The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-26
Chapter 20
Disinherited

l Chapter 90
Disinherited
IRON being a rather talkativi
Il person who liked to air his pro,
found views, Thorn had become ;
person who INDUCED in long peri
DDS Of morose silence, durinf
which he stared with forlorn eye.
at the distant rim Of sea and sky
From the beginning his romancs
with Nola had struck Jocelyn q.
incongruous for they were such
different types. yet they seemed
TO complement each other in some
inexplicable manner. Perhaps she
had been wrong about Nola anc
Tally. Nola had gone away.
Geof met her eyes and smiled
Beating Thorn at chess tonight
Is like taking candy away from 8
baby. His mind Is wool gathering.
Thorn seemed to pull himself
from inner depths. Il know it, he
agreed, vaguenesS in his tone. u
can't concentrate. Too warm,
guess. Say, Lyn, did Bob say where
he was going tonight"
mo. His car was gone when
came in from the club. thought
he'd probably gone in town for
dinner. Why?"
~Oh. we had one Of our argu-
ments this afternoon. We were
both pretty nasty. I've been I'M
easy ever since. He had peculiar
look when he stomped of"
what sort Of look?"
@Oh, it's hard to describe. Like
a man who has suddenly made up
his mind to do something rash and
impulsive."
81 hear his car now" Lyn said,
rising and starting toward the
open windows. "Your imagination
is working overtime, Thorn"
He isn't putting his car in the
garage. though" Geoff put in. 'He
must be going out again."
Then all three of them heard a
girls voice. excited and protest
ing. mingle with Bob's low, assur-
ing tones. Thorn's eyes sought his
sisters with apprehension.
Bob pulled open the screen door
and came in, his right arm firmly
about the waist of Gretchen Lam
dau who looked breathlesS and
radiantly charming in a becoming
ensemble OF blue and white.
Bob's eyes swept the three per-
sons facing him.
Blessings and congratulations
are in order" he announced. "Meet
Mrs. Robert Russell, folks"
Gretchen, her great brown eyes
wistful and anxious, smiled with
hopeful friendliness into suddenly
frozen countenances.
Jocelyn moistened her lips: be-
came conscious that her fingernails
were digging into the palms of her
hands. Bob. how-how could you
without telling us?" she whis-
pered.
Thorn, whose voice should
have stayed lost. said: Married.
Where? When?"
Tonight at Yuma, Arizona. We
planed over and back. Well, why
don't you say it and get it over
WITH"
Il prefer talking to you when
your your wife is not present."
Thorn declared with dignity.
Anything you have to say can
be said right now"
Never. Never, Never
UERY well. if you insist, but re-
v member you asked for it. Bob,
you married out of your class. You
married into a family we do not
acknowledge socially or any other
way. You made your choice with
out consulting me: therefore. you
can make the best of it. You can't
bring her here to live. Iwon't have
her family over-running my prop
erty. won't give you any more
money whatsoever. AS trustee of
the estate / can refuse you. You
chose her and her family, entirely
disregarding your own. so take
your belongings and move in with
them and stay away from me.
That's all. Robert
Jocelyn cried out In swift pro-
test against his harshness but Bob
only grinned and said: Never
mind, Lyn. Nobody could do any
thing with the stubborn. pompous
jackassl / don't want him any more
than he wants me. I'll get out and
be glad TO! Come on, Gretchen"
Taking her hand he drew her to-
ward the stairway.
Halfway across the room
Gretchen stopped. her face sullen
with anger. yet somehow plying.
To Thorn and Jocelyn she de-
clared: "How foolish you arel Bob
and ! love each other and we
would love you, too, IL you'd LET
US. You are hard and selfish and
cruel TO one of your own flesh and
blood. You are hurting US. yes S. !.
but hurting yourselves more. I'm
SORRY for you
She went on with Bob, her head
high. her frail young body straight
and proud.
Jocelyn caught hold Of Thorn's|