The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-12-28
i've : Company
BY MARGARET cuoN HeRzoc Y
chapter So
EFT CuION HEROIC
The Old Combination

But -.
Suddenly Button gave howl Of
Joy and bounded into the hall i. :.
sid now Nina knew.
"a low: Button OF fella -"
confirmed it.
David had come.
She began TO tremble all over.
Day is in the hall, Miss Nina
Esa.g whispered Bridget, wide
sred9t psi 8
hsAnd Nina could only nod.
You'll see him, dearie?"
And Nina nodded again.
In another minute he was in the
room with her.
It couldn't be. All this simply
couldn't have happened to them
-. Every inch of him belonged to
her.
Was it possible that she didn't
have the right to fly into his arms?
He stood in the doorway, one
hand holding the dogs two front,
upstretched paws. His h air
cleaned under the hall light, and
Nina saw that he was very sum
burned.
Nina 80"
And she said: "Come in, David
-. You're so very brown!"
He crossed over to her quickly,
and began to talk very fast.
h Nina heard only the--sound Of
his voice, not his words. She drank
III the dear sight Of him, and felt
his nearness. She thought surely
he must be telling her that ne
wanted her after all in spite OF
everything; but after the first de-
iEFlois second that was merely full
Of gensations, she was able to real
iyiisten, and she realized that he
waa speaking of Honey.
-" Z. / only heard few min
tlfes ago, Nina. They gave me va
cation, and I've been to Bermuda.
Nobody knew where / was !
rot in at noon, and Jack just told
ne now, at the Office hurried
right over
I'm glad you told me, David =.
I9thought you would have !
mean, no matter how you felt to-
wards me :. But, of course, un-
derstand now" And she said: did
gou have nice timer" in strange
little voice that was not at all her
own nor was the question what
She had meant 10 ask.
He bit his lip. and looked down
aEhis shoes.
pSit down, David--over here,
where it's comfortable"
He followed Nina to the fire.
place, and sat down on the couch
opposite her. Button jumped up
beside him, and laid his head on
David's knee.
The three of them, there to-
Rether- The old combination that
Wiash't---a combination, any more.
She couldn't bear to look at
them and she couldn't bear not
4 Understand, Nina
ssfF cry, or anything stupid,
David, don't pay any attention
10 me, will you? Now that most of
khetwork IS over, I'm sort of-let
down, / guess
Agail--he looked down, up at
TIE ceiling, anywhere but directly
akher.
ne said; poor Nina =. poor lit
tl&kid .
And all the tiny strength she had
deserted her at the gentleness in
rs voice. Her heart seemed to melt
tib within her, and drip away in
great drops. She could hear them
sa.feel them; but when she looked
down, she saw that they were tears
falling on her hand.
you -. see, David?"
His brown eyes met hers, direct
~, for the first time.
Go ahead, cry. =. he said soft
~. Il understand. Nina UNI
derstand a lot more than you think,
my dear. More than I did. came
here mainly because of Honey, but,
now that we're together. let me
speak about-tis. Will your /.
Down there in Bermuda. and on
the boat, did some tall figuring,
Nina, and ii suddenly came TO me
why you had married me in the
frst place. I suddenly saw every
k&tAltk ItrAAtls AINAtt lit &c SkAAkt44tks
and instead Of blaming you for
what I thought was q terrible dis
loyalty on your part, was able TO
appreciate the long struggle you
had made. to be-loyal."
He paused for a moment, and
patted Button in preoccupied
sort Of way.
I'm not just saying all this.
Nina. mean il. Lordl ! know
what il Is TO be in love; and ] can
understand doing almost anything
because OF Il. You tried. heaven
knows you succeeded in giving
me enough happiness to 80 on for
the rest Of my life And now Z
want TO see that you get yours. !
want 10 make il easy for you 10 di-
vorce me =. so that some day
whenever il will be--you can be
Tree 20 marry Richard he said
the name with difficulty.
Nina had turned icy cold at the
words otvorces but somewhere in
aide Of her, a feeling OF excitement
WfAa growing growing though
ahetfied 70 hold Il in check.
David wasn't speaking ike a
man whose loge has been killed
cutie dead. IL lie could forgive her,
taiil not understanding that dread
fui Atlantis City business II he
were toidsf