The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-15
After. A Nuns Heart
Chapter u
Flight
by JEAN RANDALL

mo need to speak to me so mad
like, Mr.. Tim. don't know no
more'n you do. She just said she
was on her way and wouldn't be
back"
where's her father? Where are
Mr.. and Mrs. Carroll?"
II can't tell you that neither.
The last letter Miss Buff had from
'em, they was in Arizona"
George was surprised at the look
Of frozen misery on Tins face.
ITS all right, guy" he said
gently. I'VE can always reach her
through her fathers syndicate.
She hasn't disappeared complete
~"
The other man sank into one OF
the big chairs.
That's exactly what she's done,
and ! know why: because she
wanted tol"
'But why in thunder should she
want tor"
A wry smile twisted Tins lips.
81 thought you knew her so WE'LL
] thought it was ! who didn't I'M
derstand her, couldn't gage the
motive for what she did! Of course
she would go-after that Denver
business. ! think / suspected this
all along. ! think knew she
wasn't sick-unleSs she was sick
at heart. poor child, over the inn
becility of her friends. Don't you
seer" he demanded feverishly.
"She did what she could for US
which happened to be everythingl
and then she washed her hands
of US; of Boulder. Clean disguised
with the lott"
In his turn George sat down.
cit doesn't make sense to me. Why
should she be Disguised with US
simply because she'd accomplished
what she set out to dog" 70 rs
Would you make us some cof-
fee, Mrs. Webb?" Tim requested.
'Mr. George and didn't have time
for lunch today" And when the
fat housekeeper had withdrawn,
he explained. when l said the
lot Of us, / meant myself, of
course. What sort of a girl would
she be if she felt the least interest,
let alone friendship, in a man who
stuck his neck out twice in the
same place in less than a year?
Who? if it hadn't been for her,
would have got it in the neck. tool
She's fed up. she's through. don't
you get it?"
mo, don't" replied the simple
MIR. Weekes. "She knew all along
the kind of fool you were making
Of yourself. Good gosh. Tim. didn't
we talk it oversize and |, you
and she? Even Iris dumped plans
and specifications in her lap. She
cared enough then to put that
smart brain of hers on the job and
show you where you stood. Why
should she change her mind about
you just because she did that?
Unless" he added, "she thought
you were still in love with Iris:
that you resented what Buff had
done for you. Listen" he de-
manded. didn't you call her
telephone even?"
81 telephoned half a dozen times.
! called here. | sent her flowers
that same evening. The shop was
closed and ! had to hunt up the
florist and pay him a whacking
sum to open up for me. Then /
got messenger boy to deliver 'em
the roses. | mean."
"She knew they were from
81 put my card in with them"
Anything on it?"
my name"
George clutched at his van.
ishing hair. Suffering cats, guyl
OF course it had your name. That's
really the purpose of cards. isn't
it7 ] mean"
A Little Exhausted
IVES, I know what you mean"
1 Tim said drearily. did l put:
With the heartfelt gratitude of a
twice-proven idiot? No, / didn't.
Maybe should have. but didn't.
IL seemed case for as few words
as possible. Or so it seemed to me.
There'd already been too many"
George regarded him unhap.
PLY. He felt the situation to be be.
yond him. Tim was, as he had re.
peatedly assured Buff, one of the
best. Nevertheless his friend and
business partner was finding him
self little exhausted by Tins af.
fairs of the heart. First Iris, then
Buff, then Iris again. now Buff.
Make up your mind!" he said
impatiently; and it betrayed the
genuine seriousness of the case
that he could be impatient with
Tim.
The other man rose as though
a spring had been released.
Il havel The minute Webby
told us Buff was gone. I'm off,
George. 'Fraid I'll have to take the
car. And-oh, yes!" he paused a
moment at the door. Look for
me when you see me-"
George made a feeble effort to
halt him. Look herel You can't
90 off like thisl You can't-at
least tell me where you're going.
for the love of Mikel"
For the first time in actual
months, Tim smiled, showing a
line of white teeth.
Going? How do know? After
Buff. Of course. I'll be back when
/ find her and"-he showed his hat
at a iaunty angle, settled his coat
more closely to his big shoulders
Ill bring her back with me.
tool"
Buffs fight had been character.
istic OF her. The night before when
Webby was safely asleep, she had
slipped into the living room and
tclephoned Iris at the hotel. II
took persistent ringing. and many
-------------- '-~----- -------~----. -------