The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-05-08
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byLAdrgaret CMddenier

sobbing. For herself, she lay on her
back on the bed and tried not to
follow the hours. Morgan was at
West Philadelphia. He was near
Penn Station.
About that time she turned over
and began to cry into Mrs. WendelTs
deep soft pillows; tears that, though
she did not know it. kept her from
breaking down. She cried and she
prayed.
At seven a maid brought tray
Of food. She sat up and made herself
eat something. By the time she was
dressed and made up again, Camil.
las knock sounded at the door. She
would be on around eight-perhaps
eight-thirty. amateur things were
always late.
Morgan would be in New York by
now. She must stop thinking of
Morgan. 1t was like Sheridan's
Ride. She made herself laugh shaki.
ly. and went out and met tall, steady
Camilla.
Morgan Black, having been told
at the Community House by terri
fed maid that Mrs. Morgan was rest
ing at her own home. drove there.
He compressed his lips, then walked
straight through the garden and in
at a half-hidden side door. and up
the stairs to the half-shut door of a
book-lined room. Mrs. Morgan was
sitting. as he had thought she would
be, behind the oldfashioned ornate
walnut kneehole desk.
I"ERANDMOTHER," he said. He
~ was shocked to see her throw
up her head. turn white and half col
lapse in her chair. He ran over and
put his arms around her.
Dear. what is it? Why~are you
so upset? l ought to have explained.
but 1 thought it was easier to
come"
"Jim. We thought you were dead.
You pretended you were dead"
Granny. I'm terribly sorry. /
never pretended to be dead. l wrote
you l was going abroad for a couple
OF years. and that wouldn't write
again for long time. By an impulse
l landed in Persia, little place near
Philadelphia. and stayed there be.
cause l was happy there. for the
first time in a good many years"
Are you the man named Black
Iris Lanning sent for?" Then she re-
verted to the more pressing thing.
They found a body-with an en-
velope addressed to you inside the
bill-fold pocket"
Good heavensi What a coward
you must have thought me. Wait, l
remember . poor devil who
begged me for money to save him
from suicide. thought he was lay
ing it on thick. gave him some, and
the telephone number of the Yale
Club on the back of an envelope.
. Well. evidently it didn't save
him."
His grandmother, who had both
arms around him as if he might melt
away from her, said practically:
But didn't you see anything in the
papers? And what about your bank
account?"
I'D drawn it in cash. have it in
the Persia bank. | didn't want any.
thing l owned except lust that. No,
l didn't see any papers, and l didn't
want to. I'd seen enough papers,"
81 know. darling" The sharp clear
voice was gentle and understanding.
I'VE thought you'd given away every
cent, and then -"
She stopped and put him back, to
look at him. "Oh. darling, how well
and strong you look. How glad your
mother would have been. Darling,
you must come back now, and stay.
We've rented Woodlands-Allana and
Ito the Ross woman for a year.
But you'll come back. you'll stay
here with me till the lease is up"
He shook his head. "I'm not far
off. dear. and perhaps you might
stay with me part of the time. But
I've found my niche. I'm practicing
law at Pennsylvania county seat
doing it darn well, if you ask me?
Living with the old Lannings, Iris's
aunt and uncle-the finest people,
except my Granny. the Lord ever
made. In partnership with Uncle
Will Lanning."
He was talking on enthusiastically
:. . He interrupted himself. "But,
Granny, let's get at what 1 came
over about" He pulled up a chair.
Iris telephoned me in a great
state. 1t seems Georgia has been
doing some dirty work at the cross
roads," He summed up what Iris
had said. $50 l came straight over
to see about it."
His grandmother could not help
saying. You'd do for Iris what you
wouldn't do for me-"
He nodded shamefacedly. I'D
have come. not very long from now,
anyhow. didn't want to-yet-don't
ask me to go into it. But-I'm not
very lucky about girls. l guess. l.
wanted Iris"
(Co9,sisAt. 1856. Margaret Wi64ImsrI