The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-08-30


AT ens that night Bob heard the
"a careful closlHE OF that door Of
'aIaFsha's room which led TO the hail
lie wondered where she was aolnr
end he hoped the long. upper han
was warm enough TO make her mi
grafton safe.
People who we're reduced tool
eolaA he realized. and colds, for the
run.d0wA. developed 10 worse all
nests.
lie paced his room as he tried &c
recall bow hIgh the ife IN the n
bfaFy bad been when he left It. AZ
could not remember and the failure
20 remember worried him absurdly
she misht be going TO the lIbrary
60 fsi q certain book. She would
slahd ~ the sheltes. hunting II
sac eoald shlser and II would be
sin; that cold.
lie considered following her. ant
dismissed the idea. She would mo-
ilke IL she would most probably SEQ
hia following her as q violent sort o,
inlfusion, No doubt Il would b.
that. a. things were between them;
4 violent sort Of intrusion.
tie began 10 undfess. on the NOR
row Re would tell Bartholomew tC
see thai the llhFafy ere vas left, the
last thing a. hight. burning high
Then n she would wander around IN
thia manner Che felt a sharp irrita
tionl she would be as safe as might
be. under the circumstances.
Hours On bed we're a substitute
for aiesp: the next thing. as a re
ssorative. TO sleep. II sleep would
not come. He'd have to tell her 80
and imperatively.
she vas doing nothing 10 heiF
herself 10 grow strong. Aud she was
Car from well. It seemed as IL she
didn't care what happened TO her
~They are the damndestl" he nut
tered halt aloud and violently:
fklnking OF women.
lie looked al his watch before he
lay down. II was. ne saw. twenty
minutes before two. What the devil
vas che doing? Probably killing
herself; taking the first step toward
kiliine herself any wayi
lie lay. with the l.ight.light on
stretched on bis bed. staring at the
ceiling. still frowning. Halt past
two. he saw when he next looked at
his watch. Well. he would give her
twenty more minutes and then ne
would follow her whether she liked
Il or not. s
LIE turned on his side. miserabIy
~ conscious of the discomfort OF
the best bed he had known IN
months. and propped on an elbow
he looked ON the face OF his watch.
listening keenly. Ten minutes
more and he would get up. find her
ana tell her frankly what he
thought OF her criminal negligence
ID her care OF herself.
Il had been years since he had
euifeFed any such sweep OF over.
mastering irritation. anger. He did
not know that the most even TEN.
paFed men on earth suffer this when
The one woman menaces herself.
heF health. by neglect or by taking
chances.
The ten minutes were up He
Struggled from bed with n sharp
saddeness that was made by his
Strain: showed feet into slippers
and. as no moved toward his door.
BOT Into The dressing gown he had
picked lp on the az.
The ppper hail. 1T BY a small
nlght.lMhl. was a place Of gray and
= was chill. IIei would say. as pa.
llenslyF as he could-and he must
BOT los lbs head--"You've been up
close Il two hours; don't you real.
M anything az wba9 a chin might
mean a youg"F = ~ e..
ne pAused. There was a line of
|lghs beneath his mothers bedroom
Door. lie suffered a moments shock,
ihtn. with readjustment. he realized
that Marsha was in the room. He
go not like q. even her habit of
eoing there by day: II seemed to
hlm morbid. depressing for her:
wong.
lie considered tapping upon the
door 20 dismiss Il. II might
ftlkhien her badly. He would open
tae door. speak gently. She would
80 him Immediately. he decided.
Softly he opened the door; for
SEVERAL long moments he stood at
ne threshold without speaking.
slis hsart froze and the deep con-