The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-12-12


besides she might think that the
uh, personal element was culUrine
what said"
Curt suddenly realized that Bald.
/ wins interest In Helen Mathieson
cut lot deeper than professional
Interest. 3trange--an Of1cer Of the
Mounted. and the girl whom the
Cossack Karakhan had thrown
aside. Luck dealt queer CARDS
sometimes.
"Pll do what lean, Arm" he prom
Used.
.'Wiliyou? ola man. Til depend On
| you Tor thatl know she'd listen 60
you. On ttIis other matter, III b
phcning you before midnight.s
Curt left. On his drive ont to the
Marin home he prayed that Rosaiie
would be gone Cor the weekend. ~
she usually was. ne had no definite
| thought Of ever marrying Souya
Nichols; the whole situation be-
tween Sonya and himself was 90 IN
certain and unpredictable that he
could not look ailead with any as-
suraace whatever.
But his intimacy with Sonya had
revealed TO him - new strange vista.
ungdessed at In all his previous NE.
He had known Resale FOR eight
years without their association
quickening Into life or deepenfng.be-
syond q casual c0mradeship: De had
known Sonya less than two weeks.
but It seemed to him that destiny
ITSELF had led hin. to take up the
Karakhan hunt merely that he
mightmeet and know her.
i + the Marlin home a X answered
"A his ring. Smash had gore TO
bed. AK informed. dis he took Curt
out on the porch. ausaiie too was
gone-on weeks yachting trip to
Seattle.
Sorry" Curt mumbled. when he
heard that.
AK brought o pitcher OF Iced
drink. drew two chairs beside the
magazine stand. and listened closely
TO the detailed report. The account
left him uneasy. The big part of
the hunt. and the worst part, stiil
lay ahead, and several features OF
It looked ominous. Two men
against three dozsn-for Curt to go
back into these mountains and con-
tInue the hunt was like d tryst with
death.
And this girl Sonya-who was
she. what was she doing In there.
and why under heaven had Curt
Handicapped himself with her in .
situation where be needed above
svefythlng else to Be absolutely
tree? Curt must be interested IN
her. 70 put Il mildly.
aCurt. d'you suppose this girl can
be an agent Of european police2
Enough Of them want Karakhan
badly. Maybe they sent a woman 20
take him."
Curt shook his head emphatically.
I'll can't be. AK. I know that posi-
lively: she couldn't have looled me
there
~mhat do you believe she h
fhen?.
n haven't the tainsest idea. d.
cspl." DO added. shes . most ex-
tranrdinary person. ! wish you
knew her. AK"
Marlin glanced at him. why" he
asked. his suspicion almost Ger.
tainty.
AS be listened to Curtis hating at.
tempt to describe her. Marlin felt
that instead 81 liking this Russian
glrl he would dislike her intensely.
He dlsliked her even then. without
eve: having seen her. Tor he saw
that she had crowded Rosaiie en-
tirely out Of Curtis thoughts. He
looked away. to keep Curt from
see.ag his shock anc pain.
n seemed incredible that Curt.
who had always been so rational In
such matters. should tau In love
with 4 gIrI II whom No knew MOTH
Ing and whom he had met less than
q fortnight ago.
Her alien origin. her secrecy. her
going on on long trip with man
who was no relatlCnsut al strongly
suggested that she was dome sort
OF adventures. No doubt she was
a brilliant girl-she appeared to be
q hatch Tor Curt -at Curtis own
game: and no doubt she had charm
| ing qualities or she could not have
swept him on his feet rs she had
done.
hut nevertheless she was an ad-
ventures. and Curt had an awaken
ing ahe1d.
He kept his conviction to himself.
L wac not q matter in which one
man could counsel smother. Curt
had co choose and travel his own
path. Perhaps. God willing. TINT
path would bring him back 10 RO
sale yet
At elevsn the phone rang. Bald-
win wNs calling from . downtown
hotel.
sCurtf arm speaking. Some news
iur Jon.
fcepyrsgAf. 1883. Wmsam ,. KswsrvI
Ak elvss Curt surprIss. %.
l morrow.