The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-01-19


Barrie spoke up. Leila might sput-
ter ! great deal around here, but
she'll not do anything rash"
81 suppose not" Media agreed,
settling back N her seat
Whatever she'd do would be
only for your good" Mrs. Barrie
continued. Underneath Leila IS
really kind"
YES" contributed Uncle Ham.
But its a shrewish sort Of kind
ness"
Media laughed.
You've described her perfectly,
Uncle Ham"
Shes a lot like my brother
Bob, Laura said.
sHave you a brether?" Media
asked, looking euriously at her.
Oddly, she'd never connected
Laura with relatives.
Yes" the woman returned mus
ingly. He's an old bachelor. Lives
IN the northern part Of the state.
Up Eureka way"
Media wondered why Laura
hadn't gone to keep house for her
brother when she was told TO 90
from the rancho. The answer was
obvious. Laura preferred a hus-
band to being dependent upon her
brother.
That afternoon a ray Of bright
ness came to Media in the form of
a lettuce buyer who offered to buy
her crop as it was for $500.
She accepted gladly, for she'd
thought the crop a total loss.
Five hundred dollars would save
touching Jacks fund for a few
months, anyway.
Missing!
NEXT morning a letter came
from the boy. A thin letter. She
held il IN her hand for a few min
utes and stared at il. Somehow it
seemed a sensitive, living thing
throbbing against her palms, for
she sensed the moment she saw It
that il contained bad news. Finally
she opened it and read the broken,
incoherent sentences:
PDe left college sold the
microscope to get money TO
keep me till land q Job. -.
KnolD this is nlonstTous for
you. But t1hat about me? -.
Can't stand Il -. T1eUeT, neUeT
tCill forget that dissection so
long as I lire. -. What's the
use Of pretending TO be happy
Uhen you're not? Better for
me to era11l GtUay and lick my
mounds By myself than TO
come home.
For a moment she had difficulty
in managing her knees. She read
the letter again and again, as II
her eyes had not seen Alright the
first time.
She thought Of her father. The
way he'd always sheltered her. In
those days she'd never dreamed
that life could be so complicated.
For the first time she fully appre-
ciated the problems that had con-
fronted Stephen Barrie and she
loved him even more than before.
How could she tell her mother
what Jack had done2 She simply
couldn't Shed write him and i'm
plore him TO return TO college. If
only he would 60 back immedi-
ately their mother need never
know.
But where could she write to
him? He'd given no address in his
letter. That omission, she OWNED,
was deliberate on his part. He
didn't want TO be implored to re-
turn to his studies.
She could not stay in the house
for fear her mother would read the
distress in her face and want to
know the reason So she went TO
town on q pretended shopping
tour. First she stopped in the tele-
phone once and held a long con-
versation with Jacks favorite pro-
fessor who sounded almost as con-
eerned over the boys flight as she
was
He's been restless for several
months, Professor Dawson said II
was afraid Of something like this,
for he's been limiting that he'd like
70 seek other work
do you think he told anyone
where be was going-any Of his
fellow students2" she asked, sobs
beating against her throat.
So FAR as can find out. he took
absolutely no one into his conf
dence. ~
Despite that statS tent, Media
called several other people and
made inquiries. but the answer was
the same IN every case. None knew
where Jack had gone.
She went out 70 the street al
most choking with the tumult OF
her feelings Yet she looked very
lovely in her green wool dress and
pert little bat when she walked
into a grocery store few moments /.
later. The deep gravity IN her dark
eyes somehow added beauty 20 her
face Al the bread counter she met
Bill Langdun.
Hello. Bill. she greeted.
How do you do. EQuable and
detached. he seemed 70 contem-
plate her as a stranger claiming his
acquaintance, then be walked on.
Well she Stormed 70 herself. IL
! ever speak 10 that man again"
fcosErtgAf. 1881 Aiies Marts Dodssl
So s.~t....t.w s..r.-.. ~. 49,. A..