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

eight and wakk8& u the direction q
the library. It would not be open m
til nine o'clock. 80 he walked down
the High Street. through Poulter's
Row, and round the Market Square.
Jim was passing the statue in
Market Square when girl who had
| just come down Market Street with
q basket on her arm stopped short
not yard away and said "Oh!" In q
tone Of so much surprise that his at.
tention was arrested.
A moment before, he had not
known that there was girl there.
but when she said "Oh!" he saw Min
Williams staring at him and recog-
nized her at once. She had on a blue
serge coat and skirt and very neat
little dark blue hat which brought
out the gold of her hair and the blue
Of her eyes.
She said "Oh!" again. and her
cheeks turned bright pink. 1t was
an embarrassing encounter. There
was nothing for 1t but to make it as
ordinary as possible.
He said good morning, asked her
why she was out so early, and was
about to pass on, when she stopped
him.
a RE you in a hurry ?" It was said
: timidly, hesitatingly. Her color
came and went. Only very hard.
hearted person could have admitted
to being in a hurry.
Jim said, Not at ALL"
Then IL we could just walk round
the square, ~
They began to walk. When they
reached the colonnade which embel
fishes the west side of the square.
however. she turned to him with q
look Of embarrassed appeal.
Aren't you coming back?" She
was brightly flushed. The effort to
speak had brought tears into her
eyes.
Jim was rather touched.
II don't think so. Min"
I'm not one to interfere-but
she's very unhappy"
''Nesta p
She nodded.
Il don't think it's on my account"
She nodded again. blinking away
a tear.
what makes yon think so?" he
said.
Minis eyes reproached him.
you've not been married q
month"
"rm not admitting I'm married at
ALI"
She backed away from him.
"You haven't remembered?"
II haven't remembered marrying
Nesta.
"Don't you want to remember?"
He gave q short laugh.
mot thatl"
''It's dreadful for her." she said ,
in q soft. distressed way. I'm so
sorry for Nesta ] don't know what
to do"
"What makes you think she
minds, MINI"
"She's 30 cross" said Min In
genuously. There isn't nothing
right from morning till night"
He got kind Of hard amusement
out Of that. He wanted Min to go
on talking, 30 he said,
"You think she really mindsg"
"If It was Tom" said Min, and
turned quite pale.
-Tomis . very lucky young man.
and expect he knows It."
He wanted her to talk, because an
idea was shaping itself In his mind.
When he had walked up In her house.
II was Min who told him he was Jim
Riddell. Now II Min had known him
really known him-as Jim Riddell.
and as Nesta's husband before the
wreck Of the Alice Arden, he
wouldn't have TO believe her. but he
would certainly have 70 take her
evidence very seriously into 40
count.
Min hlushed. /
"0h. I don't know about that" she
said.
Someone had turned into tho
colonnade feom Poulter's Row. The
last thing that Jim wanted was TO
attract attention. He said. wed
better walk" And then, ~ they
moved. Mini don't know about
anything. For instance. I haven't
any idea OF where I FIRST met you..
Min said "ohl. IN Q startled
way.
"It I'm Nesta's husband. I'm yoar
hrotherInlAw."
That's right
"Then suppose we're old ae-1
ouaintances--you've known me for
= long time.s
II abe wasn't truthful. she'd say
yes to that and land with both feet
in his tran. The gap In his memory
only covered the last six weeks. On
the farther aide OF II were the seven
years he had spent overseas. He felt
IN odd relief when she shook her