The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-07
DANGEROUS SERVICE
GRACE ELLIOTT TAYLOR

made her look cooler than she felt.
It was so close, and thundery. in
London streets. She hatsalmost de.
cided to catch an earlier Il a IN
home, not to go to Mikes beauti-
full all-white apartment. But the
next two weeks would be very
quiet. She liked meeting friends.
She decided to stay for the party.
No feeling of fate, no inkling of
premonition warned Petronella
that, when she was shown into the
sitting-room, the first person she
would see would be Tony Lance.
He was leaning against the man.
telpiece, talking to a girl in gray
suit. When he saw her, he straight
ened. He forgot to listen to what
the girl was saying to him. His
eyes met Petronella's, a n d his
straight mouth spoke her n m e.
Soundlessly. She raised her hand.
and gave him a casual little wave,
across the crowded room. What
else could she do? He looked re-
lieved. He m e d, very family,
w O0Sy at bIIC OoLs
Hello, Petrol! So Peter is off to
Germany, l hear? Sorry he could
MT come. You're looking very nice,
my dear. Cocktail, or sherry? Do
you know" he commenced
introducing her to the people near
est them.
She did not hear their names.
She smiled. and talked to them.
She was apparently calm, even,
she believed, natural. 1t was as if
this shock had frozen her. Tony
Lance was over there, behind her.
She was waiting. In a moment, he
would make his way through the
babel. She would have to speak to
him.
But he did not come. Gradually,
Petronella felt her first control
ebbing from her. She was nc long
er numb. Her power to feel was
returning to her. She was acutely
alive, acrtely miserable.
But surely" said the man to
whom she was talking, "you don't
really tt hin k that?" What didn't
she really think? But it was all
right. She heard herself answer
ing him.
No Escape
CTRANGE, how your mind was
- divided into parts, and the
parts could work separately. What
fool she had been, to think that
Tony would come. He was with
that girl, the girl in the perfectly
tailored gray flannel suit and the
little SLOUGH hat. Misery enveloped
her. Her head throbbed. She was
young. and inadequate. Complete
ly incapable of handling a man
like Tony Lance. That girl was
sophisticated. lazily sure of her.
self, and of her own attraction.
MY C 9th es are all wrong"
thought Petrol. That girl was the
right accompaniment to man Ike
Tony. The kind of woman he could
ia e anywhere, to Moscow, or
Alexandria, or Budapest, at mo-
ment'S notice. She would arrive
looking Immaculate. whereas l."
thought Petrol, white linen,
white straw hat, creases, limpness,
little girl clothes!"
She was not looking at them,
b ut h e was fiercely aware of
them. T y were laughing to-
gether. She felt as insulted as If
Tony had hit her across the face.
Fool, fool. fool, she upbraided. All
this time. she had been imagining
that he had loved her. In reality,
he went everywhere with another,
a more suitable girl. This party
was nightmare. She must escape.
He must never know, for certain,
what she had felt, the suffering
she had endured for him. Unless
she got away now, he would read
it in her eyes. her foolish. I'M
tutored eyes.
Michael, thank you for lovely
party. / have to 60 early"
"Goodby. Petrol. Sorry you did
mt talk to Tony Lance"
give read his articles" They
moved towards the door.
Hes just been given some sort
of hush-hush job with the Foreign
Office"
"Really? How clever of him."
Looking up, Petronella found that
Tony had left the girl in gray, be-
side the fireplace. He stood, bar
ring their way to the door.
"Talk of the devil!" cried Mike,
gladly. 81 was just telling Petrol
Malone about you, old boy. Petrol,
this is"
She scarcely looked at Tony. In
her mind, resentment and anger
predominated. He must not know
that she had cared.
I'VE have met, Michael. RAN
COON. wasn't it? Rather an UNI
usual evening, / seem to remem-
Der, in the middle of one of the
riots"
She hated her own fiippant
voice. but pride insisted that she
S h ould employ it. Michael left
them together.
eyes. Rangoon. / remember per-
fectly." He spoke gravely, awk-
wardly. as if he were shy. Petron-
ella was surprised into meeting his
eyes.
Perhaps you are one of those
people who has an excellent MEM
DRY for some things, and a rotten
one for Others" The moment she
had spoken. she was ashamed. His
eyes were not triumphant. Love
should know no obligations. Moth
ing had changed between them.
The same attraction was there.
She was sure he felt it, too. Even
while his mind denied its impor-
lance, she told herself. She was
helpless against Tony's mind. But
he felt as she did. That they had
met yesterday. That they had
known one another a lifetime.
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