The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-15
Chapter Nine.
PICNIC


sCVXIHEN you're quite finished ex-
w pressing your inferiority COM
plex," said frankie coldly, perhaps
you'll try getting out of the bunker
with a niblick instead of putter."
Have I-oh, damn!" He replaced
the putter in his bag and took out
the niblick. frankie watched with
malicious satisfaction as he hacked
at the ball five times in succession.
Clouds of sand rose round them.
"Your hole" said Bobby. picking
up the ball.
81 think it is" said frankie. "And
that gives me the match"
Shall we play the bye?"
'fNo. / don't think so. I've got a
lot to do"
"Of course. ! suppose you have"
They walked together In silence
to the clubhouse.
WELL" said frankie, holding out
her hand. Goodbye. my dear. It's
beer too marvellous to have you to
make use of while I've been down
here. See something Of you again,
perhaps, when I've nothing better
to do"
Look here, frankie"
perhaps you'll condescend to
come to my coster party. / believe
you can get pearl buttons quite
cheaply at Woolworth's."
FRANKIE"
His words were drowned in the
noise of the Bentley's engine which
frankie had just started. She drove
away with an airy wave of her hand.
"Damnl" said Bobby in a heart
felt tone.
frankie, he considered, had be-
haved outrageously. Perhaps he
hadn't put things very tactfully, but
dash it all. what he had said was
true enough. Perhaps. though, he
shouldn't have put it into words.
The next three days seemed In
terminably long. The Vicar had a
sore throat which necessitated his
speaking in whisper when he spoke
at all. He spoke very little and was
obviously bearing his fourth sons
presence as a Christian should.
Once or twice he quoted Shakes
peare on how sharper than a SER
penis tooth. etc.
On Saturday Bobby felt that he
could bear the strain Of home life
no longer. He got Mrs. Roberts,
who with her husband ran" the
Vicarage, to give him a packet of
sandwiches, and supplementing this
with a bottle Of beer which he
bought in Marchbolt he set OF for
solitary picnic.
He had missed frankie abomin-
ably these last few days. These
older people were the limit. They
harped on things so.
Bobby stretched himself out on a
brackeny bank and debated with
himself whether he should eat his
lunch first and go to sleep after
wards. or sleep first and eat after.
wards. While he was cogitating, the
matter was settled for him by his
falling asleep without noticing it.
When he awoke 1t was half-past
three, Bobby grinned as he thought
how his father would disapprove OF
this way of spending day. A good
walk across country-twelve miles
or so-that was the kiEd Of thing
that a healthy young man should
do. It led inevitably to that famous
remark, "And now. l think, I've
earned my lunch
'Tdiotic," thought Bobby. "Why
earn lunch by doing lot Of walking
you don't particularly want to do?
What's. the merit in it? II you en-
Joy it, hen it's pure self-indulgence.
and If you don't enjoy 1t you're
fool to do it."
Whereupon he fell to upon his un.
earned lunch and ate 1t with gusto.
With a sigh of satisfaction he opened
the bottle OF beer. Unusually bitter
beer, but decidedly refreshing. i.
He lay back again. having tossed
the empty beer-bottle into clump
OF heather.
He felt rather god-like lounging
there. The world was at his feet. A
phrase. But good phrase. He could
do anything-anything If he tried!
Plans Of great splendor and daring
initiative flashed through his mind.
Then he grew sleepy again. Leth-
argy stole over him.
He slept t..
| Heavy, numbing sleep. -.
THRIVING her large green Bentley.
II Eraukfo drew m tn the curb