The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-04

the SUBJECT. 1t was you'll You were
the only one who knew how much
we paid for itl'
of course it was /, you silly
boy" Laughter and tenderness
combined in the lovely voice. at
took me some time to get enough
money together, but when | did.
OF course / bought it. Now will you
come and see me?"
"T'u come" he promised. and
hung up. In ten minutes he was
being shown to the private sitting
room Miss DeMuth had engaged.
She came toward him with out
stretched arms. They were white
arms, barred by f1ame-colored dra-
perieS which fell away as she
lifted them. He recognized the
gown she wore. It had been one of
his favorites. Perhaps too elabo-
rate for a January evening in a
quiet hotel, nevertheless it served
the purpose for which it's wearer
had chosen it. 1t bridged the
months of unhappiness since he
had last seen Iris as perhaps
nothing else could have done:
made him feel that he stood again
in the presence of the only girl who
had the power to make his heart
beat quickly, his big frame tremble
with happiness. Still, he retained
enough recollection of the past to
take only one of those outfung
hands, and to give it perfunctory
rlaSn before drNonipO r.
TO Kill Your Love-
"T>IM"-the word was almost a
l. sob-"you aren't angry with
me-still? But I forgot you don't
know--the whole story. Come sit
down beside me, dearest, and let
me tell YOU" She slid soft hand
into his and led him to the big
couch. For nearly fifteen minutes
she talked, her extraordinary voice
pleading her cause as much il not
more than her words did. In brief
her story was that Latshaw, a man
whom she had known from child
hood, had pretended to sympathize
with her love for Tim Corliss and
tc want to help him financially. He
had proposed the neat plan to fool
the Eastern promoters, "for Cor
liss's benefit" She had not known
until the deal had gone through
that LatShaW owned the land he
unloaded on the young partners.
Then, Mortified at his duplicity, she
had left Boulder.
Tim clutched at his vanishing
common sense.
But that note you left for me,
Iris!"
She let her long lashes droop
until they almost touched the
pearly whiteness of her cheek; then
swept them swiftly upward to
show him a mist of tears III her
dark eyes.
''That was TOTO make you hate
me, Tim" she whispered. 81 told
myself that after you'd found out
about Latshaw and all, you'd never
want to see me again, so it would
be-be kindest to complete the Job
to stab deeply enough to - to
kill your love for me. You'll never
know what courage it took to write
you that note, Tim!"
He reflected that he knew little
about girls, and that little gave
him small ability to analyze their
motives. Dimly he felt that there
were discrepancies in Iris's story;
yet her presence here, the UNI
doubted fact that she had bought
up the land she had tricked him
into-well. perhaps tricked was
not the word for what she had
done-she had persuaded him to
buy, bore out the truth of what she
was saying.
Where" he demanded, did you
get the money to buy all the land?"
She said evasively that she had
saved some of it, and some had
been left her by a great-aunt.
What does it matter, anyway? +
bought it only to show you that I
:. realized what a horrible per-
son / must have seemed to you,
Tim, and perhaps this - this tan
gible thing might help to convince
you IL wasn't so bad as you
thought"
ut was good of you, but un-
necessary" he told her. IF the
land was Latshaw's ="
"If% She pressed her hands to-
her heart in a gesture of anguish.
Tim, does that mean you still
doubt me? After I've come back to
you? After I've done all I could to
make reparation? Tim. don't you
love me at all?"
It surprised him that he could
not answer this question. Certainly
the old allure was there. Iris's
voice. the satin black hair which
grew from widows peak on her
forehead, the grace with which she
moved, the way she used her
hands, even the faint perfume with
which he associated so many hap
Ply hours, all combined to work
their spell upon him. But dimly he,
realized that his reaction was
purely emotional; that some part
of his mind sat coldly and clearly
in judgment, and found Iris's story
lacking in truth; not all the truth.
perhaps. He tried to believe that
she was holding back only some
girlish deception, some pretty fem
mine guile which she knew inStinc-
lively he would disapprove.
Honestly, Iris, / don't know"
he said after a silence. 1T was Won
derful of you to buy back that
land; but / hate the feeling that
Latshaw still benefits. And it's
been nearly i've months that I've
lived through hades, trying to put
you out of my mind. / you must
give me time to get used to having
you here again"
Continued Monday.