The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-20

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"No. we haven't any tunes. any
music. Only grim reality"
We'll turn on the musical COM
edy stuff at last; behave like other
men and girls who love each other.
| Wen picnic in the desert, drive
beside the Nile, see the pyramids
by moonlight. Wen telephone each
| other, write crazy notes. shall
give you foolish presents. Wen
have uuarrels, and reconciliations,
and drink champagne, and invent
our own toasts. Do you like the
pregnant"
Love it, old cynic."
He smiled at her. 1--WE watched
so many other people making
fools of themselves. And felt jeal.
Gus as HE'LL Petronella, If this mir
acle doesn't turn round, and hit
me crack for expecting heaven
on earth. / shall never be cynical
again"
She stood. "Till tea timel You
can 60 out and see what is happen
ing. Come back and tell me. I've
seen enough scrapping already, in
Cairo. | hate the thwack a stick
! makes when it hits hard head.
Eugh!"
Their habit of stone Singing is
pretty vicious" He saw her shiver.
He accompanied her to the lift.
He looked at her with commisera-
| ton, and doubt in his eyes. Petrol
had not changed in essentials, he
| realized. She was not hardened.
Petronella looking up, understood
his thought, and was afraid. She
had meant to mislead him. She
found it fatally easy to be honest.
Tony was hard. # he, suspected
that She was the wrong wife for
him, that she would be handicap,
he would make ruthless terms. He
put his career first, love second.
Perhaps he had not meant the
things he had said just now? Per-
haps she was anticipating mar
riage too confidently. Suppose he
| only wanted her love? Or suppose
marriage to Tony meant subjec-
ton? Enforced loneliness? He
might insist on travelling alone.
He might leave her in a home
which would be wretched without
companionship.
Misgiving Versus Delight
CHE could not stand that, Petron-
- ella decided. She had lived too
actively with Peter to consent to
such shelving. She did not enjoy
trouble. but she preferre'' it to
anxiety. If Tony was going to treat
her as sheltered, inexperienced
woman, and leave her at home,
she wanted to find out now, before
it was to late. She would be thank
full to be alone, and able to think
sensibly. There were questions she
must ask him; points upon which
their agreement must be clear.
The suddenness of this meeting
had Jared her nerves. It was i'm
possible to think when she was
I with HIM. u -
The mad abruptness of their
agreement that they were in love.
and henceforth belonged together.
filed her with misgiving, as well
as delight. 1t was so swift an ar.
rangement that she could not be.
| lieve it could be stable. Falf an
hour ago she had belonged to her
self. She was Petronella Malone.
She did as her own conscience
prompted. obeyed her own laws.
| Now, she stood face to face with
the possibility of abandoning that
will. Of marriage within week:
of lea Ting Peter. leaving Cairo. Of
going with Tony Lame. who, in so
man. ways was unknown, a
stranger. She was sure of one thing
about him. and it frightened her.
He would calmly expect to rule
her.
I'm strong willed, too: if don't
agree with him there will be a
clash. | must know whether he is
worth following. Suppose his per-
sonality is attractive, but his ideas
are crooked?" she wondered.
Don't look so frightened.
Petrol" he said gently.
ut is facing the readjustment.
At first"
You're not afraid of that.
You're afraid of me. You have de-
veloped a keen mind of your own,
that looks for snags. You don't
trust me. You wil1." Their eyes
met. a. ,.
THAT is whatI was doing" she
admitted. u do hope you're right.
| Tony"
/ why did you think you knew
| people. and loved them. when you
knew nothing, and they were
| strangers. wondered Petronella?
She was alone in her room. She
felt crushed and bewildered. Fate
had granted her her greatest wish.
She was afraid to take it. Part OF
her mind said. You're coward"
A second part retorted, "You
would be fool if you did not think
twice. Instinct is not enough"
She stood at the window. This
room was high. She looked out on
t. the scorching streets, and at the
dark ugliness of a mob. one Of
those inevitable crowds, being
moved slowly from the main thor
oughfare. and divided into the mar
| row channels of small streets.
From another part of the town a
lorry full of Egyptian soldiers.
| dressed in khaki, steel helmeted,
were driven, swaying, at speed.
obviously in answer to some
alarm.
She thought, Even as he told
me he loved me, they were firing"
She supposed that was why she
| felt so little JOY. Tony's life resem-
bled Peters. She knew so well
what that meant. Standing by,
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