The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-05-11
Chapter 80
DEFIANC .
TIN going home, Aunt Phina, and
to stay." Iris said quietly,

~ CtoJp IL 40 AuANIAys
Her aunt made two steps and
faced her, towering over her. "Are
you crazy? Or is it you that's had
a tiff with Beckley?"
"No. Aunt Josephine, please an
swer me question. We're you and
our mother immigrant girls who
came over regeneration ago? Or did
you have old Southern ancestry and
convent rearing, as you told me?"
"My darling child"
IL can tell you," Ovens voice
broke in. Mother and Pima and
Honora were three pretty, clever
Irish girls who came to America in
their teens and worked their way
UP. Personally I've always been
proud of it,"
"Then why did Phina lie about
it?"
"My dear, you're very rude, and
your values are silly. My publicity
woman thought it up at a time
when it seemed better for the bust
ness, and for me-"
"Your publicity woman should
have remembered that you worked
for Georgia Blair's cousins the
Dorriens when you first came over"
Iris quietly repeated all that had
happened between herself and Geor-
gia and Mrs. Morgan that day.
but, my dear little tired-out girl,
don't you see it's ended beautifully?
Don't give another thought to it;
Mrs. Bloomington and l will work
out plan"
you can't work out a plan that
will ever make me any use to you
again." Iris said fiercely. You have
everything now that your use of me
can give you. I'm going home
you romantic, hysterical babyi
Back, l suppose, to the sulky young
man named Black?"
"No. He's going to marry some
body else"
you're walking ont on the bro
Their you pretend to love SO much,
just because Of little humiliation"
you'll see a good deal of me-"
said Owen. I'm checking out, Iris.
You've freed me. too"
"You talk like a couple of young
BOlsheviks. What about Allan?
What about Camilla Wendell, who
worships the ground you walk on?
suppose, now you have Camilla's
money behind you"
Camilla broke her engagement
with me just before you came"
Owen said.
And as for Allan" added Iris
stonily. "hc did not want to marry
me-"
Pima dashed out with the temper
Iris had always suspected beneath
her smooth contOl.
you insulting, ungrateful chill
dren! You selfish. lazy. goOd-fOr-
DOy VIC WI hGO anu
shaved and planned for you and Iris.
And Iris talks to me as she has. and
you treat Camilla SO she breaks with
you. You could have stood her"
II WAS never 50 near loving
Camilla as tonight" Owen said
steadily. lie did not rise from his
chair; he lit a cigaret and went on
talking. LAS for the rest. | see now
you've always had your pay as you
went along. So that's that as far as
you and / are concerned" He went
on smoking.
"Owen, Owen darling. what are
you going to do?" Phina changed
suddenly from anger to real fear.
dropped on her knees beside her
nephew and threw her arms around
him. you've been my little boy
ever since Jean died. Stay with me,
dear. do what you like. You're all
/ have"
"If / stayed with You Id be back
in the traces in two days" He rose
leisurely, and added: Better get
your things packed. Iris. if you're
leaving tonight. I'll drive you in
to the apartment. and you can get
train to Persia tomorrow NOR
ming"
III He turned to so upstairs. Iris
made a last move toward Phina,
but Pima did not see or hear Her
head buried in her arms on the
broad arm of Owens chair. she was
sobbing Internationally.
AS Iris, still moved. stopped a
moment at the turn of the great
tapestry-hung stair, she saw Honora
come in in her maids black and
kneel down by Pima, who flung
herself on her cousins shoulder and
went on sobbing. And that was the
last of the picture, sharp in Iris's
mind.
I'm sorry about Camilla" Owen
said abruptly after long silence.
The brother and sister were driving
down the long lighted miles of the
Merrick Road. "She was finer than
was, and l laughed at her."
When she woke next day in the
apartment it was nearly noon. and
Owen had gone, leaving her a note: