The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-12-06
Chapter A.
WOMAN IN A PET

WOMAN IN A PET
A ND now for Santai He'd done
right, of course. Dicky had been
her visitor. She'd derived some sort
of excitement from him. Cd the
way divorced couples remained curl.
GUS about each other! Without q
doubt. she'd still regarded Dicky as
in limited sense her property.
Whatever her attitude, he mustn't
permit her to make him lose his
temper. He must act cheerfully, as
though bouncing ex-husbands were
an invigorating form OF exercise.
In the drawingroom he found her
on the couch, her legs tucked under
her, cushions piled behind her. Civ.
ing an imitation of a girl absorbed
In q novel.
Hello, sweetheart" he greeted
her. I'VE can breathe freely now"
- No sign that she had heard. Stroll.
ing over to the window, he gazed
into the abyss OF darkness and
spoke again.
There was no other way. It
wasn't pleasant. At last we're rid OF
him."
He glanced across his shoulder.
She hadn't stirred.
You're beautiful, but you're not
dumb. Santa. II either of us has
cause for offence, I'm the one. New
York isn't Tibet"
He had hoped that the reference
TO Tibet would extract a retort.
I'm Tibet" he explained. women
are legally entitled to have as many
husbands as they can support"
I A tear splashed. She turned a /
page. The tear melted him.
you're such a little girl. When
you've made a mistake, why punish |
the person you've wronged?" He
relieved her Of her book gently. |
you're not reading. What's your
trouble?"
Her face quivered.
"It was so undignified."
He selected chair at q shert dis.
lance from her.
Il agree. It was a climax to all the
indignities which have pursued our
marriage"
sits no good. Give; I'm shocked.
TO see you two quarreling like dogs
was horrible"
st must have BEEN" Give kept
/ his tone level. Policemen have to
be horrible: but there's q world Of |
difference between a policeman and
the ruffian he arrests. And again
you're not logical; you were the
architect Of this ugliness. Having |
booted Dicky out Of your life, you
grew maudlin. You hankered after
news Of him. On one pretext or an
other you had to feel his pulse and |
take his temperature.
re hasn't been pleasant for me. |
TO say the least, you've shown an |
extraordinary lack OF delicacy. You
owed 1t to me to soft-pedal the fact |
that you were married again. In.
stead Of soft-pedalIing. you've gone
out Of your way to remind me- What
II amounts to Is this--I'm your sec
ond adventure whereas you're my
only woman"
Hitching herself higher on the
cushions. she smoothed her frock |
down over her knees.
aWhat II amounts 70 Is that you're
throwing my divorce at me. You're
posing as the noble person who
soiled himself to stoop to me. You
regard me as q bIgamist."
He sprang to his feet. topping |
the chair.
Don't smash my furniture" she
murmured.
He set the chair to rights with |
elaborate politeness.
Thank you for recalling to me
that nothing In our home Is mine"
II am" she smiled brilliantly.
Striving for self.control, he stood |
rigid. Her sudden switch from sui.
lenness to amiability struck note |
OF insincerity.
That's as may be. Santa. Every.
thing that ! possess Is yours. eel
that's what you mean by being mine. |
But don't let's muddle the issue. |
You haven't an atom OF respect for
me. You abuse my affection and rely |
on your physical attraction. You're
as unfair as your mother"
His passion sobered her. From |
being tantalixing she became ap.
peasing.
@If rye stubbed my toe, it's be-
cause i've been too just TO every
body"
Since she was willing to argue, he
rsseated himself. slightly molliAed. |