The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-08
Chapter Eight
Engaged

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OLIVIA had arranged cruise
~ for Gloria and three of her
visiting sister debutantes from
New York for the third week in
July. Once she had decided that
she was going to do things" for
Cecily. she was firm about it.
Cecily must. of course, be one of
the party to cruise to Canada IN
the small yacht she had chartered
for the week end.
Cecily said to Laura, Il hate to
miss the weekend here. It's so ex-
citing when guests come t. the inn
on Saturdays and come in here.
But Aunt Olivia had been so kind
70 me. can't refuse"
You'll have fun. Cecily," Laura
consoled.
'Funl" Cecily echoed. I've al
ready had those chattering, gig
Cling females under foot for the
last two days. They think it's cute
10 run a shop and then look at me
as though | wore glasses three
inches thick and wooden under
wear. ! don't fit with them at all"
Nor did she. She mightn't have
been so conscious of it, had she not
been in such close company with
them. She shared a cabin on the
yacht with Allene Bixby, who was
engaged" to four men-one Yale,
one Princeton, one band leader
and one tennis champion. She
drew Karen Willoughby for a
roommate at the big hotel at st.
Andrews. Karen wasn't much of
an improvement; she was torn be-
tween trying to decide whether to
elope to Armonk at midnight or
10 have a formal wedding with
doves released in the church as
she turned from the altar.
BeauX. Parties. Clothes. More
beaux. At first, Cecily had listened
TO all the talk and tried to make
conversation. After a while she
simply gave up. She didn't have
any beaux. She wasn't interested
in her clothes once she had bought
them, at least as a subject of con-
versation. and her parties weren't
the kind the girls were talking
about.
But Cecily was only twenty-one
and she was neither hard-boiled
nor an old maid. She was feminine
and she was sensitive. After two
days. it was apparent to her that
she was being tolerated, looked
upon as an outcast. She didn't
mind that but she was piqued by
their pity. So they were sorry for
her, were they?
She waited her opportunity and
when Allene said that she thought
she'd probably marry the tennis
champion because he was the only
one who did anything worth
while" Cecily knew her oppor-
tunity had come.
Il know how you feel" she said,
surprisingly. and discovered that
she had engaged their interest.
do your" someone asked.
yes. you see I'm =. we'll, I'm
sort OF engaged, too. My fiance is
just starting his career and when
he. =" She let it drift off, think
ing: There. that'll hold them!
And. Immediately. it did. 1t also
did something else. 1t admitted
her TO their circle. To a debutante,
a girl without beauX is an oddity;
they didn't understand her. They
hadn't understood Cecily but when
they thought she was one of them,
they discovered that they liked
her.
His Name Is
ONE day in the middle of the
" week after the cruise, Cecily
rather wished that they didn't like
her quite so much. Laura had gone
TO Boston on a BUSH IS trip and
she was alone in the shop with a
great deal to do. She had some
baskets to paint, an order from
the inn and now the girls were
trooping in to loll about the shop
during the rainy afternoon that
made boating or swimming i'm
possible.
She gave them tea and went on
with her painting:
by the way" Karen Willough-
by said, didn't you say that your
boy-friend was a writer?"
Uh. yes, guess / did," Cecily
said, and scowled over her paint
brush, wishing she could think OF
something to say to change the
subject.
What's his manner" Allene asked.
Rather desperately Cecily tried
to assemble her thoughts in ar
orderly manner. Cornered, heI
imagination refused utterly Il
function. To save her life-not Il
mention the present situation
she couldn't think of single i'm
aginary name.
Her eyes were level with a book.
shelf and rested there on the copy
Of Ride the Rainbow.
She said, His name is Callen
Philip. But you've never heard o.
him. I'm sure"
II had been raining for three
days. The air was pungent witt
the scent of the drenched earth
and the mingled smell of salt ane
spruces was like heavy perfume
Under the gray skies, the tree:
were black on a carpet Of bright
green. The sea stirred angrily