The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-08-29
Chapter IA
MIKE AGAIN .

nCTOBER came, prying loose the
ci!nging, dusty fingers of sum-
mer. The air was different: clear
and heady and foreign. as If 1t came
from far away and brought with 1t
the promise of different, more ex.
citing things. Before long there
would be the slow. pervasive smell
OF burning leaves; and then winter.
to make a mockery of the unfulfilled
promises of fall.
"Why is it," Carol demanded of
Ellen, shat fal, is so unsettling?
Spring is supposed to get into your
blood and make you do rash things.
but all spring ever does to me is
to make me quiet and lazy"
They were walking in the woods
beyond the high school. The woods
were still green and quiet. and pen
ellis of sunlight wrote in warm gold
upon the ground. How summer in
Georgia does hang on. Carol
thought, like a woman who won't
grow old. .. ~.
Ellen sat on the trunk of a fallen
tree. Search me. 1t makes me want
to tall in love with somebody en-.
tirely different" She chuckled.
Even when I'm already in love fall
tries to bust it wide open" She dug
thoughtfully in the soft black dirt
beneath her feet.
Carol sat down beside her. do
you ever resent the fact that love
IL 30 Important to women? Some
where in the world there ought to
be q Job l could do well. | might
even make a good teacher. and
heaven knows that's crying need
II ever there was one; but the idea
doesn't set me on fire at all. keep
thinking about getting married! do
tho best can, but IL | thought I'd
spend the rest of my life teaching
I'd lie down with lily in my hand
and walt for the blessed release"
She added frankly:
II like men so much better than
do women. Even their vices are
on more heroic scale. -"
Ellen laughed. "You should have
cen ONE
mo: IN too big a coward for
at. In ute of all the propaganda
'men have spread it's men that
he the lard time"
Oh, sof Pete's sake!" Ellen
figned q her and produced two
oa of chocolate. you scare me.
So WORRYING about the universe
aneat this before we have to drink
TORY about school instead"
HROL laughed. That's easy.
Hikes III trouble and l can't do
anyhing about it."
mat is something to worry
abon," ellen admitted with her
mouh full. What sort OF trouble?"
"The Monroe brat has him hooked
and he doesn't know what to do
aboutit."
Ellen looked skeptical. who
doesnt?"
"Mike. You forget that he's in a
strange land now. Four years at sea
may teach yon lot Of things. but
not how to shake off hussy who
was born on the right side of the
saIfUAd tracks. He doesn't know
he can slap her down and leave her."
Ellen looked sober. Cant you tell
him?" I
81 would If he'd let me. But not
even I'm brassy enough to dive in
without lead, because l may have
guessed wrong"
81 don't believe it's serious.
They're nothing but kids"
That's what you think. Annabel's
kind is born thousand years old,
aud Mike is a man whose mind won't
catch up with his body for several
years." She got up abruptly. "Oh.
damn! Let's walk"
They went silently out OF the
woods and turned into the street.
The high school was quiet and de-
serted. biding its time until Monday
morning. Over the front doors a
huge cloth streamer shouted: COM.
ING! Joe Bacon. The Worlds Most
Famous Evangelist! Beginning Octo-
Der 10TH"
Carols eyes hardened "The cir
euses seem to be heading south for
the winter"
. Hien looked hurt "You're a
uea'nen' 1t may not be your kind Of
religion out they do a lot Of good
They say he's converted thous.rds /"
yeah? For how loneS sns =,
what?" She broke on. '"