The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-22


party, Allan? Oh, ask mel" Camilla
cried with a heavy gayety which
Iris realized masked desperation.
ooh, all right" Allan's voice
trailed languidly.
Georgia, assuming with cool nom
chalance that she too had been asked,
said: MAKE it stunt party. Every.
body but the host has to do tricks
or bring somebody who does them"
81 know a wonderful fortune tell
er can hire" Camilla shrilled.
"Ill dance, of course" Georgia
went on. "And l suppose Iris does
something wonderful" Her voice
was soft and silky.
81 can sing-my grandmother's
songs" said Iris. "In costume, if you
like" All alight and excited, she
smiled up at Georgia.
THAT" said Georgia, will be
wonderful. Well feature you. Beau
tiful unknown. doing Songs of the
Seventies! l can just see you. Re-
member, you won't be let off. It'll
be priceless. And now, darlings.
simply have to throw you all out.
Or revel on without me. Got to be on
my way. Good-by. beautiful un.
known! Crazy about having you!"
She was off and up toward the
dressing rooms.
The others seemed to see nothing
unusual in this. Some of them fol-
lowed her to the place where wraps
were. Others merely turned the
radio to a dance orchestra number.
and continued to glide among the
caterers men. AS Iris turned to fol-
low the others upstairs Camilla put q
hot heavy hand on her arm.
Il WANT to tell you something" she
Il said in her schoolgirl whisper.
4 like you and want you to be
| friends with me- You can. don't do
things to people. But Georgia does.
She doesn't go out of her way to. but
if people get into it, she's horrid.
When she talks in that specially
purry way is when you want to watch
out. if she is my cousin.
"She and Allan make a sort OF
game out of everything. They've al
ways had everything; they feel as if
the world belonged to them. and
other people were-serfs. kind of,
and they kings and queens. You
don't: you're real and kind, and
You'll get hurt"
"All right, I'll be careful" Iris
said lightly poor frightened Ca
milla. with whom Georgia had evi-
IDENTIFY been severe! Camilla. she
thought. had been seeing too many
movies. And I'll see you at Allan
Beckley's dinner"
And she ran up the stairs. They
did not really feel like stairs. They
felt like walking on air.
Allan was close behind her.
I'VE haven't settled the date OF
our dinner" he said. Would Thurs
day a week"
Grand"
She felt for something to put il
down on and pulled out Uncle Wills
opened letter. AS she took Allan's
offered pencil and began to make a
note on the margin her eyes were
caught by the clear old-fashioned
writing. and she read it, absorbedly.
while Allan stood tall above her wait
ing.
81 am not quite as we'll as former
ly." wrote Uncle Will-who never
Overstated. land your aunt is in bed
with a queer sort of collapse. But
Morgan manages everything splen-
didly. and Molly Williams comes in
to work by the day and is a host in
herself. We miss our little girl. of
course. but we are glad she's having
4 good time"
"Oh. Allan, | can't come to your
party" All the fairy-tale times were
swept away. and it showed in her
troubled. but steadfast. pretty face.
/ lifted TO him on the stairs in the
half light. Not unless it's years off.
l have to so home!"
But it was not possible, she found,
so say anything before or at dinner
A burly red-cheeked explosive
| Frenchman. a representative OF
Molyneux. was dining. and Iris found
herself swept into the conversation
in her fluent. Aunt Ella-learneG
French. NJ. Grieux seemed to like
her.
When the guest had gone she
called Pima back from her desk
and spoke to her with resolution
Strengthening up from the low ode
mound of silver cloth on one side
the strange modernistic fireplace L
was chilly; logs had been brough
from some invisible hiding-place anC
were burning as docilely as mos
things did for Aunt Phina.
I'm afraid | must go back t.
Persia. after all. Uncle Will is i'll
and Aunt Ella seems in a curious
sort of state. from what he says"
Go back. you foolish baby? Tha
would upset everything"
(Cosj,iSkt. 1855. 1a,Sarss RiiEensrJ