The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-11-26
Chapter 2!
'PIease DOn't CALI

RIeaSe DON'T Oau
"...WELL, then, would you
W walk in the park for a
while? Bring Button :. all very
respectable -"
Nina took the hand-phone away
from her ear and looked at it,
frowning as though it were per-
son; and then she smiled at it. and
lifted it back.
mo, Richard >. You know it's
No."
Precious" his voice came over
the wire, low and vibrant, and
family teasing. Precious, why
are all your little emotions so very
-complex?"
"They aren't - complex, Rich
ard; and ! think have only one
strong emotion these days -"
He said quickly: Darling :"
But she said: :. to get over
you'll"
He didn't answer Immediately,
so she went on: "And you're not
being fair, not helping me !.
calling up every day :. begging
me to see you. Richard, dear-we
always talk about me and my
fighting against this =. this thing;
but how about you? Don't you
want to-play fair?"
NO." he answered, deliberate
ly. Tn sorry :. No."
Then my determination will
have to be strong enough for both
of us =. Goodby i. . and would you
please not call again? Please?"
"Goodby, then - What was
there in his voice? Resignation?
Anger? But she noticed that he
made no promises, just the same.
Nina had been busting, but now
she went over and sat down in one
of the little spring-back walnut
chairs. She thought and thought.
Which Did She Want?
a N hour later, she was still sit
"A ting there :. the buster still
in her hand.
1t began like this:
Her sudden, impulsive marriage
had been a chastity mistake. Moth
ing had been changed by it. Rich
ard, and their love for each other,
was still there-only now she had
dragged David into the tangle, as
well. Honey and David. There were
tho people to deceive :. ttCo peo-
pie to hurt, now -.
And where were they all head
ing2 What did acknowledgement?
i. /. Should she 90 on with her
travesty of marriage, her travestv
OF loyalty to her mother? Could
she? Or would they some day find
out; or, worse still. suspect so
that her suffering would have been
for nothing?
Or should she be brave, as Hes
ter had been? Face the world, adj
NIT her love :. +. marry Richard, 20
away with him. anything-but
openly?
Which was right . :. but, no, first
OF all, which did she iUdnt?
But Nina,s answer to that ques-
ton was all mixed up with what
Richard wanted. And yet. surely.
she knew.
That first evening. the only time
he had kissed her, he had said:
This is our hour :" and an hour
must always end. He had meant il,
too, then, she was sure. But on the
stairs at Harmony. he had said:
"You don't want this thing over
between US any more than i. It
needn't be =" showing that he
had changed his mind.
He then. too, must have realized
the power of this love of theirs that
was holding them together =. in
spite OF other ties. or right or
wrong. or--anything.
When they had all been standing
about in the upper hall, at Har-
mony, the night Of Hester's elope-
ment Richard had not joined
in the general conversation. he had
simply looked at her. and with his
eyes he had said: THAT might have
been you and Nina" as plain
~ as though he had spoken.
II might have been.
II might =. be.
But Nina SHE'D away from the
thought. as she had trained herself
20 do.
Instinctively, in these days since
her marriage when Richard had
been pursuing her--telephoning-
begging her to meet him In
stinctively she had been saying:
sNo."
Virtually: Il love you. want
you but mustn's. No. Please
don't cal"
We can't stop it. any more than
we can stop the sun from rising
Well. il they couldn't. they
ought 90 face il honestly: and II
they could. they should.
Nina thought; I'VE should talk
Il cut. once. fully. Not n furtive