The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-12-27

ling to be frank enough 10 say slnaL
it is quite apart from-desire--or
needing your money to support
me, or. or any of the things
that you have hated me for, in the
past. It's something entirely differ
ent. Nina. Pm different =. you've
made me so"
! She wanted to say: "Oh, poor
Richard. You aren't. You'll never
be. You think you're new person,
that you love me -. but something
way down underneath is telling
you, this very minute, that you are
behaving like a gentleman, that /
| will always remember how fine
you were about admitting your
mistakes. Something is telling
Iyou right now, not to try and
touch me to look grave and
determined, and hesitant at the
same time to froWn just a lit
tie. =. Oh, don't mean to be hor-
rid, but / know you-so-well."
Nina, / wouldn't be saying this
to you now if / weren't going away.
l don't even expect a definite an
swer but / want you to think
of what / am telling you. want
you to marry me, some day. want
you to remember that you did love
| me once, Nina, before / &. well,
before you became as disguised
with me as am now, with my
lseH. -" 1855
/ She put up her hand then, be-
cause she had to stop him.
wait, Richard think the
best way to answer is to tell you
1 that am terribly, terribly in love
with David. Oh, he left me, know
=. but just as you say you love
me now, as a result OF all your
unhappiness, all you learnt about
yourself so do love him. !.
| / learnt about myself too, Richard
-. and there will never be anyone
else for me-"
She thought for moment how
true that was. There could never
be anyone else for her-any happl-
ness. And then she said: I'm
Richard looked down at the
| floor.
!. "If you should ever change,
Nina. :. If you should ever come
to feel differently about me -.
She felt almost foolish as she
said: There's no use hoping, Rich
ard" because she knew that,
though he meant it now, in a few
months time, he would be riding
or swimming, or lying IN the sun
with some attractive woman /.
and it would be just as though this
scene, in the quiet brownstone
house had never taken place.
He said: "Then ] feel pretty
much as if everything were over
for me, Nina"
II know" she smiled a little. at
the present, and at the so different
future she could see so plainly. Il
know. I feel that way too, but we II
manage, / guess somehow"
And now Nina didn't smile. be-
cause she couldn't see any future
for herself she didn't see how
she toaS going to-manage. -.
Button Quivers
\ UNA looked up from her letter.
IN writing, vaguely.
. She said: "Oh-anything, Brid-
get -. a chop. anything. I'm not
hungry.
But Bridget demonstrated.
Now, Miss Nina, darlin, you
mustn't be like that. Just because
; Mr.. Challoner has sailed and
you're alone, you mustn't let down
you've been so grand UP till
now. A chop, indeed! How
, about one of them fine plump
: SQUAD fellows ;"
J Nina smiled, and Strengthened
: up her aching back.
! "All right, Bridget, dear-one OF
them fine plump SQUAD fellows,
! then. -. You and Margaret have
one, too Two, too"
Thank you That we will. Will
J you be wanting him at 7:30, as
I usual?"
) Amy time. don't care !" and
at Bridget's frown: Yes. Seven
thirty viii do, nicely"
II Bridget departed to the lower
: regions, and the big house settled
/. down to its dreadful stiffness once
!, more.
{ Nina wondered how she would
2 ever get down the SQUAD.
She hoped he would be skinny
? instead Of plump, because thE
2 thought of food was so repelleni
10 her. And that made her won.
!, der where David was eating, and
z what. and whether he was hungry
: Probably Oracle was cooking
{ one OF her st1mptuous meals for
him +. making him laugh.
David would marry Oracle, oi
course and she would make him /
a marvellous wife, because she wa
i capable. and because she loves
him.
/ Nina wished she could be deem
enough to be glad that David had
n someone like that. but she couldn'i
be.
o She went on writing people !.
s thanking them for their flowers
j their wires, their notes of sym
patty. -.
Messages were still arriving, 81
5 that when the doorbeu rang, ane
q Bridget went 20 Il, Nina didn'i
: even bother to wonder what II was
r II was Button who made hel
e pause and look Up.
Z Button. usually 50 quiet fhesl
: days. had bounded up from HI
{ place &C Nina's feet. He stoppel
e Quivering for q moment and hi
nose shifted furiously.
fcoppssgAs. EssS. Mnrrurss HsrHeeS
-
u Davia resurns. ssmsvsA