“Well,” he sighed, “I decided to play the game out to the end. So I dodged you again and again.
“The end came,” he took a long breath, “when Birch Island was in peril. That island had been my home. I loved it. And I loved the ‘Phantom Fisherman’ as you called him. He was my friend and that island was his home too. So you see,” he laughed low, “I had to come out in the open and fight beside you. I was sure you’d never know me without my sweater. When the fight was over I put the sweater on where you could see me. Then I vanished.”
“And you—” Florence did not finish, just sat staring at him.
“I caught a small boat to the mainland, prepared my report, and came to New York just in time to find you here. Which is worth all my trouble,” he added with a touch of gallantry.
“Then you—”
“I meant to give myself up,” he added.
“What I didn’t know was that you’d call for me from the air.
“That,” he went on after a brief silence, “was the finishing touch.
“And now,” his tone changed, “something tells me this is a grand feed and I’m keeping you from enjoying it. Suppose we proceed. Don’t let me spoil your celebration.”
Enjoy it they did to the full. When it was over they all went trooping back to the theater for the final performance.