The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-12-12
Chapter 40
THERE COMES The END

Chapter 40
THERE COMES THE END
lsDUT it may be matter Of sec
- onds." Santa wrung her hands,
Hurry"
Give shook his head.
"Your first husbands free to 60
to hell how he likes. He's hogged
two-thirds of my marriage. He's
getting better deal than he de
serves. ! won't lift a finger"
'rBut, Give, It's too awful. You
wouldn't let me go alone?" She i'm
plored him.
Neither alone, nor accompanied
You seem to forget that you're my
wife,"
She raised an arm to cover hel
eyes and bsrst into sobbing.
"You can't understand"
He longed to display tenderness;
but he'd done that so consistently
and he'd always lost the argument
Strolling to the window. he ad
dressed her across his shoulder.
81 understand too well. You'd
exhaust the patience OF q saint
Santa"
"Cruel and revengeful." She spoke
+. brokenly.
Her retreating footsteps. Their
silence.
In an effort to control his nerves
Give stretched himself on thu
couch. This revival OF an old in
fatuation could be no more than {
lpang OF jealousy. That she should
have fallen in love with that stuffed
shirt for a second time was incon
ceivable.
He reused.
THAT you, Santa?"
Had his voice drowned the SOUND
Of the front-door closing or was tina
also imagined?
Dashing down the passage he en-
tered the bedroom. With luck Their
was yet time to intercept her at tn,
elevator.
Too late. She had descended.
= Returning to the apartment, b
sat down, clenching his head be
tween his hands. A year was he
limit for any marriage. He sur
posed there were girls like that
After all, he'd had fair warning.
"Pr0bably she'll come back to M
Il I wait year."
He began to laugh. Suddenly h
stopped, staring.
"Not TO me. I've been abuses
enough"
The furniture, which was hers
not his, Seemed to smirk at him.
"Curse YOU" He kicked q chair
"You won't have to put up with m,
much longer"
In q frenzy. he Jnearthed . suit
ease In the bedroom and began Il
pack.
'Fm leaving Santa. 1t can't b,
true.
On the bed lay the frock that shl
had been wearing. Timidly, as on,
who had no right, he touched IL.
was stiil warm from her body. With
out thinking, no crushed 1t to hi
lips. Then scornful OF his sentiment
returned to his packing.
Seating himself at her desk, b
scrawled on q sheet of paper, "Dea
Santa" How to progress? Dea
Santa was exactly what she was Z
him. Never as long as the worl
lasted could she be less. Tomol
row would dawn and tomorrow; hi
hunger for her would be unabatet
He might glance at other womer
but he would duck at the final me
1nent, as Dicky was ducking.
In heavens name. II this was no,
ne felt, why hadn't he said It to her
He'd turned his back on her an
left her sobbing. He'd driven he
into Dicky's arms, II that was wher
she was at present.
He gnawed his pen. But was she
Was IL too later Legally she wa
his wife. Crushing the sheet Q
paper on which he had written moth
ing but the inarticuiate two words
.Dear Santa" he rushed from tn
disorderad bedroom and seized hi
hat. She could make her own terms
he would resign his viii in every
thing.
In the East Seventies before
palatlal apartment-house, the taz
halted. Having stated az the offic
that he was expected. fought /
be. II Tn not'.l. he was shot up Il
an elevator and directed. To BIZ
relief the door was opened by Santa