The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-11-12
a napier II
SOS. To David

AOAAAlO - eyes were less
stormy, and. little of the
amusement that always lurked
there, had returned.
Il know, darling, but don't say
it." He laid finger against her
lips that were still throbbing.
This l. our hour-we can't undo
it by saying how wrong it is
let's instead, make it so beautiful
that we'll always remember its !.
beauty" He laughed that low
laugh of his, that began way down
in his throat. whoa, there, sweet
-. I can see you're beginning to
think, and that's quite fatal"
His cure was sure-fire.
Nina had not been capable of
consecutive speech or thought
since he had first stood up and
moved the backgammon table
away. And this time when he freed
her, she was so completely under
his spell, that though she found
words, it was as though she were
hypnotized.
She laughed a laugh that seemed
to come from very far off.
q. And ! lay up in my bed and
reasoned it all out so comfortably,
that l didn't really love you. Oh,
mol l even used arithmetic -. on
my fingers.
They laugh / together.
e. And when sat at breakfast.
and you came in all handsome and
beautiful in that black dressing
gown Of yours, with silver dragons
on it, ] said, Nina, my child, snap
out of this schoolgirl crush Of
yours, will you? =. Imagine, darl-
ing, snap out of it just like
that"
She tried to snap her fingers, but
they wouldn't, and he kissed them
instead, and Nina saw the end of
her brief, lucid interval coming.
The next time I as Richard
who found the words, telling her
the little things he loved about
her.
9. the way you lower your
eyes and then look up again. The
way you're blushing now--sl WY.
The way you use your hands I.
practical little hands, but ineffici-
ent looking, THANK heaven I
love TO watch your mouth when
you talk"
Mad, heavy words impossible
not to listen to.
Il love-you, Richard. Every
thing"
Nina never knew what suddenly
brought her back to reality, to a
realization of what she was doing.
Perhaps he let go of her hand
for a second; or paused too long in
casting a spell over her with his
words. At any rate she suddenly
slipped away from his enchant-
ment, and became her true self
again.
She drew away.
wait. Darling Richard, wait.
Please. This was our stolen hour.
know. / can't un-say any of the
things I've told you, because
they're true :. But il we're to
keep the memory of this beautiful
we must end 4 now, darling.
Please understand" She was pale
and shaking-near to tears. Il /
-. I'm sick now suddenly. II
you kiss me once more shall hate
you, hate us both. Nobody can be
blamed for having q thing like this
overtake them /. it's Destiny. or
something, / suppose But we'd
be wicked, tuicked to 60 ONT
And then she said it: Honey
-" and the tears came, now, enor-
nous. individual ones. that welled
up from a great unhappineSS with
in her.
But Richard sought to calm her
In the way he thought best. and it
was a mistake. Her eyes blazed
and she ierked away from him.
"Richardl I told you I'd hate US
both. and oh, / do. / do-o-o." It
ended in a sob.
And still he couldn't-wouldn't
let her go.
And even with her new deter
mination TO do right. she found
herself yielding to him but
then il was the end.
She was more afraid shan ever.
That kiss was the last kiss.
Terrified az herself :. at Rich
ard =. az Life. she turned and ran
out into the hall.
The dash up the two flights Of
stairs made her heart throb so that
everything jumped before her
eyes, in unison with its beats. Her
lungs filled with air and she
couldn't think how TO let il out
again.
II wasn't until she gained her
room. and leaned back against the