The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-01-11

boy, n0QQeQ MIS- L0ueiys -
calIow. / should say. what?"
Hardly" murmured Armitage.
struggling with recoilections Of his
secretary's peculiarly sophisticated
encounters with life. "At any rate.
IL you'll let Poole amuse you while
Mark is busy. you'll be doing a favor
all round. Mclaughlin. the Watcher
cartoonist, is interested in Mark al.
ready: he rang up last night and
he'll come round and see him fhis
evening"
"Did he really! Wen. It certainly
does seem as If Mark was to have
his chance at last and I'm sure
should be the last to stand In his
way--his own mother! Only"
"0nly?"
"Only, If you don't mind my say.
In so. my dear boy, don't for the
life OF me see what you're doin' it
all fori After all. it's one thing to
give a strugglin' artist a couple of
useful introductions and a weeks
holiday and quite another to build
him an elevator and studio and
put up with him until he's ready to
Ieave!"
"What about getting Philhay to
look at him?" asked Armitage quiet.
~.
"Philhay? Sir Robert Philhay.
the bonesetter? But thought he'd
retired" Mrs. Lodely looked, for
once. startled and impressed.
'He has. but is my experience
that man can always be lured out
Of retirement by a ease that's baffied
bis colleagues"
Mrs. Lodely. smoking fast, stared
at the ground. A faint fear shot
through Armitage--he had not fore.
seen difficulty with Marks mother
and he felt he would have liked to
think out his line of attack. He
said lamely--
II gave your son bis telegram last
night. but | could not induce him
to send any answer"
Telegram" Her thoughts were
elsewhere. Then-"Oh, yes. From
Barbara"
EYES,"
She looked up sharply. splitting
her ash.
Barbara" she repeated.
Armitage was tense. waiting.
"If you don't mind my sayin' so,
my dear boy"--that same. deadly
opening!-"you urely aren't think
In in any particular. personal way
about Barbara?"
ut Is true that hope to persuade
Miss Quentin to marry me instead
OF your son."
you'll never do that" said Mrs.
Lodely.
She said 1t casually--as casually
as she dropped her half-smoked
cigarette upon the Aubusson carpe.
and stamped 1t out with her big,
shabby shoe. you'll never do that
II ] have to lay down my life to pre-
vent It You can't understand, but
it's a matter of getting Justice for
Mark--his marryin Barbara. And
II needs be. | shall tell 'em both
why
Into Armitage's mind flashed the
memory Of what Leila had said at
South.the- Water. 81 may have alb,
soluteIy no right to all this. It may
be really Marks And Armitage
remembered bis own rejoinder--
"OF Barbara's."
Armitage felt anger rising. What
cadgers and suckers they were,
mother and son! They took and
took and took from Barbara: her
young strength was caught in their
weakness. her life tied down under
their feet and dark with their shad.
ows.
Anyway. put the notion out Of
your mind" Mrs. Lodely told him.
YOU'D get the same advice from
Babs. too, II you talked TO her about
4. Il you don't mind my putin Il
plainly. she doesn't like you. she
told me eo.s
"That eertainly doesn't sound
hopeful for me. admitted Armitage,
.And now I'm ell the more puz.
sled as TO why you're dom so much
FOR Mark. sh'd have thought you'd
do less. if anythin'ls she peered AT
him with sudden suspicion. Seems
TO me unnatural that you should
wish him welii"
Armitags laughed aioud--she was
50 obviously crude IN her emotional
lie.
i've asked you to stay on here
with your son" he pointed out. Elf
you still don't think he's safe in mp
house | cant. Pm afraid. convince
ron otherwise. But Miss Quentin IL
aaite confident that [ don't plan to
poison hts food Or throw him down.
stairs even II l do look upon him az
! rival"
"Yoa-shs-" Mrs. Lodsly was
Actually gaping ct him. .Does that
mean you told hsr--you wanted 10
marry herr
@certainiy. I told her.
'copsvteAs 1864. salsa cgsfs-A Ssap.sD