The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-12-27
Chapter 81
Death Takes Honey

1sdenly looked at her. She just
raised her lids, as though she
hadn't been sleeping at all, and
said: Hello = baby" quite
wide awake.
Darling 8. hello, there"
= Nina bent over and kissed heI
hard.
Nina Honey looked around
the darlened room without NOV
ing her head. Nothing about her
moved, only her lips and her eyes
Her arms, on the coVerlet, might
have been marble arms placed
there The rounded mound OF
her body, q dummy. nina
I'm a little afraid. Am I-going?"
"GOing?" Nina giggled, softly
"Xou mean dying? Listen, pet,
don't let on I told you, but all this
is Just q show. DR. Fellows said
If we don't make your mother
think she's frightfully i'll, she'll
never behave the way we want
her to You're not in the least
danger - really but you'll only
pusly painful cramps If you don't
stay quiet. You don't want that,
do your" V3g
Honey whispered: Hell = no, ?
and her wide Blue eyes twinkled
for a minutes Nina thought that
they looked unusually dark. and
then she saw that the irises were
quite enlarged.
s'Be good, Honey lamb, and
you'll be out in a couple Of weeks.
Honey didn't answer.
Then: Richard? -. Do I look
all right for him, baby?"
Sweet. Just pale enough to be
interesting. You don't want to look
buxom in bed, do your"
Honey 1murmured: i don't
want to 1oolx-buxom, ever" and
then she went TO sleep again.
After a few more minutes. the
nurse came back. She took
Honey's pulse, and gave her an
injection.
Nina whispered: "She talked a
1ittle.e
The woman raised her eye
brows, and nodded; and wrote
something down on her chart, and
lifted another chair to the bed,
without making sound.
Another long vigil. Sometimes
you could hear a bell ringing
faintly-doWn on the first floor,
Sometimes you could hear ns;lfIied
footsteps in the hall outside. but
for the most part there was moth
ing but an awful stfllness-with
Honey the very stillest Of all.
We've Separated
CHE died at six o'clock. The at
- tack had been too much of a
strain.
Richard was on one side Of the
bed. and Nina on the other.
Honey just opened her blue
eyes-suddenly, as she had when
Nina Yves alone with her, and
smiled at each Of them in turn.
The fingers Of her two little
plump, white hands uncurled, and
she seemed to be trying 70 reach
out 70 them.
They each took q hand.
@Richhrd Nina" she whis-
pered, Il think III go to sleep for
a little while
Richard said: DO, my darling.
And Nina said: "A good idea
lamb.p
And chen DR.. Fellows straight-
ened up and took the stethoscone
from his ears.
It's all over, dear children" he
said, and put his arm around
Nina's shoulders.
Aunt Carrie Van Alstyne and
Cordelia and Carl came back to
the 74th street house with Nina
and Richard, after they had left
H0ney's flower banked grave IN
Wo0dlawn cemetery.
Cordelia safds You'll be going
back TO the APARTMENT tonight,
WON'T you. Nina, DEAR I And
Carl said. Like me TO stay with
you for day or so. Richardf'
But Nina cut in.
I'll be here, Carl, Cordelia
al Of you. David isn't sick in bed.
/ 0niy said that. We've we've
separated. ! didn't want t0--upsei
an*one
Nina
Qh. my poor child
She didn't really care - didn't
really listen 10 what they said.
As she said Ii now. out loud. IN
this house that was suddenly 50
lonely without Honey--it hurt her
SO. that she might have been read
ing David's note again, for the first
time.
David and Nina had separated
and Honey was dead. There was
nothing left in her life ahso-
lutely nothing.
NeDuif had SEPT round a special
delivery letter the day before
and Nina had called him and
asked him 10 take care OF Buttor
Tor a &Rw fnore days. She would
be bafN y get him. he said. anc
% see abodt storing her thing.
after the funeral.
The letter had been from Davic
-. but i wss only a check fol
$20o and q word 10 the effect tha
he would set in touch with her
pre4gftlyss Not word abon
Iara -4-al ongh there had beer
aa0cles il the papers about be-
dAsh. Just the check and thoS'
tzeee lines.
Itlsa hurt of course. bet w