The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-01-25
Chapter S6
MORNING FLIGHT

MORNING FLIGHT
A ND Allaire could have sworn
= Terry WilIett really loved her.
He'd fought for her and she'd been
so proud of 1t. Proud! She nearly
laughed. He'd fought for Puff too,
and gone to wight Court.
J A mouthful of fog. Yes. her father
had warned her. Steering an impos.
sible course amid parties. and horse
shows. and bachelor cotillions. to-
ward the glow of rivers to cross and
battles to win. And now Ray was
laughing.
= She yanked off her silver satin
slipper and hurled it savagely out
the window.
"Thats for you. Willett!" she said
furiously.
The gesture seemed to snap some
thing in her. She sank back as IL
exhausted. The gesture had been
silly. inane, and she hated to make
silly inane gestures.
She'd made one before when she
sent Terry away when she knew she
loved him. Sent him away in his
hour of need, the Carteret minister
had said.
! Hour of needl 1t seemed spar,
that phrase, in the floating wreck
age. A spar that any woman would
seize. A strong man had needed her.
one of the greatest honors vouch-
safed to woman. And she'd sent him
away, relinquished all claim to him,
sent him to Puff on the rebound.
She'd driven him to Puff Harring.
ton.
'It was my fault" she repeated
stubbornly. Mine"
But he had come back to fight
battle for her. to sweat and be hurt
and run the gauntlet of an armed
and desperate snake. Allaire chung
to that fiercely. She had sent him
away. but he had come back.
She went to the phone and called
Shorty Hasbrouck at the Washing
ton landing field.
Shorty" she said clearly. "this
is Allaire West. My bus is still in
the shop. Can you fly me down to
Miami tomorrow morning?"
"Sure." said Shorty. How early?"
with the sum-" said Allaire.
She hung up and stood lost in
thought. There'd be a big argument
around here; might as well get 1t
over. She picked up the house phone
and called the buffers pantry.
Blythe. see if you can find my
father. l want to see him right
away"
Contact! A group of three people
stood on a landing field and watched
little red and black Stinson rising
into the early morning sun. Ray
burne West, Nell West. and George
Fox.
What got into herr" Ray sounded
dazed. "After what she knows about
him."
Fox turned and faced them.
'It's very simple" he told them
steadily. You starved her for af.
lection when she was young and
she's grown up with all that affec.
ton stored and accommodating and
waiting to get out. And she's made
it over lock. stock. and barrel to
Terry Willett."
He took a deep breath. "And if
you ever prayed in your lives be-
fore. you'll pray that her courage
and love and fight won't go to waste,
but will see her through. Because"
and his voice shook. she's putting
all her chips on one turn of the
wheel and the odds are against
her"
He turned away from them. What
did they know of battle?
DRoPIoNoIRE! And the coffee
chutes were humming again.
Coffee! Thousands Of bags Of 1t. The
Great God Coffee! Hail to Coffeei-
it had broken the grip of the revo-
luton. The last mines were being
taken up out OF the han Dor so that
the freighters of twenty nations
could get in to resume their profit
able trade.
Dark-skinned men In white ducks
came into Propionoire and filled the
hotels and bars. They had been ma
,rooned outside by the revolution.
They met their friends. embracing
with alternate hugs which reminded
one Of a French general conven-
.'tionally saluting a decorated poilu.
l. L.