The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-08-08

no COMPROMISE
nEnnAPa three minutes after
MARSHA had dropped 70 the stool
scar the ere. she heard Godfrey
TaFleions ear start. ita motor grow
bad and then. with distance. dim
aaa fade te nothing. shock had I'm
hasd ar her every falnlsst SOUND
vah = hsree and an unnatural In.
fspaisy,
she raised her head 70 glance
nfoand the room wherein she had
found new llfe and the code she
neeaed. The tranquility Of the room
meeksa heF. The tranquility now
waa ere e ths lies she had once
thauxAt neceasaFy Tor the existence
~ eny heaaly. u was not true; n
oaiT seemed.
STE heard a dull descending tread
nppn ne stairs and she rose quickly
% vail, tease. trembling.
Bah entered the room to move
toward hef. llls soddenness, his pal.
iQr and biz blank eyes told her
aomsihlnH % how deeply he had
been huFts she felt the smart OF
tears IN her eyes. she had ontreated
The sague. Car s0msthlng 20 keep
her from haFlus ans part IN hurting
him. And she knew suddenly that
he suffering matlered more 10 her
ihan ever eoald hers: or rather.
shet = was more truly hers than
eaala be hefsown.
"iioh, she appealed.
lie looked Al her but a moment.
and then away. tie answered after
leasaiFoiched. pulslng minute with.
eWelis-
VIII san listen 20 me. Boh. and
believe me- she questioned.
Hos can {. Marsha? r." he
aoaadered. paused.
= an going 10 speak the truth"
abe stated In voice that broke
= aanl The TRUTH" he said loudly
lie drew q deep breath. Answer
tals question. Had you decided 10
aarfy me before y0u thought Geof.
ffeY Tarleton was marFled?"
~nab-~
~aad yony~ There was an awning
insiesence and weight IN his tone:
bearing Il. her face grew more
shila than Il had been. She fal.
isted. she became confused. she
feit Der last chance for happiness
ailpplns from her because she could
noi ile ak she had before knowing
aim.
lie repeated his question: she
siammsfed. In answer. mo. Bob.
%. bat i--you must believe me-
Hob" she ended. but she could not
soften him with any frantic appeal.
Dor wlth appeal. keep him near.
lie had turned to move toward
the door: she heard him cross the
ball 10 mount the stairs. She closed
her eyes to shut ont the whirling of
esery object In the room. There
seFe curious and disturbing black
spots IN the alr too.
when she opened her eyes she
saw her world as steady. but the
neW. numbed normal was worse
than had been the sudden onslaughf
~ sickness. She drew a deen breath.
n an eHorl 10 dlspel The drawn feel
ing that oppressed her lungs and
that eramped her heart. but found
10 ease.
FURIOUS" she thought. show
Ophyslcal this is." And Jet. she
reelected further. she had learned
thfongh Rob that blend OF aesh and
spirit that makes perfection. That
Perfection that was now gone. of
course. And perhaps some dag she
would see Geoff's dropping IN" as
amaelns. "No." she said halt aloud.
81 viii never be amusing.e
She found herself Strengthening
ne iuFned.up corner OF a rug. Thar
vas strange 10 do. But one kept on
uith the absurd. small. meaningless
Hioi'ons; squirrels IN cages.
She gathered In her palm some
rose petals that had dropped to the
top Of the piano. roses Bob had
hfought her. She dropped these TO a
basket. She had never liked to toss
them % the leaping flames they
aeNmsd. somehow. still alive.
what strange paths a mind would
follaw. n looaed from the leash. she
fhoaghL Here she was thinking
aooai rose petals with surface
ihoaahts end n the deep stIll pool
e The mind which never sleeps and
sever rests was the feeling OF anal
~. the knowledge that Il was over.
That Fl0b was suffering.
She settled IN q slliI.backed chair
from Which she could see the stairs.