The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-09-17

heart lurcleQ W1tlln MIN. On euSe
| meant nothing. save that Irma was
justifying her departure a few
months hence. She didn't suspect
that the departure needed no justi.
fication in his eyes.
And beside him Irma was silent;
withdrawn into herself. When you
were forty and your husband was
thirty-three, it was impossible to
confide in him until you had to.
Pride and hopelessness kept you
from confessing the truth.
WITH the coming of fall Carols
w leisure hours began to fill.
Everyone was recovering from the
inertia of summer. and planning
parties. Her friends were generous
about including her in their evening
activities. and the fact touched her
immeasurably. She resented her in
| ability to repay them, and said so,
frankly.
Cornelia laughed at her. Eve
wouldn't ask you if you didn't con-
tribute something; don't overlook
that"
|, But she wanted to contribute more
/ than her presence, and felt that she
could not afford it. And then. as if
he had guessed her need. Blake in.
formed her one day that her salary.
beginning October first, would be a
| hundred and twenty-five dollars a
month.
She could hardly thank him. "Are
you sure I'll earn it?" she asked
obviously.
His tone was dry. "I'm not in
business for my health. You'll be
worth more than that in time. and
I'll pay you more just as soon as
business warrants it." And then the
veneer of impersonality cracked.
and Blake's eyes were looking at her.
Have you-been getting along all
right?" he asked awkwardly.
quite" There was a vibrant
pause. He had trick. she noticed.
of concentrating so intently that he
looked first at one of your eyes and
then at the other. Have your"
"Quite."
There were more questions, clam
oring to be asked, but he stified
thay, Che oofharod I'm hay- Iofoct nc
signment and left his Office.
Porter Murray had come back too.
and to her establishment had called
her Immediately.
did you miss me?" he demanded
fondly.
"I've been wasting away. I
thought you'd forgotten me-"
"You liar. couldn't"
well. you never even sent me
post card"
He chuckled. "Since that's the
way you feel, when can see your"
Never"
"I'll be around at seven tomorrow.
Well have dinner-frst."
She gave up and laughed at him.
"All right. I'll eat an expensive din
ner. and take carfare along with
me-"
LIS pleasure at seeing her the
IL next evening astonished and fat.
tired her. When he had ordered a
gourmet's meal she said frankly:
"All this attention is quite a boost
to my ego. but with the town to
choose from. why did you pick me?"
1t wasn't a bid for compliments;
it was honest curiosity. because the
city was full of girls who had beauty
and money and leisure. And Porter
was quick enough to recognize it as
saeh. He knit his regular brows.
GSI1 be darned if know. There at
the beach you were the only girl |
could remember. The thing | like
best about you is the way you make
me feel.
She knew what he meant. 81 see.
And how do l make you feel?"
sOh very witty and charming
And I'm not afraid you'll miss the
point of my witticisms. True. you
think I'm useless and frivolous, but
you reconcile yourself to it"
Mice of me-" she said dryly. Nov
tell me about your trip. L know
you're Dustin to-"
I'm not either"
But he told her. frankly and raci.
ly. during the rest of the meal. Sto-
ries eliminating in an account of
how someone named Whitefield had
called Buckingham Palace and de.
manded the ear of King George him.
self. Whitley had read in the news.
paper that His Majesty was suffer.
ing from a severe cold. and he knew
an infallible remedy.
1t took four calls, but in the end
he had actually secured the ear of
the king himself. and been courte-
ously thanked.
Driving home from the theatre,
Porter stopped the car in the shadow
of the Sherwood. She looked inquir.
ingly at him.
Copyright. 1886, By Marian SimsJ