The Key West citizen., 1940-09-19
Chapter %
Visit To The Hospital

Visit To The Hospital
THE mistress of the establish
ment shook her head in a dis
couraging way. We have so
many people here every night, |
doubt if I can tell you a thing.
What night did you say he was
here?"
Tuesday night of last week"
Gerald said hopefully.
She looked relieve "Oh,
couldn't tell you thing about it,
then. I'm never here Tuesdays-I
broadcast two nights a week from
a Chicago station"
mo foolingI" calculated Ger
aid, looking at her with great re-
spect. Sing. dance. play the fid-
die, turn handsprings?"
I'm a torch singer" she said
calmly. and told him the station
and the hour. saw Gerald's eye
wander over her motherly figure
4lG EA4d0G AlC1 q 9O"-
Madam" he said respectfully.
Il shall make il a point to listen
in. I'm sure that knowing you will
make it particularly interesting.
Now about this Tuesday night
busineSs-who looks after things
in your ABSENCE" .,,-1I-
my husband, but he's away for
xI,1a A.
have to take charge tomorrow
night"
But your husband was here
last tuesday,"
Eyes"
"And he might remember
Chaplain Henry leaving. and any
strange person lettering about?
IT'S possible, you know, that the
fellow makes habit of spotting
a car parked at a roadhouse, or of
waiting until some solitary diner,
drives off, thumbing a ride and
making off with the car"
"Oh no. I'm sure it's never hap
pened before. should have heard
about it."
Nevertheless, I'd like to ques-
ton your husband when he re-
turns"
THAT will not be before Satur-
day or Sunday, Pm afraid"
We'll come back. And now, If
! could speak to your headwaiter
for moment"
The headwaiter, with the bland
face and obsequious manner of
his kind, listened attentively; but
he was no more help than the
woman had been. He recalled
nothing in particular about Tues.
day night-the usual number of
diners, all strangers. They were
not near any village. there was a
large percentage of transients
among their patrons.
No. he did not specially recall
anyone OF that Observation-Disclosures
were often two or three solitary
diners on any night. He would not
be likely to remember one more
than another. And he had not
been out of the building all eve
ming, so he couldn't have seen
suspicious loiterer if there had
been one.
$50 that's that" said Gerald de-
jectedly. as he slid under the
wheel of Adams car. 'q'm afraid
we're washouts. girls. Innocents.
babes in the woods"
"Three little maids from school
are De," caroled Julia as the car
sWeryed between the stone pillars
and turned toward home.
Gerald's voice rose sweetly to
join hers, his strangers tongue
shaping the syllables into the
sharp bright crystals they were
meant to be.
Pert as schoolgirl -tcel can be
Filled to the brim tUith qirtish glee
Three little maids from SCHOOL,
/ listened fora moment, then,
with the irresistible enthusiasm
of another Gilbert and Sullivan
addict, added my shaky soprano.
We went on TO Tit Willow" "The
Ruler of the Queens Eay-vee."
the one about the uncles and the
cousins and the auntS. and half
dozen others have forgotten. De-
liberately ] closed my mind to my
loneliness for Adam. to the men,
ory of Sandra and Ivan and to
: my unwelcome suspicious of Ger
aid.
Music lay behind us like smoke
on the hot, still air as the car
drifted lazily toward home.
The Same Technique
THE next afternoon i drove
L Sandra to the hospital to see
Chaplain Henry. / had spent the
morning debating to her. just to
see If / could. with somewhat
cockeyed results. 1t. is one thing
to put words of molten passion
privately on paper-it,s quite an
other to reeite them aloud TO a
calmly attentive listener with a
businesSlike pencil poised over a
stenographer's notebook. l kept
interrupting myself to open the
corridor door and peer up and
down to assure myself that there
were no listeners: and when San
dra singsonged my own words
back to me from her notes / COL
lapsed on the couch in hysterical
laughter. st|
Not so Sandra. She assured me
earnestly that it read very well.
that had a miraculous gift for
expression. that she envied me
my talent
She was using the same tech
nique now on the little chaplain.
She had been so sorry to miss his
service on Sunday: she remem-
bered so well his silver-tongued
oratory. his thoughtful lessons
and she was doubly sorry not to
A.,,~ Hnl L;r1 rarforrn tha mad