The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-04-27
81 wish it meant more"

| That's the point. You can turn
the tide. Saving your husband"
with rush of rage. should mean
more than saving your pride"
"You mean saving you should
mean more than saving my peo-
Pile"
"You can't grasp it, Listen"
II grasp it too we'll
1--WE struggled-I'm still float
| ing. Are you going to let me be
swept under when a little cash
tor." with sudden inspiration. "a
mortgage on the boxwood-"
II was match to finder. do you
know what a gentleman's agree
ment is?"
"How should | know" coldly.
They glared. two savages for the
moment.
"You-refuse to help me?" Reu-
ben could not quite believe it. He
! looked at her without seeing her
His mind went back to the days
when all life was shared-Willing-
| ly or by stealth. you refuse?"
81 refuse to stoop to something
I'd be ashamed to remember all
my life"
$50 that's it?"
II married you that's my part
Of the bond. I'll live up to it as best
| can. The money was your part
now you want it backl Well" she
raised defiant eyes to his, you
won't get it! I'm going to keep
them-Safe."
'Then go home and be safe with
them" angrily.
A breathless moment licked
away. "I'll make all allowances for
you, Reuben. You're worried" Her
quiet scorn was more soaring than
any outburst. what poverty to
fear?"
The Dark Side
LIE surveyed her slowly. From
II the decolletage of her black
velvet gown. her neck and shout
ders arose ivory tinted. satin
smooth. He felt a sudden pity for
her. felt his anger oozing. "Sit
down. Judith. ! want to talk to
YOU"
She sat on one of the twin beds.
He sat on the other. He was wear
ing dinner jacket. a gardenia. Save
for the baffiement in his bronze
eyes he looked like man who has
the world in a sling. He said with
a slight hesitance: you know ]
have neither background nor in
fluence. such as has surrounded
you all your life?"
II know"
81 have a few friends-darn
good ones. l can borrow little
from each"
When she said nothing his re-
sentiment flared anew. THAT
doesn't shock your"
They're your friends" she re-
minded him.
He felt a savage desire to hit
her. to hurt her. She was goading
him too far.
81 have my own notions of
what's white and what's yellow"
He smiled crookedly. Il learned
to discriminate in a hard school
where you lave to do your think
ing quickly and straight"
Not quite meaning to he found
himself telling her something of
his early life.
Forests - beautiful. Cruel too.
Cold Hunger stalking with the
wild beasts. The valiant effort of
the IL year old boy to act a mans
part.
ITO share with a buddy, take
your medicine standing, fight for
your rights. not to lie or cheat
that's about all / had to 90 on.
Until now it had always been
Ienough.
She was stirred by pity Of the
sort one feels for an i'll used ami
NAL Pity without the sympathy
of kinship. Coarse men. dirty. ig-
norant, rough. were alien to her.
| He felt something Of this, but
the floodgates were opened. Even
in those DAYS with men cursing,
| fighting. killing. think | knew
there would some day be you. Jul
dith. | had my dream of wife and
! home. II was for you | wanted
power. leisure. all that was finest
and best. ! never want you to
u touch the dark side of lifeI"
| He tried again to make her I'M
lderStand what poverty can be-a
| gradual letting down. Squalor.
/ Dizziness. Defeat.
"rm not afraid of those things,
Reuben. I'm sticking"
They moved TO a smaller hotel
Judith gave the chambermaid the
ornamented baskets. She stored
the wedding presents in the closet,
lunder the beds. She spent the days
lout OF doors. Each evening when
Reuben came home tired and dis.
couraged. he found her waiting
/ defantly cheerful. bubbling over
with news Of the day.
| He found her chatter soothing.
| II helped him TO forgotten q
while: to gather courage to face
lanother day.
| They never mentioned the hedge
or borrowing money from Gran
again. They seldom mentioned
Ianvthing Of vital Importance. In
stead they went nonchalantly q
| theaterS 10 night clubs where they
spent noney they could no. afford
20 spend. Throb OF drums. Beat oil
saxophones, Haze Of smoke. High.
Enitched laughter. Tinkle OF glasses
ForgetfulneSs for an hour.
fCets-tsas 1888. EssssAs S=ssA FsrFsas%J