The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-12-21
Chapter
sAlrINc BARBARA

iXSASoA1bA ASnkIduEeu Iu0 uEO,
- kneeling before It to hide the
color that swept her face, then re.
Isumed her seat.
She knew better than to chatter
to Mark but his hard stare discom.
posed her and she picked up a sheaf
lof drawings from the floor and be.
gan to examine them. She was
bending over the third before she
realized that he had probably left
them on the floor on purpose.
They were in pencil and they were
brutal. They followed the fortunes
OF man and a girl---a lame man
and girl with a plodding. peasant
SOUL. They showed the lame man
cooking a meager dinner while she.
tall, square and frowning, battled
with her ledgers.
Or HEN a boudoir cap-Wept
while she glowered.. three small
coins upon the table between them.
Or he sat, his shoulders timidiy
,hunched. winding yarn. his, lame
leg propped up to hold the skein
clear; and she tinkered at some
bookshelyes against the wall.
Barbara, cold by the cracking
log, closed her eyes. Often, with
Mark. one had to close ones eyes
for moment and tumble back for
things-be.iefs. VOWS. endurances.
They came In the form Of pictures.
Mr.. Lodely. coming through the.
garden 10 turn Marks tear-stained.
sulky face to his: Mr.. Lodely re-
Iinguishing him and laying his hand
instead on her curls.
"Babs. l want you to promise
something. I've got to go away.
Until / come back, take care Of
Mark. Take good care OF him. Bahs.s
And then, three minutes later, the
sound Of the shot -.
And then there was her own
mother, fading gently out of life
before her husband had been 3 full.
year in his grave. "Nevar forget
that it's dignified to earn and mean
just to take. ] planned, you know.
TO keep little shop. Perhaps when
you're a grown.up girl. my baby.
you'll like to keep q little shop"
This Is iaughtys'ef iyou, Mark
she protested TRANQUILITY. "And itssN
brilliant You're always most bril-
liant when you're most unkind.p
"It's not unkindness. It's the cry.
OF the sensitive spirit" He licked,
o cigarette end in the direction Of
the crate. II was not extinguished
and she was obliged to get up and
put II into the fire or 1t would have
burned q hole in the hearth-rug.
Judy has been telling me I'm
too sensitive" he went on, go I
must be. Am !. Barbara7"
mot about stupid, conventional
things" she said cautiously. $50
often, in this kind OF conversations,
one helped to,dig a pit for oneselfl.
mot about stupid. conventional
things" echoed Mark in tones Of,
admiration. "And how stupid the
conventions can be only . free.
jolly, Bohemian soul like our Bar.
bara can ever know. Now I come
to think OF It, we shall be howing
10 Q very stupid convention next
Thursday. Let's cut it out and
keep house together under the hulk.
ing clerical eyes OF ToxeteTs. BntI
mol forgoti It would be bad for
business"
Barbara was stiil determinsdis
emiling. -
would you rather put or ret.
ting married, Mark9 As things are.l
we can quite well wait d bit. we
cam afr we can't spare time Tor
b honeymoon, anyway"
'Postponement OF sentence? RAJ
rather get II over. my DEAR
She was goaded. In spite OF the
tong. patient years. into D fash Of
pride.
IL you're even remotely serious
IN what you say. let's call It OIL
We can 80 on being close friends"
Thank you'll" oh. thank you for
those kind wordsia
"-nothing need be changed. But,
after all, It was your--your sugges.
tion. originally. You--asked me 10
20 marry you"
He liz another cigarette
Bot beautiful Barbara--solemn.
hard-working. sensible Barhara---I
always ask women to marry me