The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-01-14

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hers.
"Well, Terry Willett?" she said.
"This isn't heading right, Puff"
Don't be silly" she requested.
Darling. you're such little boy
"Oh, hell" He made an impatient
move, but her hands frightened.
Little boy" she repeated provoca'
lively. Little boy lost in depart.
ment store and yelling for his
mother. Tall. and strong. and
straight, but you feel lost. can tell,
darling. Why worry ?-the world
wasn't made to worry about. Do You
know-that you haven't kissed me
yet%
81 know that" said Terry.
Don't you think-you'd care to
try it?"
Willett tried It. She didn't want to
let him go. but he gently disengaged
her hands. What was the matter
with him. he wondered.
Was he about to turn his collar
around. or something. or did he seem
to feel the ironic mockery of two
dark eyes as he landed with Puff on
the rebound? He got up and walked
back to the table. poured out two
shots and handed one to the girl.
You're swell kid. Put it down to
dumbness and let's head in another
direction"
"Lancelot," she sighed, 81 dub thee
Galahad-for the nonce." She raised
her glass. "For the ponce."
The rest of that evening was
confused blur. Puff took a room near
by to which she repaired to dress in
an evening gown, and she called up
some male friend of hers in town
whose measurements she computed
to be close to Terry's to send over
some dress clothes for Willett.
When he appeared in evening
dress she won a mental bet with
herself. He looked grand In them,
the bronze of his face contrasting
with the cleaning Wilderness Of his
starched shirt BOSOM. and the easy
natural way his rangy form carried
them.
Willett didn't carehe just flowed
along with the stream of her enthusi-
asm. Time enough for struggle in the
days to come.
THEY landed in some night club
L far uptown where nights grim
ming jungle ecstasy was rampant in
the spectacular savage blare of a
colored jazz band.
Lights flashed in darkness, mas
ter of ceremonies introduced lots of
people. chorus Of garishly decked
girls pounded the floor with the
sharp staccato Of dancing heels and
raised their voices in tinny song.
A dusky prima donna sang a
throaty haunting refrain about
winds and her men, or something.
A blonde girl at table near them
glggled over the antics of her escort.
They left that place and went to
another. Puff had an argument with
somebody about a cocktail called the
Earl of Westminster. A rcller-skat-
ing entertainer asked for a volunteer
to be swirled around; Puff volun-
teered and was left so dizzy she
couldn't stand up. erybody
laughed.
Terry wondered If all these peo-
pie were having fun. He had couple
more drinks and tried to join the
parade.
They met complications at a club
filled with dress clothes and high
prices. There were four men in
everyday clothes leaning against a
bar. They were all members of a
nationally famous football team and
they said so.
They also said they had been in
the place since four o'clock that af-
ternoon. The manager warned them
he didn't want any high jinks. When
Puff came in with Terry they tried
some high jinks.
'Hey. Christy." said one of them.
know that girl?"
Christy, lounging against the bar
with his cheek on one hand, opened
his eyes boredly.
Gretchen Tillinghast," he re-
turned. and closed his eyes again.
'I'll bet Christy doesn't know her
name at ALL"
do So" refuted Christy with dig
nifty, his eyes still shut. ''If you don't
Ike the name, Ned. pick mother. All
the same"
"lt's all right" said Ned Lets
huddle."
They put their heads together.
81 figure the escort for a five-yard
loss." advised one.
Wen ask the babe in," decided
the man they called Ned.
I'll flip you." offered Ned.
They Tipped: Joe lost. Ned ambled
over to Terry's table and addressed
to Puff.
Babe" he said, "do you know
that there have been times when
seventy thousand people would give !
their shirts to know what went on
in that huddle?"
Copyright. 1855. By Dorid Garth !
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