The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-23

time doing it."
swell, I'd love coming back for
| the concert, but ], for one, do not
mind missing Mrs. Brewster's dim
ner-party," Lucinda said. "Its not
too late for you to back out, Tony"
"I'm staying" Tony said. "Itl be
interesting to go to dinner-party
where the guests arrive on time,
are fed without cocktails and feel
that some effort at intelligent con-
verSation is necessary. Just as long
as I'm not placed next to Cecily's
beau. l might take to asking him
personal questions. Does that best
bib and tucker 60 for me?"
"But definitely" Gloria an
swered, forgetting her recent an
noyance with Tony. eff you've
something formal, wear it. I'm go
ing in ice-blue satin."
White faille with halter back.
Too low. Black velvet with pulled
sleeves. Too last-winteriSh. Cecily
took down her yellow crepe. She
thought: If I wear cluster Of
dt LIIC OC1t cllO
narrow brown velvet ribbon tied
in a bow at my throat, I ought to
look formal enough for Mrs.
Brewster'S dirner-party tomor-
row. Oh my, what a narrow social
life I used to lead. I'll bet Gloria
and Tony and the others own at
least fifty evening dresses.
She slipped on the yellow gown.
1t was clingy dress, cut adroitly
in straight, slim folds that out
lined her figure. It's simplicity
was dramatic; there was no touch
of contrast or detail in the long,
tight-fitting sleeves, at the edge of
the square decolletage. A care
lessly knotted sash of selma
terial outlined the contour of her
boyish hips, heightened the svelte
line from her small hipbones
cleanly to her toes. It fell in folds
about her feet.
New SOftness
CHE studied herself for a few
- minutes. She wondered what
had changed her from the boyish
girl she had been a few months
before. Did she imagine there was
new softness about herself? Was
it only because she had become
conscious of her appearance? What
had become of the girl who liked
to putter around in denim pants
held up by a piece of string.
That giri was gone. In her place
there was a woman.
The woman sank down on the
side of the bed, dropping her face
into her hands, her lower lip
caught under the upper one. A
pensive, thoughtful pose. Her
eyes moved slowly, not seeing the
objects on which they rested. She
was RELIEVING the scenes that were
now memories.
Locke had kissed her. But had
he kissed her because she intended
he should? She couldn't remem-
Der what she had been thinking of.
She had sent Laura away on a false
errand because she wanted to be
alone with him. Yet. it seemed to
her now that when he kissed her
she had been thinking of some
thing else. She vaguely remem-
bered being sorry for him. There
had been something so pathetic,
something that played on her
heart-strings, something that had
to do with food. Why must she all
ways think that he was hungry?
Perhaps it was because he had a
lean look.
He had kissed her. Then he had
said he was sorry.
I'm glad! I wanted you to,
Locke"
1t was right that she should
have said it. She couldn't have
kept herself from saying it. The
words had dubbed out of her
heart. She had felt proud saying
1t, proud to have him know. She
had felt exalted by her very feel
ing for him, as though she had
become worthy because her heart
was vessel that contained some
thing so worthy. Her thoughts
tried to find coherency to put
them into words; she couldn't.
You shouldn't haze"
He had said she shouldn't have
wanted him to kiss her. He had
been gentle, infinitely gentle
when he put her from him. His
eyes had been dark and grave and
his face wooden. He had tried not
to let her read his thoughts.
But he wanted to kiss me-"
she mufmAred into her cupped
hands. 81 knew that. could feel
his heart humping next to mine.
And he held his cheek close to
mine for a moment. That was a
gesture of tenderness, and tender
ness is is part of the heart.
You only feel tenderness for some
She got up suddenly, signing,
and began to pull the yellow dress
over her head.
ST ought to have lived in the
Eighties when ladies had nothing
to do. but think about their loves.
Mighty fine days they must have
been, too, when they didn't know
anything about the intricacies of
human emotions and the only
thing they had to worry about was
whether Handsome Harry had a
wife In his past that he was hid
ing"
I With the dress pulled midway
over her head, Cecily came to a
fuu stop. Then, frantically, she
ripped 1t of, flung it on the chair
and shook her head violently.
he can't be! That can't be it!