The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-17

JoT 1tStt
Chapter 10
NoIa
IOCELYN and Thorndyke met
~ Nola Cranston at the Santa
Barbara airport. It took them a
few minutes to push through the
surrounding circle of newspaper
reporters and cameramen, for
Nola Cranston was heiress TO the
Cranston shoe factory millions
and everything she did was news
As the two Russells looked on
she posed graciously on the steps
Of the airliner, a tall, elegant fig-
ure In tailored black, her shoulders
draped with silver fox skins. From
her handmade shoes to her Paris
turban she registered assurance
and sophistication. She was not
beautiful; rather, unusual. @Strik-
ing" would fit her better than any
other adjective. Her long hair,
worn In sleek, heavy knot on her
neck. was bleached to the color of
whIte-gold: her eyes, elongated
and wisely mysterious. were very
plack; her nose was sharp and
thin, its aquiline arrogance con-
tradicted by a wide, generous
mouth which parted often to show
perfect rows Of white teeth.
Spying Thorn and Jocelyn, she
beckoned to them with slim scar
let-tipped hand which held a Gig
arctic IN a long ivory holder,
~Come here, darlings!" she COM
manded. Il want you both in my
pictures.
Thorndyke. SNUG and pompous
and. proudly possessive, put his
arm about Eola's waist and kissed
her. His manner told the audience:
This woman is my future wife
Aren't We a rare and handsome
pair?"
Later, with Nola wedged be-
tween them in the front seat of the
cream-colored sedan, they all tried
talking at once and had to subside,
hopelessly. into laughter.
Boston is impossible this time
OF year" Nola finally managed.
Melting snow. drizzling rain, and
unbearably stuffy people. / made
up my mind on the way out here
that I'm not going back. Here am
and here am going to stay until
the day we trip down the aisle
Thornl Since | announced to the
ranara laef rnor4b tt,ot 4 ,,,-, 1,~,;,, :
70 give some of my millions to help
the worthy working classes, I've
been driven crazy by crankst an
going TO give some of the money
away. but first I'm going to decide
how to benefit the most people the
most permanently. For. goodness
sake. don't let any of these nutty
schemers get into Seacliffi / know
I'll be safe there from the vast
army OF the unemployed"
Thorn's eyes met Jocelyn's
you tell her." Lyn said. II CAM
talk about il without chokingi"
Talk about what?" Nola asked
turning curiously from one to the
other. Don't tell me anything has
happened to Seaeliff? OF course
know Grandmother Jocelyn i:
gone. Don't tell me her death re.
vealed a skeleton in the ancestral
closet?r
"A skeleton would be simple Il
deal with, Thorn commented dry.
ly. He went on to tell her abouf
the viii and the arrival of the
Mack family.
I'VE offered them money t
leave" Jocelyn added aggrieved
ly, but every one of them is a.
proud and stubborn as he is poor
never SdtD such peoplel"
We don't have to see them any
more. Thorn reminded her. "Nola
there's an eight-foot fence running
the length Of the place and each
family stays on its own side!"
Mean And Horrible
NIOLA'S uncontrolled laughter
IN pealed out. at sounds price,
lessl Seacliff with a fence down
the middlel Anyhow, since / am
neither q Russell nor q Mack, |
shall interview both sides. Honest
ly. darlings, it's ftnny-don't look
50 tragic. Where's your sense of
humor? You make 1t look and
sound like mountain feud! Don't
worry so-the invaders will prob
ably trek back to Texas one Of
these days and Seacliff can be easi-
~ restored"
Thorndyke frightened. 'You
might be right. Nola. At least it
doesn't help matters any for Lyn
and me TO worry and fret. What do
you say. Lyn? Let's agree to forget
our neighbors and live our own
livesl Is Geoff coming down
for dinner tonight"
II think so. He said something
about a shipment of three ponies
due this afternoon"
Does he still talk nothing but
horses2" Nola groaned. sGeoff is a
bore Of the first waterl How do
you bear up under it. Lyn? Oh, |
just thought Of something-why
don't you sell Seacliff TO me? That
viii get rid of your foes and then
you can buy il back from me after
they've been driven from the
promised land
Jocelyn fidgeted. .sNo can do,
Nola Grandma took care Of that
angle. have to marry old Talbot's
grandson before the estate can
ever be sold"
Nola whistled softly. as he too
bad?"
Hes impossible. A-a peasant
Hes mean and horriblel"