The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-09-28


81 thought. under the circum-
stances, I'd. better stay here. Will
you be in this EVENING""
She said impatiently: What
under the suns the matter with
you, Blake? You sound as if you
were drunk"
Her Impotence supplied the stim-
illus he needed. If she had been
sweet and eager he would have fall
tered and tried t, soften the blow
if it was a blow.-but now he felt
merciless. Irma had helped him
again without meaning to. He
laughed shortly.
81 was never soberer in my life.
When can see you-after dinner"
Irma's bewilderment deepened,
and for the first time her COM
placency was pierced with dread.
Blake sounded-well, strange and
far away. He had gone to another
hotel and now he was asking for an
interview as if he had never seen
her. Her voice was suddenly shrill.
"Blake. what's happened?" She
repeatedly frantically: whats the
matter with you?"
I'm trying to make an opportu-
nifty to tell you, but not over the
telephone. Shall come out after
dinner or shan't II"
Il,rk m
Or let me have dinner with your"
He could not bear the emptiness
of the amenities with her, or run
the risk of being enmeshed even
for an hour in the terrible. invisible
strands of habit. He could not re-
sumo for a minute his conjugal rela-
ton; not while his heart and soul
and body were filled with the men,
DRY Of Carol. He said steadily:
I'm sorry. This is not exactly
dinner table conversation" He
knew her to be entirely capable Of
public scene. WED better talk it
over in private"
Her dread and her curiosity won
out She said plaintively: "All right.
il you insist. had an engagement
for the evening but I'll break it"
He smiled grimly. please don't
do that on my account. | can wait
until morning." He knew very sure
ly that her engagement" was the
inevitable bridge game. and that
she would not rest until she heard
what he had to say.
Don't be silly" She was trying
now to be coy. why shouldn't |
break an engagement for my own
husband?"
Oh God. he prayed silently. don't
let her start that. He said formally:
Then I'll come about half-past
eight if that's convenient"
"Of course it is" She hesitated.
Come straight to my room if you
like. Four-twenty-eight."
Thank you. will"
He replaced the telephone and
realized as he turned away that the
palms of his hands were icy.
TRMA put down the receiver and
L stood motionless, staring straight
ahead. For the first time in eleven
years the glass case in which she
had shut herself from the needs and
wishes of others was cracking. She
saw Blake-dimly. it was true-as
an individual and not as her hus-
band and provider. What under
heaven could he want with her: TO
say perhaps that his business had
| failed? But she remembered his tell
ing her that there had been an i'm
provement. =.
| A hint of the truth crept towards
her and she crushed it beneath her
heel Blake couldn't have fallen in
love with another woman; he was
definitely not the type for that. You
didn't live with a man for eleven
years without knowing whether you
could trust him. Her own tempera-
ment was too cold for her to ina CINE
a love that defied ones own wishes
and scruples: if you fell in love
you did it because you wanted to.
She picked up the telephone to
break her bridge engagement and
slowly replaced the receiver. Should
she tell Mrs. Francis that her hus-
band was IN town? Mrs. Francis
would be sure to learn that Blake
was staying elsewhere; the woman
knew everything.
No. she would wait until she had
heard Blake out and brought him
once more under control. Then she
could be light and arch about his
coming and his departure. Business,
you know. :. January is a terrible
month for him. He just wanted to
see me. -.
She took up the receiver again
and called Mrs. Francis. A slight
headache nothing serious, but
she thought it best 10 go to bed i'm
mediately after dinner. Tomor-
row night, she hoped. -.
She turned from the telephone to
her mirror and studied her face care
fully. There was time for an applf-
cation OF her beauty mask treat.
ment. she decided.
Copyright, 1885, By Marian Sg,nsJ