The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-27

gestioris to each other about pos
sible apparel. Gina was possessed
with desire to dress up.
You'd think, in lovely old
house like this, there'd be scads
of old-fashioned dresses" she
said. "And there may be--if we
look around. | want something
really picturesque something
that win make that iceberg of a
Brett Rodman look at me, instead
Of at the furniture"
The closets in both their rooms
yielded nothing whatever, and,
though they pulled out bureau
drawers and opened chests. they
still found nothing.
Look" said Eve suddenly,
"there must be an attic to this
house. And there are always old
clothes in attics."
you're smart" said Gina adj
miringly. II would never have
thought of that. I'll bet there's an
attic full of old clothes"
But it was found only after the
opening of many doors, with
much laughter, and more than
one startled "Oh-i" when one or
the other ran into cobweb. They
climbed the stairs and came out
into a dim, raftered room full of
the usual odds and ends that ac-
cumulate in an attic. A trunk in a
corner proved to contain just what
they had hoped 10 find: dress
after dress, carefully packed
away, exuding faint fragrance
of lavender when they were
shaken out of their folds.
Its just as if we'd stepped be-
tween the covers of an eighteenth
century novel;" Eve exclaimed.
Il do hope some of them fit u.s." +
Gina finally chose garnet red
frock of thick rich satin, and Eve
decided on a lowered muslin.
They even found little heelleSs
slippers, with ankle ribbons, that
would 60 on their feet If they
handled them with great care, for
the materials were fragile with
age. and felt as though they might
fall apart in their hands.
Like a couple of conspirators
the girls, with their bundles UNI
der their arms, hurried along the
gallery to their rooms.
Lock your door," said Eve in
parting. Don't let anyone see you
until the bell rings for dinner.
Well go down together, after
everyone else is IN the dining
room.
Later, when Mrs. Marbury
called upstairs. "Are you all right,
children" they were almost
ready.
Never BETTER" sang out Eve.
Were fixing surprise"
Surprise
THE dinner gong sounded soon
1 afterwards. Eve waited behind
her door, listening until the sound
of footsteps outside had died
away She turned the key then
and opened the door softly, just
as another door creaked further
around the gallery and Gina tip
toed out. Prepared as they had
been for each others appearance,
both girls were. for second,
startled at the complete transfor-
nation the beautiful old gowns
made.
Gina's fair hair had dried now
and was pulled up on top of her
head in a top-knot and tied with
a ribbon. The skirt of the heavy
satin gown was very wide and full
and billowed out her slim waist,
emphasized by tight plain bod
ice that left her white shoulders
and arms bare.
Eve had merely run a comb
through her cloud of dusky hair,
and 1t tumbled down over the
shoulders of the sprigged muslin
dress, with its long tight sleeves
and square neckline. There were
pink ribbon bows at the shoulders
and at the narrow waist, and the
skirt was rllffled and frilled until
il stood out like ballet dancers
skirts. On tall Eve the hem came
only 10 the top of the satin shoe
ribbons crossed at the ankles and
tied in back.
We're too quaint" said Gina.
Now aren't we?"
They linked arms and went
down to the dining room. Side by
side. they stood in the open door
way. At that moment the door at
the opposite end OF the room
opened and Mrs. jackson came
through from the pantry. She was
carrying a silver tureen, and, as
| the door swung shut behind her,
she glanced up and saw the two
girls.
Everything seemed to happen at
once. With a roar, the wind burst
open the double French doors op-
pOsite the table and the candles
went out as suddenly as II snuffed
out by one huge extlnguisher. At
the same instant. the tureen In
Mrs. Jackson's hands crashed 10
the floor. the cover Tattling and
Gathering across the bare floor.
making q metallic accompaniment
to a thin. wailing cry that rose
4 high above the uproar.
4 Gina and Eve stood as II petri-
flied in the doorway. their figures
outlined dimly BY the hanging
| lamp in the hall hs.nind them. The
group around the table were
equally motionless for the space
LOT a heartbeat. then Brett Rod
mans voice rang out with steady
ing clearneSs.
"Herels he cried. There was a
click and as everyone turned to-
ward the sound of MS voice. they
saw the tiny flame OF his cigarette
| lighter tlickering in his hand. Jim
DroiSsaFd leaped 10 hts feet and
forced the French doors shut.
u while the others. funbling for