The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-01
Chapter AZ
BRIGHT VISION
"I CAN'1 do IT." Corrigan repeatel

II CAN'T do it." Corrigan repeated
= Terry would never forgive me"
Gall right" said Allaire. "I'll pay
somebody to take me up there and
If you think I'm fooling. you're go
ing to be one surprised Irishman."
She was determined. Corrigan re-
garded her intently.
81 guess you would at that" he
said finally. well, all right. Allaire,
let's go. Rosa will be pleased-the
Chaikis are scared to death Of that
camp of ours"
Don't worry about Rosa" said
Allaire, we're buddies." She held up
two white fingers together. "We're
just like that"
Above the desk in Terry's quar-
tiers there hung a calendar that
hadn't been used for long time. 1t
had been there when he and his ia
ther had been up there before. and
even then the date hadn't been
changed for many days before the
job blew up.
Terry had never noticed it par
ticularly. but as he came in this wet
night, lit the oil lamp. and sank
YEARLY down. his eyes fell on the
calendar.
"The Acme Copper Pipe Company
presents it's compliments"
He noticed how old it was. and 1t
suddenly stood to him as the last
remainder of hope that had died
long ago to his father. that had be-
gun to die long before that date
was reached. "The Acme Copper
Pipe Company presents its compli-
ments-" AdVt.! AdVt.! A garish
addition to an army of mockeries.
Lawrence Willett had probably
stared at it many times before and
laughed at the abrupt application
to his situation of the quee
Thought for Today!" that CONNER
cial people throw in along with their
compliments" to finish a SNUG pic
ture.
A thought for the day that had
stopped the calendar long ago-a
sardonic coincidence that made him
laugh when he recognized the appli-
cation. Cervantes had stopped the
calendarl
For weeks now Cervantes had in
sisted from the walls of the hut:
"He who loses wealth, loses
much:
He who loses friend. loses
more;
But he who loses his courage,
loses all"
Willett suddenly smashed his fist
down on the desk. He yanked the
calendar off the wall and SHE'D it
across the room.
81 don't need you to tell me. Ger
vantes." he muttered. Especially
when can imagine you writing that
after a hot dinner and a glass of old
wine"
He lifted his head. There were
flares down at the wharf. Corrigan
was coming back with the payroll
and news of Allaire. Several minutes
later Bucky stuck his head in at the
door.
Don't blame me-" he said. "She
would come"
He disappeared and Willett looked
after him. puzzled. But he wasn't
puzzled long. because before his as
tonished eyes he could have sworn
that Allaire was standing in the
door.
LIE wondered if he were delirious
II He'd had a touch of the fever
and also, when you think about
somebody long enough your mind is
liable to play queer tricks. Allaire!
-muffled in heavy slicker with the
rain dripping off the brim of hel
small felt hat.
The vision was realize held it in
his arms.
''And don't tell me l shouldn't
have come" she ordered. because
you might have known I'd be in or
a battle. love EN-"
He grinned tensely.
Lord, I've missed youi Didn'i
know how much until now that
see you"
Terry. you say the incest things
All the long way up that river I've
wondered what you were going Il
say. But it wouldn't have made AM
difference. because was going t
stay. come hell or high water"
"Well, they're both on the way.
He held her away from him ant
looked into her eyes searchingly
"But. Allaire. it wasn't wise"
Lots of time. darling. Dom
worry about me-"
She pulled OF her hat and looket
about her. The hut wasn't very larg
and was one of those hastily-con
constructed things that served NOR
as a shelter than a habitation.
There was a bed on each side o
the room heavily draped with insec
netting, and a couple OF trunks in
corner that were piled high Wit