The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-08-29

defnite-and l had just about de-
cided that she must be an artist s
model who had learned her English
from some American painter when
| found that, for the second time,
Hugo was answering for me.
Childhood Friends
no, NO" said he. He leaned his
y braWny, sun-tanned arms en-
the table, and now the gO0dna-
tured smile was fading, hardening
into something cold and lmplac-
able You'll have to forgive Us,
mademoiselle, but you re barking
up the wrong tree.
She caught her breath sharply,
fer.ly indignant, and then sud
denly the Swallowed look left her
eyes and they became as dancing
and mIschieVous as a little girl 5.
Ladies don't bark up trees, T
she retorted. They sit On branch.
waiting to be barked at
Hugo shouted with laughter at
that. Young woman, you WIN. II 5
definitely established that we're
childhood friends Let's drink to
our former meeting and our
next
He nailed a passing waiter and
invited her order, and she laughed
back al him, gay now and care
free. Lets see, where was il We
saw each other last?" said she.
Was it Paris? Or Deauville? Or
LIE TOuquet?"
And then suddenly, even as /
watched her, d dreadful change
came over her face. Her glance
had strayed over my shoulder, and
now for an instant It remained
fransfxed. The dark eyes Widened.
staring and haunted, the warm
color drained from her cheeks.
She gasped. and put her hand TO
her heart.
I'm sorry" she said, very low,
Il can't wait for the drink. | must
60. Tell me- she laid a hand
swiftly on my arm-"youre stay
ing here? What's your Nance
Archibald Lumsden,' | told
her. yes, I'll be here for day or
two. but what's the trouble? Why
can't you waltz
It's nothing" she answered,
but even as she spoke, her eyes
were rowing this way and that,
like a hunted animals. She re-
peated my name softly, under her
breath, as If memorlZing it, and
stood up. Thank you, she sand.
you've been-kind ! won't forget
it,"
The golden curls and the raf-
fish crimson tuTban vanished. and
I turned to Hugo.
And that's that" | commented
rather ruefully. What d'yOu make
Of her? | presume on closer IN
spectlon she wasn't so taken with
our looks"
He shook his head, pulling
thoughtfully at his aged brier. 1T
wasn't that" he said at last, but
it was the oldest thing ever saw.
She spotted something or some
body that she didn't like, and quit
in a hurry, but what it was I've no
idea, and what to make Of her !
GdLl LCii. DlO y va llOL4ON bAiN II tA' u
accent? Half of it was put on, III
swear"
The French half was genuine
enough" said l.
He shook his head again. mo"
he said decidedly. ut was the
French half that was fake, and be-
sides, did you ever see a French
woman built like that? Those long,
slender limbs. the delicate artiCu-
lation OF the feet and hands? No.
no, my young friend, they don't
breed EN- like that this side of the
Channel. It's my job to notice such
things, and you can take my word
for it, she was an American, and
finely bred at that. pretending TO
a nationality she didn't own, and
playing a game she didn't know.
And what's more" He hesitated,
and his eyes, somber now and wor-
ried, met mine. And what's
more" he finished. "she was des-
perately afraid"
Copyright. 1888. HGr SaItmorsh
Tomorrow: A great cartOOnist.