The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-17
Chapter 10
SPEEDY LIFE

TIAVING a crowd in tomorrow
= pm" said the girl. Cocktails
Georgia Blair. in the book. You've
got to come. Promise? Goodby."
Iris supposed she had asked only
Owen. but Dicky said swiftly:
Leave it to me. lady. III pick EN-
up and bring 'em in. Gimme the
house address. Sigrid."
Sigrid wrote swiftly on a card she
gave him. Not so used to crowds as
the others. Iris found herself caught
far behind the other two in the hurry
back to the seats. AS before. it was
Allan who saw, who left his group.
caught her arm. said pleasantly. Il
see your seats; I'll get you there"
"You always help me out of
troubled" she said gratefully. Il
suppose you could see-I wasn't a
New Yorker"
He smiled down at her. Il could
see that you had something most
girls haven't; the delightful gift of
making a man feel you need taking
care of. I'll see you at Georgia's to
morrow. then. Here's your seat"
She did not know whether he had
heard her hurried, "Oh. don't know.
l don't think sol" before he turned
back to the others.
She nearly forgot the whole cpl
sode as. eyes wide. hands tightly
clasped. she saw the second half of
the revue. But when they came out
Allan and Dick were waiting in the
lobby; and it was to Pima that Allan
spoke easily and graciOusly, not to
Iris.
my names Allan Beckley I think
you know my mother, Mrs. Wilson
Beckley. This is Madame Phina
Weatherley. | know"
Aunt Phina's even teeth cleaned.
otherwise Phina. Yes, indeed, your
mothers figure is my pride! And
thank you for protecting my little
girl here. It's actually her first re-
vue."
IRIS wished that hadn't had to come
I Out-he would think she was IN
sophisticated But he said with no
lessening of interest: Dick Hamil
ton here wants to pick up your young
people for Georgia BIair's cocktail
party tomorrow. | wanted to make
sure they were coming"
Better come" said Dicky cheerily.
when Allan gets his eye on you
you're Davy Crockett's coon. He may
even keep Georgia from eating you.
! don't know how he handles you
galsl"
Phina more or less ignored Dicky
"My girls say they're coming" she
said sweetly to Allan.
Thanks a lot" he said, also ig-
noring Dicky.
AS softly and easily as he had
come. he was gone. Dicky remained
a moment
Don't fall for him. Not safe! Fall
for mel" he stage-whispered. and
shouldered his way after Allan.
"But. Pima. honestly. she didn't
ask Sigrid and mel" Iris gasped as
they settled themselves in the taxi
Even Owen laughed.
"Goosie. this isn't the Assembly
Set in the seventies" be said.
ALLAN Beckley took pains to make
1t all right.r Phina explained. Amy.
body can drift in on a party like that.
They're charming young people. as
] thought on the train"
Iris supposed they knew best. She
sat still and stared at the colored
advertisements that tapped over
and over in a holder. There were
nine before you got back to the first
one. two kissing people who adver-
tised chewing gum. They looked
very magnificent TO be addicted to
gum. 1t was all very different.
but Phina must know.
She saw herself as she passed the
long frameless mirror in the down.
stairs foyer. She would not have
known Uncle Wills Iris in all this
black velvet, with rose chiffon toss
ing around her satin slippered feet.
except for the live excited gray eyes
shining below the polished waves of
dusky hair.
AS she stared Ovens kind gray
eyes, black-laShed like her own. met
hers a little wistfully in the glass.
She nestled closer to him on the
other side, with a thrill of kinship