The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-05-26
lie kex.w,s,,s,:4I. *. s 81.
FERGUSON

a low, heavy limb
Roll off, jim! Oh, God" While
Judith breathed her prayer, Biddy
swept under the limb. Unable to
free himself quickly enough. Jim
caught the impact where the
horseshoe pin fastened his white
stock. Riderless the mare swept
o1-crazily on
=. Even before. she touched
him, Judith knew. Snow. Water.
Mud. Blood and something utterly
still, that just a moment before
had been Jim, warm, laughing,
vital. Where had he gone so quick
ly that all her love, all her plead
ing could not reach him?
"Jirnl We must go home-home
to Grant Jim, don't you hear
dear?"
The Nj. F. H. gave no sign. He
lay at ease in the mire, hint of
the old reckless smile upon his
face.
Dick, his fioridness washed pale,
climbed down into the ditch. you
must get help, Judy"
She continued to plead with Jim
to come home.
Judy" Dick spoke patiently,
you must get a. doctor. Get the
house - ready. You must get
DOCTOR"
Jim did not need a doctor. Ju-
dith was sure of it. She wondered.
numbly. if some one would stop
poor Biddy before she killed her
self. Too late. Biddy crashed over
the hedge. rolled in agony. tried to
get up
Whimpering, staggering, Judith
reached the terrace, crossed it. The
telephone was ringing when she
entered the hall. Blindly she
walked towards it. Must get doc
tor
Judith Oliver speaking" Pant
ing she leaned against the wall for
support.
Reuben's voice came over the
wire clearly "You called me. Ju-
dith?" She made no sound.
Reuben said: Are you there,
Judith? Are yoe having a."
A gunshot, SCATTERING the Christ
mas peace: resembling across the
world.
Reuben's voice raised sharply
aIn heavens name WHAT"
''Biddy O'Hare is dead. Jim is
dead
Are you hurt, Judy? can't
hear you'll"
The receiver fell from her hand
-dangled by its cord. She went
out through the snow. She sat
down by Biddy O'Hare. She saw
three men walking slowly-Car-
rying something very carefully.
Jim.
Gran met him at the door-The
last of the Goodloes-Gran was
tasting the bitterness of life.
Judith sat on by Biddy O'Hare.
Every event of her life and Jim's
passed in detail before her They
were gay little lives-not much
growth perhaps as reckoned by the
realists, but happy little lives sur
rounded by love, filled with laugh
ter-Just an hour ago Jim had
laughed. Now
Biddy's satiny neck grew cold
beneath her fingers. With grief too
deep for tears, Judith sat on while
the sun went down and the world
grew dark.
is This The End?'
NEARLY 1000 miles away Cissy
y buttoned herself into a leather
windbreaker, fastened helmet
securely over her red head and
looked at Reuben from eyes grown
hard. Just when her plans were
nearing perfection. when all her
dreams were coming true, a voice,
drifting across the continent shat
tered theml He was answering
that voice, going away from her.
If she let him 60 now
''Ready?" Reuben turned to the
silver plane, impatient to be of.
Hurry a bit, can't you, Cissy7"
Deliberately Cissy pulled on her
left glove. "Tt's like Judith to spoil
our Christmas. Helpful little Jul
dith!"
"Cissy--l wish you wouldn't"
Wouldn't what?s
Dislike her so.
rs there any reason why ]
should like her2
Perhaps not, but you speak as
though she planned this terrible
thing just for spite"
RUDE carefully cissy fastened
the snap Of her glove, Does this
mean the end-for u.s."
WAS there ever a beginning,
Cissyas
IF she hadn't called you to-
day"
Il couldn't have held out much
longer. Cissy. | was going back,
going after her"
"Worms" Scornfully.
Maybe" unperturbed he looked
At her from deep, serious eyes,
Take Judith and the kids out OF
my world and there's nothing
much left in il,
Suppose, when you get there,
she wants a divorceg"
Reuben stopped his restless pac-
in. He looked across the fields;
looked az the long. undulating line
Of purpliSh blue mountains with
out seeing them. II Judith wanted
divorce
She's hySterical now, Rube, but
her heart Is where II always was~-
with Gary Brent"
fcssyrsF4s. 1859. Els.sas S~sfl fvfssesl