The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-09-05
Chapter 20
BESIEGING BLAKE

BESIEGING BLAKE
THERE were eight people at Ben's
dinner party: Alice and Tom
Janet Malone, Mildred Hardin and
Carol: Blake Thornton and Ben and
Andy Tyler. They had cocktails al
the Tyler's. then drove to the coun
try club for dinner.
Carol found herself remembering
the September dance, and Denis
September was dim and unreal now
and Denis was a man she'd known
once. She hadn't heard from him In
two months. and the rift had been SO
inevitable that its existence scarcely
mattered. She had made the break
herself. in January.
This has been too good to kill by
inches, Denis." she wrote. $50 I'm
not going to write again. could
make you pretty. fearful valedic-
tory. but it was too good for that,
too. Carry on. my darling. -"
The letter had evoked a swift, We
hement protest, because the prospect
of farewell was an artificial stimu-
lus to a fading affair. but she had
kept her word. And Denis hadn't
written again because he knew she
was right.
Blake Thornton was saying: you
don't live here, do you, Miss Tor
rance?"
She left Denis and came back to
the party. mo, Meredith. I'm teach
ing history and French in the high
school,"
She rather liked Blake Thornton,
but he was hardly the type to wan
gle" a job from: If he gave you a
job 1t would be because he thought
you could do it. He was thirty-three
or four, she decided; thin and blond
and not very tall. and there were
deep lines on either side of his
mouth. His eyes were as cold and
gray as slate. and his speech was
crisper than that of most Southern
men.
81 didn't think I'd ever met you
or heard of you-and I've been here
several times" He smiled. and his
eyes warmed a little. Teaching
must call for infinite tact"
"And patience. More of both than
! possess. I'm afraid. I'm clearing
out after this year; I've tempted
Providence long enough"
That's rather a pity. isn't #!
After all, somebody has to pioneer. "
She shook her head. at takes
sterner stuff than I'm made of. I've
had one narrow escape already: next
year | wouldn't be so lucky"
His eyes questioned the nature Of
her escape. but she ignored the ques-
tion. He said curiously: "And when
you clear out, where do you go
then?"
The talk was following the path
she would have chosen, but instinct
warned her against hurrying it.
81 wish l knew. I'm stopping in
Atlanta on the way home. to talk to
a friend in personnel work. She may
have something to suggest, although
] doubt it" She changed the subject
quickly. before he should think she
was soliciting his help.
"Tell me about Atlanta-how it's
making the grade. | haven't spent
any time there in five years. and the
place has rather grown beyond my
recognition"
He frowned. sits beginning to
breathe again - whether from re-
turning Consciousness or artificial
respiration. God alone Knows"
"What do you think?"
81 think it's little of both"
She saw his eyes considering and
weighing her. and she looked calmly
back at him. 1t was a relief to talk
to an intelligent man and know that
sexual attraction was outside the
picture. There was nothing of that
in Blake Thornton's luiet look and
she was glad; she was still bruised
and sore from her encounters with
Denis and Mike. and she wanted to
forget that side of existence until
her spirit healed.
ALICE cut into their talk from
\ Blake Thornton's left.
"Blake, darling. you've ignored
me all evening. I'm getting violently
Jealous"
Carol sighed with relief. After 6
round with Alice. she thought, III
seem to him like Minerva herself!
She turned to Ben. who was grin
ming inquiringly.
making any timer"
mot yet. think it's better strate
gy not to try too hard"
He nodded emphatically. Hes ;
canny duck: his company is one o