The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-30
chapter AZ
KAY And Marion Meet

= Kay And Marion Meet
'0THEY took Tom Runyon away
L from the trial to 60 down and
investigate the fire." said Shorty.
''They didP Kay suddenly re-
membered Tom Runyon's excited
conference with the two men she
had seen come up to him, when
she had been running away from
him and Josh Hastings.
Sure" Shorty leaned forward
confdentially. "Say-it looks like
that Runyon birds almost as good
as he says he isl" He paused, and
fixed Kay with speculative eye
You've sure got me guessing,
KayI Here thought you were kind
of taken with this Gaynor guy
Then when it came out at the trial
that you'd given away his hiding
place to Tom Runyon, thought
Runyon was the lucky fellowl
Now. hang it all, if you don't seem
a heap more stirred up about
what's happened to Gaynor than
to Runyon. Women sure are the
beatingestl"
Shorty finished his TRADE with
out noticing that Kay's eyes were
fixed on him in a sort of trance
what was that you said
Shortly" she demanded.
why. / was saying that
thought you liked"
mo" Kay interrupted. Il mean
about the trial--about me giving
away Ted Gaynor's hiding place
to Tom Runyon?"
SAY, that's no news to you, is
it," Shorty asked. "How else
could Runyon have reported it to
Zeke Farley?"
A great roaring in Kay's ears
almost drowned out Shorty's voice
Suddenly the answer to Ted's
puzzling behavior flashed before
her. How else could he have acted,
If he thought she had been the
one to betray his hiding place?
But If Tom Runyon testified
that" she protested wildly, sure
~ he told them that was delirious
and didn't know what was say
ingl To my knowledge / certainly
never told anyone that ! had seen
Ted in the shack up therei"
Shorty let out low whistle. $50
that accounts for it!'' He wrinkled
his forehead. Nope. Nothing was
said about your being out of your
head. ! got the whole thing from
a fellow who was there"
With moan. Kay buried her
face in her hands. For the mo-
ment. she hated Tom Runyon even
more than she did Josh Hastings
She could kill him for having
given that false impression to Ted!
Shortly Kay bit her lips in an
effort TO keep her voice steady,
and her eyes failed to meet
Shorty's sympathetic ones. sT-l
kind Of think I'd like to be alone.
Thanks for the supper"
That's o. K.n Shorty shifted UNI
easily from one foot to the other.
He made one or two false starts
in an effort to say something, then
abruptly took his leave.
nuntlnk TOT leu
THE gray light of dawn was
i stealing over the mesa when
Kay let herself out the cabin door
and ran down to the corral.
Whistling softly for Flicker, she
held his head close for a moment,
TO suppress his joyous whinny.
Then she saddled him and headed
for. the mesa, giving a wide circle
ia the bunk house. -
After a sleepless night, Kay had
arrived at one unacceptable conclu-
sion. Whatever the consequences,
she couldn't let Ted get away, car
rying with him the idea that she
had betrayed him.
The only clue she had as 70
where she might find him was his
statement that he was going TO see
If Marion Howell needed him.
In spite of her misery. Kay's
heart lightened as ii never had
before at the thought Of Marion
Howell. In this new light on Ted's
behavior. she saw the whole situa-
ton ike q clear pattern, and her
intuitive certainty that Ted really
did love her reasserted itself.
During the interminable night
she had fitted all the puzzlinE
pieces OF the pattern together
Teds' gruffness and bitterness, az.
ter the first moment OF abandon
when he had kissed her. his re-
marks. SO meaningless before. thai
he couldn't trust her TO know hs
had gone 10 Marlons the certainty
that Ted'S feeling for Marion wa.
that Of a grateful friend.
How like him. Kay thought
80 risk his own safety Tor friend.
ship as well as for lovel"
A tender smile lighted her FACE
for a moment. She gave Flicker