The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-11-10
= CHAPTER Is
= Horsefacess Advice

Horsefacss Advice
nAvID left that night before
- dinner, refusing Hester's offer
Of further hospitality with an easy
grace. But before he went, he
managed word alone with Nina.
eve not finished with you yet,
young lady," he warned her.
''When you kiss 'em, they stay
kissed, my darling. More anon"
'More-kisses?"
"You bet. And wooings, and
betrothal and maybe a dia-
mond- chip engagement ring, that
you'll actually be able to see -. If
you look hard enough and use a
magnifying glass.
David, you agreed that / hadn't
committed myself"
Il said maybe didn't II"
"But certainly more kisses"
Il said you bet,' didn't II"
Thank you. for doing what you
did. David"
But he only said: "Oh :. Nina
=. :" and turned away, abruptly.
She watched him walk down the
. hall, little stif1y. There was lit
tie cross of white court-plaster,
where the blood had trickled out
from his temple.
For some reason, Nina's eyes
filed with tears.
One Of Those Scenes?
IN February. Aunt Carrie (Horse-
i face) Van Alystyne had little
talk with Nina. She had sent for
her, and they were having tea in
her extremely modeTne apart
ment. There were chairs made Of
chromium plated tubes and sill
Vered leather. There were black
satin hangings and black glass
tables, and everything that wasn't
black or silver was green. Deli
nitely green. You had to be
careful what you gave Aunt Car
RE.
Aunt Carrie thought it was all a
huge joke, particularly the arty
young man who had done it for
her.
"Don't look absurd in this
placer" she had asked at her
housewarming :. and she did. But
then, Aunt Carrie looked a little
absurd, anyway, anywhere so
II didn't make much difference.
She was a tall, thin woman, a
little older than Honey. Sh. never
gave a thought to clothes-usual-
~ accepting the garments sales
ladies hung on her, and walking
out with them.
Her greatest talents were SUI
perficial sophistication that COW
cred an extremely warm and sim
pie heart :. and a fair for getting
the most possible fun out of life.
Today, however, she was I'M
duly serious.
Nina, my dear, this is going to
have to be one of those little talks
that are called (loathsome express
sion) woman to woman
Nina began to feel uneasy, but
she took a deep breath and said
she was ready.
'It's about our mutual concern:
Honey" Now Nina began to grow
hot. all over. Get this clear in
your head first, child. / think her
marriage is a grand thing; but just
at this point think Il needs little
supervising"
Was this going TO be like one of
those scenes you see on the stage,
with each character knowing ex-
actly what the other means, and
yet talking in parallels?
'I've noticed a very slight
change in Richard lately" Carrie
went on, "and I think I know
what's the trouble. You can help
me nip it in the bud, Nina, IL you
will"
Oh, II toas going to be one Of
those scenes. So Horseface knew
IL all. did she? Nina thought it was
a miracle that everyone hadn't no.
ticed or maybe they had.
Things had reached a stage where
IL was impossible for Nina not to
realize that Richard was tremen-
dously attracted to her :. he
made no effort to disguise it. and
she supposed that If anything had
pulled the wool over peoples
Eoncy's-eyes. it was his very
openneSs.
Some nights when she lay sleep
less from thinking about It, she
thought that her stepfather him-
self, must be unaware of his feeling
for her and some nights, particu-
larry when she was worn out with
conflicting emotions, she thought
that he was being diabolically
clever. You couldn't pin anything
on him; il he took his coffee up TO
her room in the morning, he an
nounced il beforehand: when he
kissed her. he kissed her in front
of Honey. IL he was holding her
hand when his wife came in, he
continued TO hold Il.
All this could be interpreted in
kwo ways, and Nina. loving him,
preferred 20 think that he Was ~