The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-21
TWO AGAINST LOVE
by Frances Hanna

la crude, clumsy farmer, and
| tried to get even. ! hope ! haven
made trouble between you anC
Godfrey. ! think I'd better 60 now
Good night, Jocelyn."
She stood like a lovely wrath ir
the moonlight and watched his cal
disappear in the darkness.
Jocelyn waded out of the surf
detached a piece of seaweed from
her left ankle, peeled off her green
rubber cap, and sank with a sigh
to the spread of beach canvas
Without lifting his head from his
arms, Godfrey asked:
want me to rub some sun-tan
oil on your back, Lyn?"
ooh, I won't burn now. I'm SO
brown I look like a native Of
Samoa. You're the LATEST people
/ ever saw! There's a perfectly
grand ocean ten feet away and you
lie here and Sleep"
Nola sat up, adjusted her sum
glasses, and regarded her long,
1.-the limbs with critical glance.
why is it so hard to. tan the front
of me?" she demanded.
Because you insist upon lying
on your stomach" Thorn ex-
planned. want to 90 in for dip?"
mo. don't feel like driving in
to the hairdresser's afterward. The
salt water makes a mess of my
bleached locks =. can't you think
of something interesting to do?"
Jocelyn wriggled her toes in the
sand. resisting the impulse to scoop
up handfuls of it to pour over
Geoff's bulky shoulders. He'd have
a fit if she did. He glistened with
oil and the sand would stick to it.
She wondered idly If any of the
Mack family were on the other side
of the dividing fence. Tally surely
could not work in this abominable
August heat; anyhow, his truck
garden was fourishing-at least
it looked fourishing from the win
doWs at the back of the house. Nola
would know, she unused resent
fully. Nola spent at least half Of
her time on the other side Of the
house; Bob, three-quarters. Yet,
as ii by some tacit agreement,
neither Nola nor Bob ever men,
toned word about the Macks and
neither Thorn nor she would ask
information.
Restless
A DERISIVE smile twisted her
"A lips. 1t had been four months
since the clubs spring hop: four
months since she had been in
Tally's arms. She hal.. been foolish
enough to imagine that dance and
its aftermath would make a change
at Seacliff. 1t had not. If such a
circumstance were possible, the
vents of that night had caused
even more conStraint between
Tally AID her. He vigorously kept
himself and his entire family out
of her sight. The few times they
had encountered each other in the
riding stable he had spoken brief
ly and curtly, leaving no opening
for further conversation.
Four months. A twinge in her
breast. familiar now from repeti.
ton, caught her. There seemed to
be life and love and rich, warm
living on the other side of the bar
rier. Laughter and eagernesS and
happy voices. Even Tex, the bane
of existence, seldom trespaSsed.
Why am so different from Nola
and Bob? she wondered. They
accepted the Macks and the Macks
accepted them. Thorn was jealous
of Nola's informal intimacy with
them but when he demonstrated
with her she merely laughed and
informed him he was missing the
time of his life; and, since she was
not yet Russell, she intended do
ing as she pleased. The situation
between them was strained. al
though, Jocelyn pondered, Nola
appeared genuinely fond of Thorn.
Geoff turned over on his back
and looked at her. 'Lyn," he inn
plored, when are you going to
marry me?"
ooh. pretty soon."
That's what you've been saying
for months" he grumbled. ''Let's
make it the first of September"
"But-but that's only a bit more
than three weeks away" she pro-
tested. 81 couldn't possibly get
ready for a wedding that quickly"
You've had about four years
to get ready" he pointe out.
Nola grinned. Hes right, Lyn.
And I'm here to help you"
Jocelyn knew the sensation of
being cornered and was glad when
Sandy trotted up to her with a long
strand of seaweed in his teeth
which he deposited with a trium-
plant bark at her feet. Pretend
ing preoccupation with the Scottie
gave her time to frame an answer.
Certainly she intended to marry
Godfrey. What made her hesitate
about setting date? Because a
very bold and insolent young man
had once set her pulse pounding
with his kiss? Ridiculousl The
sooner she married Godfrey and
Lut an end to such silly thoughts.
the better.
Giving Sandy a final pat, she
said: "Geoff. I'll set the date as
soon as / make list Of all the
things to be done. I'll know in a
few days. Okay?"
81 suppose So" he frowned.
wondering why she was sliding
his engagement ring up and down
on her finger. What made her so
restless? She had changed since
| those imnnSsihle neonle had come