The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1932-11-01
Chapter IA
SANTA eAREs HER HEART

SANTA eAREs HER HEART
~ NEED someone | can trust" "
4 Santa declared. She pulled her.
self together with an effort. "pm
here to learn what are the grounds
for a divorce"
You're thinking Of divoreing
Dicky?"
She hadn't shocked him. His ex-
preston was unperturbed as II
she'd enquired how much his wife
paid for butter.
"Can r."
Before I can give an opinion !
must hear the provocation."
Her sense of the indecency OF ex.
posing her tragedy faded. Gar
stead's attitude was as matter Of
fact az that of a doctor examining
a patient. She forgot that they both
were young and were discussing
her dead passion. In an aloof way,
initiating him, she viewed herself
as case. Her burden grew lighter.
With a question here and an astute
suggestion there, he coaxed from
her her story.
"This Give" he pinned her, your
old sutton. couldn't be made the
excuse for a counter-charge by your
husbandT
slow could he? I'VE not written
him a line. He's been out OF the
country since I married. It was
only by pure luck-I mean accident
that I met him at my parents"
I'VE lawyers are compelled to be
intrusive"
Dusk was gathering. Windows In
the ramparts opposite were begin
ming to shine. He switched on the
lights.
"As I see things. Santa, you've
got your husband cold. Habitual
drunkenness. Non-support. II they
don't constitute cruelty, I don't
know what does"
She began pulling on her gloves.
"If I decide to proceed against
him, what should be my first step?'
"You must leave him and estab-
lish a separate domicile."
Thanks tremendously" She rose
almost gaily. Il felt ought to
know to be on the safe SIDE"
As he accompanied her to the
elevator he chaffed her.
you'll have only one difficulty:
to persuade any judge that a man
who had been so fortunate as to
marry you could be unfaithful."
"Dicky didn't have to struggle"
she glanced up side-long.
'If he could only see you as
other men see YOU"
Men who aren't married to me,
she retorted.
It was her parting shot. The
sliding door Of the elevator few
open. With smile, unconsciously
sirenish. she vanished.
Not till the chill air Of the street
had restored her did she realize
that her afternoon had been enjoy
able. Il had put her In q good
humor. Paul Garstead had proved
to be . thoroughly nice person.
She wondered vaguely whether he
often held such intimate CONVEX
sations. She ran over snatches OF
what they'd said. They sounded
desperately like the prelude e
Irritation.
She'd heard that divorce lawyers
often married their clients. What
more naturalf They had to fiatteI
q woman by pretending to believe
she was always In the right. A
husband who believed his wife al
ways in the right was the kind fol
whom every woman was searching
Scandalized. she discovered thai
she was light-hearted. She probed
for the reason. Merely because .
man had implied--not a syllable
more--that she was desirable.
"Don't be a debutante," she up
braided herself.
Her lapse into frivolity inclined
her to be charitable. There wa.
the bare chance that she'd Jumped
to mistaken conclusions. To invite
Dicky to an explanation was tn,
only fair course. The prospect o.
having to provoke another seen,
sobered her.
Beyond the door as she ap
preached. she could hear the phone
ringing. Some SECONDS were los
in finding her key. The apartment
was in darkness. Again she wastes
time In cropping for the switches
The phone continued to insist an,
command.
"Hello!" she exclaimed fretfully
81 should hope So" Dickyi
voice. Been trying to reach yol