The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-10
Chapter %
Sacrifice

Sacrifice
TINS reproof was a tidal wave
4 which carried away the final
barrier Of Bluffs self-controL.
TIM Timl Listen to mel know
you'll hate me, l don't expect
trulyi-that you'll ever speak to
me again. That doesn't matter.
What matters is that you must be
protected against-against falling
into the same trap twice. Oh, it's
dreadful of me, but my loyalty is
due TO you, my friend, rather than
to-to herl .
Tim. she told me in so many
words, right here in this room
and Just the day before yesterday,
that she knew perfectly well what
Lstshaw was doing; that she was
q willing party to the fraud. She
said-said that a woman could al
ways make a nice profit if she was
pretty and would lend herself to
a scheme that was not too scrupu-
lousy honorable"
He had risen and was gripping
the back of his chair with rigid
fingers.
you expect me to believe this?
That Iris would confess to you
ooh, don't you see, Tim?" She
bent forward. her tear-filled eyes
on his. "She relied on my not re-
vesling what had been said to me
IN confidence. She Sid she was re-
lying on it, She told me it was
good thing I was scrupulously
honorable, or I'd give he away to
youi"
"And now you have? Or think
you have?" His voice was icily
courteous.
And now | have. It's the only
sensible thing to do, don't you see,
Tim? All this talk of keeping
confidence when l hadn't asked
for il. agreed to make it one?-is
silly compared to saving you from
marrying a woman like Iris"
He spoke in a fiat tone.
Il don't believe you. Buff. Not
q word of what you've said"
In her turn she rose, her small
head thrown back proudly. Anger
threatened to put an abrupt stop
20 her efforts on his behalf. But
Buff was accustomed to control
ling her anger. Lance had taught
her from her babyhood that her
viii should be stronger than her
emotions. She drew several long,
deep breaths. She consciously re-
Taxed her small clenched hands.
When she spoke it was in a steady
even a casual way.
use your good sense, Tim" she
uFged. What f'ms doing tonight
viii erase me from your life
Whether you marry Iris or not,
you'll always hate me for what
I've told you Would | make such
3 sacrifice-for surely even you
know il is sacrifice. Timi-un-
less ] believed it was for your
aood?"
Because he still entertained
tiny. squirming doubt of Iris, be-
cause he realized he had been
swept away last night by the tide
OF passion which had curled over
his head from the minute he en-
tered her warm. fragrant room
and found her. infinitely lovely
and desirable. waiting to slip into
has arms. he resisted the patent
frankness of this queer child. Iris
needed defense. needed his help:
she had told him so, weeping and
clinging TO him with desperate
arms Puff was a strong little
thing who could always look after
herself.
Masculine Pride
pESIDES-his masculine pride
~ was up in rms at the idea of
Bluffs protecting him. Well he
knew what George would think of
his marrying Iris after-after last
summer. That he could meet. man
70 man But Bluffs wading into the
fray on his behalf was too much.
He wished in the depths of his I'M
happy heart that he had never
seen her: never seen Iris either,
he thought. and the. instantly re-
buked himself for heresy.
The sooner we bring this pain
ful scene 10 a close the better" he
announced. "I'm sorry you feel as
you do toward Iris. I'm sorry we
can't all be friends. But in the cir
cumstanceS-"
She let him 60 with his sentence
unfinished. For once in her life.
the fight had gone out of her. She
curled herself into an anguished
ball by the fire and tried to plan:
20 plan-for Tim. It was of no use
Tim was no longer hers to plan
fort Not that he had ever been, but
she had believed she had a friends
right. the right of woman's wis
dom TO rescue him from difficulty
into which his simrle masculinity
had led him.
She could picture the quiet tri-
umph of the other girl; her slow
curling smile. the upward sweep
ing lashes. the sweet humility OF
her voice as she discussed her en-
gsgement with Tins friends. Al
most she knew the exact words
Iris would use.
The course Of true love never
did run smooth you know. and
Tim and ! were no exception. It
was Just because | loved him so
much. so terribly much. that all
that misunderstanding came about
last summer. It's all cleared up
now and Jimmy and I are too hap
py Cor words, aren't we. Tinmy?"
She called him Jimmy" NUT
tered the WoebesonR LITTLE fic1lre