The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-11-24
Chapter IL
soNYA NICHOLS

SoNYA NICHOLS
THE girls GOODNESS surprised curt.
l Except for breathing a little
quickly Sonya was entirely calm
and self-possessed. She certainly had
courage. he thought admiringly.
even II she hadn't shown very much
sense In coming over to that island
alone.
"I'd better take you back to shore.
Miss. Your canoes a wreck. We saw
II down there. It's not worth repair
ing"
The breed got to HIS feet. "W'y
you tell dat yong Teller get my ca.
noe? Wat you go do wit me?"
Il ought to pitch you into the lake.
friend. But I'm not going to. A night
on this island'll sober you up and
teach you a lesson. You're lucky to
get OF so easy"
To smooth out his enmity he add
ed: I'm not reporting this to the
Yellow-stripe because think you've
ordinarily got more decency than
you showed this evening. I'll beach
your canoe below the old post where
you got It; and I'll see that you're
taken away from here In the morn.
ing"
/ He walked out on the rock thrust.
got the girls net and creel Of fish.
and rejoined her.
As they started down the land
wash together. her hand touched his
arm. a little gesture Of gratitude.
o"You and your partner to do this for
. complete stranger like mel can't
think OF anything adequate to say"
Curt had not heard her speak be-
fore. Her voice drew his attention.
A low contralto. It was tinged with
an accent, faint, rather pleasant.
giving an odd sweet overtone to her
words. Her English was precise and
flowing. but English was not her
native tongue.
"No bother to u.s." be turned her
thanks aside. "But you do want to
be more careful than you were to-
night" He had meant to give her q
stern 'taIking-to": coming across to
the island. he had even thought up
several blunt things to say. But
some instinct checked him.
Paul had found the canoe and
brought It to the water edge. use
this one to 90 back in. Mam'seile. |"
he bade Sonya. Our OWL Is muddy
from q wet portage today, I'll take
&c"
He stepped in and glided out into
the channel. Curt iioated the breeds
canoe. helped his companion In.
showed away. and followed in Paul's
wake.
Tho girl took on her tam. wiped
her forehead with a ridiculousiy
small kerchief. and looked back ct
the receding islands. For the first
time Curt observed her closely. He
tried not to stare but he could hard.
~ help 1t. He did not remember that
he had ever seen so beautiful q girl
as this tenderfoot stranger.
She was odd and puzzling. Some
thing about her--he could not pin It
down to any one thing-gave him
the impression OF aristocracy. The
fingers of her small brown hand
resting on the gunwaie were long
and tapering: there was proud
poise TO her head: her firm nose.
arched lips and dellcately-molded
chin seemed finely aristocratic.
Brownish-golden and silky. her hair
was so long that he knew It must
reach to her knees when she combed
&c out loose.
LIE stopped padding a minute to
! 4 proffer her his opened cigarette
case and lighter. She selected Q
cigarette. lit It slowly and deliber.
ately. The little fame lighted up her
face for q moment. and he saw her
more distinetly-her long lashes,
the brown OF her eyes. the merest
suggestion OF dimple In her cheeks.
she was about twenty-four. he
Judged: maybe twenty-fve-it was
hard to tell a girls age. especially
!at twilight Ia q canoe.
In vague way he understood why
|he had not given her that talking.
90" She was no child. like Resale
Marlin. TO be scolded or lectured.
She had character and depth TO her.
this stranger. Her thoughtful fea.
lures showed q maturity far beyond
her years. q maturity OF mind and
heart which Resale did not have
and never would attain.
But all In al he did not know
whether he liked her or not. She
was strangely beautiful. with the
face Of Madonna and the body Of