery.
Now il was coming true, and in
stead of the wild ecstasy he had
thought to feel he was merely
numb with bewilderment.
"Are you there. Tim? Why don't
you speak?"
Surely, he thought impersonally,
Iris had the sweetest voice in the
world; not low like Bluffs, with
little gruff and boyish notes in it,
but musical, throbbing; the kind
of voice which awakens emotion
in the most practical of listeners.
I'm here" he replied.
will you come-at once? I'm
at the hotel. And Of course there
are millions of things must say to
you"
He cleared his throat. "IriS l
don't think -" s..
mo. dearest, I'd rather you
didn't-not until after I've seen
you, at any rate. All sorts Of things
have taken place since I =. /. since