The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-12-10

OHKsFVtWk -
UNDER a CLOUD


Chapter 4S
UNDER A CLOUD
TIVE hour for dinner had struck,
= when Santa forced herself back
TO the apartment.
Hello. gorgeous!S
The man whom she had dreaded
vas embracing her.
''Whsre hays you bssn. little van,
Geysr?"
sForgot the time" she excused
herself "Guess you're hungry. I'll
sit down as am"
Slipping his arm about her, he
guided her along the passage.
lids Arst,p he coaxed her,
Don't ! look tldy7'
Then she became aware that ne
was unwpntedly excited.
There was nothing unusual in the
aspect Of the bedroom.
@on the dressing-table." He could
no longer rein himself.
She picked up q little box.
"0pen IT, he encouraged.
She gazed at its conteRts &c
stunned as II II had contained the
Kohinoor diamond instead Of q
modest brooch OF sapphires.
sFor mel But why?p
why not3s He Rugged her shoul.
der. "Don't men give presents "a
the wives they lover"
Her face erumpied. She dug her
self into him.
whats there to cry about, my
darling?"
"Don't deserve IT, Don'E daasrve
yon. SO dear. SO, kind
She sobbed rs il her heart would
break.
That evening they vera lovers.
She could tell him any time nov
that she was suFe pf him. At the
moment she couldn,t bring herself
to besmirch her recovered peace
with ugliness.
During the next few 6ayD she
hserd nothing from her ex-hnsbapd.
At first she didn't hope too much
from the respite; II might be 20
more than q deceptive IulL When
Q week had been completed. she
grew optimistic.
nut sven with Dicky removed
from the picture. she was still IN.
certain hoy she stood With Cliys,
Her conscience scared Up ghosts. a
he was psesoccupiedg abe at once
Suspected that he had heard 3
runnoF. Against the evil day, sbe
made q nervous effort to pile %
goodwill In her own favor
They had rid themselves Of the
physical Dicly, but his memory
walked in both their minds. Into
the quiet room be intruded. dusk
lengthening, shaded lamplight fall
ing. In an effort to ignore him CliYe
took to reading. Santa TO sewing.
Give flung down the paper
through which he had been glanc-
ing.
zone lives and learns. when
look hack. I'm amazed that I could
have stood FOR such lunacy.
EpIlldn't again. whatever II cost
She guessed to what he was re.
ferring.
SITS easy to be wise after the
event. darling: but don't see what
else We could have done"
Restraining his paper, he made .
wall Of It. from behind which he
spoke the truth.
I'VE dragged Dicky into our
homei II wasn't 50 vastly differ.
ent.s
He'd said we ont OF politeness.
whatever happened now. she could
never make q clean breast - him.
Give raeked his brains Cor rem.
edies to correct this ghoatly d.
cord. Instinctiyely he felt thas
Dicky was still the cause os A.
while he was aghtins shadows, his
wife was slipping from him,
II see you're wearing ny bTooch
tonight" he smiled. ''Os eDnFae re
known right along that . 5000 aesl
OF your jewelry was your ether hus.
bands gift to you."
Scarcely his git. ClivA He d,
hsrited It from HIS mother. I paid
Tor the re-setting. He never honghi
me anything
IF II was his mothers, Santa. the
more reason Tor returning Il. You
ought 20 have done Il the day you
aivorced him"
''Guess I oughl.S
> swell. please de- be requested.
-And while we're on the subject.
there's a heap more OF his junk that
must 60 That bureau, Cor instance.
that he bought cor gen on your
birthday
Next evening" the bureau had
vanished from the dSawing.roou.
lThs furniture had been rearranged.