The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-10-20

crutches close at hand.
"Buff--you don't mind If !. call
you Buff, d'you? Thanks. I'd like
your advice, if you'd be kind
enough to give il"
"Advice?" She reached for a
bit of wild sage, shifted its clean
fragrance. What about?" IL
Tim. I'm worried about him.
Not his leg. That's coming along
all right, Westland says"
i know what you mean" Her
small face assumed a. look of
gravity to match his own. Hes
upset about something, terribly
upset. 1t isn't only overwork. is It
-as he told me?"
mo, it's not overwork. Tins
strong as a horse. He-he had q
shock. A bad one. / wonder if !
ought to tell you about it,"
"Please don't. It's sort of taking
advantage OF, his being here, don't
you think? Suppose we Just let it
go at what you've said: he's had a
shock. It's affected his health" She
smiled at him suddenly and he
jumped. "What can we do to help
him?"
"Golly!" said the startled young
man. That's some smile of yours.
Did you ever turn it on Tim?"
Il don't know; he wouldn't
know either. might turn fiiphops
all over his room, or stick out my
tongue at hirn-I doubt if he'd
notice. I'm just a voice to him.
That's all right, too" she went on
comfortably. "All he needs at pres
ent is nice soothing voice. The
impingement of another person.
ality-"
"Heyl" he exclaimed, aggrieved.
IF it's psychology, I don't know
any. And if it's classical English,
I majored in mining and civil en-
cheering. Please don't go high
hat on me-"
"A Love Affair."
CHE explained with youthful dig
~ nifty. II simply meant, that UNI
less can keep myself in the back
ground-part Of the scenery, in
fact-Tirn will depart hence. Is
that clear to you? If you want to
know" she continued with a hint
Of malice, tits about all he can en-
dure to have you here. I let you
come-I ask you to comet because
it's good for him. But what he'd
really like is to sink back into his
thoughts and Just remember what
ever it was that happened to him.
That's what he was doing when I
got here. It was a love affair,
wasn't it?"
Thought you didn't want to
hear about it?" he grinned. 'But
yes, It was a love affair; at least,
that was part of it. What really
happened was that the sky fell
down on Tim,- the earth broke up
into chunks beneath his feet =.
the world, for the time being at
least, came to an end for him. He's
trying to pick himself up again.
The trouble is he thinks it isn't
worth while. He'd sooner 60 down
into oblivion than make the eff
fort" s4.
'Then why doesn't he? I mean
why is he really fighting to put
this experience behind him? Be-
cause Of your"
"a little; but mostly because he's
a real man." he assured her earn
estly, IF you knew the whole story
land some day you're going to
know it-you'd realize that Tins
rather taken a, beating, in more
ways than one" He cleared his
throat. you've been kind to him.
Go on being so, will your"
Just before he left the ranch
Sunday afternoon he concluded his
Boy Scout endeavors, this time in
the direction of Tim.
Listen, fellow!" He leaned for
ward, his hands swinging loosely
between his knees. "You might
show little appreciation of Bluffs
efforts to look after you, you
know!"
Look after me! Why should she
or any other girl look after me?
I'm no child even"-his mouth
twisted wryly-"even if I did be-
have like one!"
II mean-ShoW1ng you hoSp1-
tally, and all that" his partner
hastily corrected himself. "She's a
kind little person and"-inspira-
ton descended upon him like a
gift from heaven-"not too happy
herself. got a distinct impression
that she's passing through some
trouble of her own"
It was the right note. Tim looked
at the girl with q new gaze when
they next met; really looked at her.
Her blue eyes did seem Swallowed,
he thought, and he seemed to re-
member that once or twice they
had showed signs Of recent fears.
From that time on he was Curl
ously gentle with her. Just as Buff
found relief to her surcharged
heart in tending Tim, so he les
sened at least to a slight degree
his own dumb agony by meeting
the girl halfway. !.
TEL me about your father" he
would urge. He soon found that to
talk OF her parents was what Buff
wanted. She would launch into a
monologue which had to do with
Lance's cleverness, Eleanor's
sweetness, the casual life all three
CAROLS had lived. Tim usually
heard nothing beyond the first few
sentences. Nor did Buff require his
attention. She sat in the window
seat, hugging her knees and look
ing toward the range as she talked:
Tim lost himself in his own bitter
memories. They made a curious
pair. Mrs. Webb used to think.
waddling into the room with a
glass OF milk for Tim, or to an
nounce a meal.
Continued tomorrow.