The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-07-25
FOUR BLIND OATES
81 Edpin Rutt

"Good-evening. sir" said the
head waiter.
liable" growled Tacks. "Neal
the dance floor"
Arriving st q ringside table the
head waiter waved a majestic
hand. Like genii, two lesser wait
erS appeared. Il seemed to need
the combined efforts Of all three
OF them to get Tacks safely into
a chair.
Don't want anything to eat. :
Tacks snapped to the huddle OF
walters. Scotch and soda"
The walters scattered, convinced
that the surly young man with the
bunged-up jaw was out to do some
serious drinking. Tacks Lit q Gig
arctic and glared about him. No
Patricia No Patricia at any of the
tables or among those lop-sided
idiots careening around what was
laughingly called the dance floor.
This was certainly not his night
out.
Presently, however, his attention
was diverted by sudden darken-
ing Of The Heel Tap. This darken-
ing occurred simultaneously with
the end Of q dance number and
the dancers, shadowy figures now,
sought their tables. Then the beam
Of spotlight. violet-colored.
played over the d q nee floor.
Straight into this cornucopia Of
brilliance came the nearest thing
to a dream walking that Mr.. Adams
had ever seen.
She was In white. At least Tacks
supposed it would be white IL truth
were known. Right now It was
violet. due to the spotlight. Then
came the sound of a piano played.
it seemed. with only the tips of
the pianist's fingers. Miss Packy
North. In her low throaty voice.
began that same song number TO
which Tacks had listened outside
the door of her apartment.
It was snappy tune and Packy
sang it snappily. yet with q kind
of caressing huskiness that got
right in amongst Tacks Adams. He
sat there goggling at her. forget
ting his travail Of the evening
Out on the floor the spotlight.
changing intermittently. put Packy
through the gamut of the spectrum
But it mattered not to Mr.. Adams
He was looking at Packy North
listening to her. and whether il
pleased the management Of Ths
Heel Tap to have her lavender
crimson, Sky-blue- pink or green
gfass-yellow. Mr.. Adams was salts
fed.
oh. Patricia.
THE song finished The Heel Tap
snapped back to its normal u
Elimination And there was Packy
revealed in all her proper lowell
ness. tall and slim in shimmering
gown of white and smiling her
golden smile Then applause burst
forth led by q young gentleman
who seemed to go in for lodging
behind adhesive tape
So loudly did Mr. Adams state
his approval by smacking his
palms together that even Packy
shot q hasty glance In his direc.
ton A startled expression raced
across her face Tacks. whose eyes
had never left hers. caught II. He
ceased applauding abruptly Good
heavens, had he put his foot In II
again? Could it be>that. in aban-
doning himself to wild approba.
ton. he had caused her embarrass.
ment? It would be Just like him
Where this girl was concerned Fate
seemed to have decreed that Tacks
Adams was to make mess OF
things.
Packy, without another glance
in his direction, began an encore.
threading her way between the
tables as she sang. lacks waited
hopefully. He noted that. every so
often. she would pause momentari-
ly at a table as If singing to its
occupants. Surely she would look
in at his table and give him an
indication that she was grateful
for the way he had established
himself as one-man cheering sec.
ton at the end Of her song. All
she was coming. Instinctively he
had known she would. She was
almost at his table now He raised
his eyes. smiled. And then, sud-
denly. stricken goldfish expires.
sion superseded the smile. Packy
had swept past as If he had been
but stick of furniture. Now she
was gliding gracefully across the
floor. bringing her song to an end.
It ended near the domain Of the
orchestra. Packy smiled in a gem
eral, all-inclusive fashion, bowed
quickly and disappeared.
For an hour Tacks sat there, con-
sumed by disappointment. Every
thing. everything IN the world was
just plain rotten. He knew now
how q fellow felt prior to the mo-
ment Of hanging himself to q rafter
in an old barn with . pair Of sus-
.penders, He knew -. and then he
was on his feet 50 quickly that he
almost overturned the table. He
had caught q glimpse Of Packy.
dressed for the street. slipping UNI
obtrpsiveiy UP one side Of the
room.
Flinging money at the dumb
founded waiter. Tacks bounded IN
hot pursuit. He passed the check
room girl ru ming strongly.
whirled out into the realm Of the
sn0Oty bewhiskered doorman.
Pacty, nauticalIy speaking. lay
dead ahead making, Il appeared.
Tor the curb In order to get q taxi.
Miss North, " cried Tacks *.
citedly. "Oh--er-Patricia
Packy turned. hesitated Sec
ond.
Your" she said coldly. sWeIl. /
might have known