The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-18
Chapter 10
Dummy With DrOpsy


Dummy With Dropsy
At BREAKFAST Asey propped
the official program against his
coffee cup and read doggedly
through the events of the Gay.
Tuesday was Old Settlers Dav
and began with a town fiag-raiS-
ing at nine-thirty. School chill
dren, the chorus. and the soprano
would render America"
.Aha," Asey said. Render is
right, but rend'd be better" he
told Bertha. the teaches cook.
After America" and Billings
gate Beautiful" the remainder of
the. morning was devoted to a re-
union of Old Settlers at the various
churches, an address of welcome
at the Town Hall, and at twelve
thirty there was to be luncheon
Tor the lambs, given by the select
men IN the Women's Club Parlor.
The sheep and goats had to buy
themselves a box lunch, which a
footnote described to the last
stuffed olive.
The afternoon was more or less
mutllated by baseball, Billingsgate
Al-StarS versus Philbrick's Fire
works Nine. That night, Upiohn's
Merrymakers would hold a grand
open air concert at the canopled
dance floor next to the ball park
Free: The midway carnival offered
fun for all. and the movies were
right on deck with two b. and new
features for the price of one. free
souvenirs, sterling-s ilver-plated
coffee urn for the prize ticket. and
a Mickey Mouse to boot. Every
thing ended up with fireworks.
Events marked with an asterisk
would be broadcast.
Asey sighed. "Just readin' it."
he told Bertha as she brought in
more coffee. makes me feel tired
an old before my time. If they keep
up that pace all week til, Sunday.
they'll be limp slivers of skin an
bone" i..
Tomorrow's Governors Day."
Bertha said. Three governors.
tn be like today, except all the
things to do with them. and
speeches and a banquet. Thurs
days Billingsgate Day. Tag day
Tor the new hospital they want,
and they're going to lay the cor
nerstone of new library addition.
Everythings to do with the town,
sort OF. Fridays Historical Day."
s whats that?"
7 don't know, much," Bertha
said honestly. Speeches, / guess,
and drives to points of interest, like
where the British nearly landed
in 1872, and where the Pilgrims
didn't land. and where they think
those Icelanders passed by. You
know"
Asey nodded. History marches
past or Chanee-to-get-a-good-
Saturdays Cape Cod Day.
That's going to be swell. Water
sports and field sports. All the
towns got teams entered. Yacht
races, golf matches at the club.
and all. Dances, and a Great Mann
math Ball, all free. And that's the
day they give the prizes for the ex-
positions at the Town Hall. I've
got some beachplum jelly entered"
IL it's anythin' like your mar
malade." Asey said, eft gets my
vote right now. Couldn't enter
popovers, could you? No, I sup
pose they are kind of perishabie.
Say, / tell you what. I'm goin' to
give my prize for'em right now"
He pulled out his wallet and i'm
pressively counted out ten crisp
one-dollar bills.
= Exploitation ~.
TOR me?" Bertha's eyes opened
4wide. hrr f-.-
''sFor the popovers. Course. YOU
got to figger its only six dollars,
what with money leapin' around.
Bertha. tell me about Sunday, an
then / won't have to look at that
yallery-blue program any more.
What's Sunday?"
Church Day. Did ! tell you
about the broadcastS, and the fire.
works, and the clambakes? And
parades, and maskers, and the
band? And the summer camps,
they're putting on a show, and
Nike Slade has some sort of show
too"
Say" Asey interrupted. 'fhat
r'minds me. Did Slade come here
this morning for me?"
NO" Bertha hesitated. What
do you make of him?"
Seems all right. Friend of
yours?"
81 went out with hin. a couple
OF times when he first came to
town. It wasn't much fun, he talks
all the time. He said it was wrong
for me to work here. Can you beat
it? Like | told him, anyone who
works here is lucky. Good room,
and food, and wages, and you al
ways know what's going on.
Where else'd / work. asked him.
Who's going to support my mother
il don't, I said. But he said I was
being exploited. I looked up 'ex-
plot in the dictionary. and il said.
brilliant achievement I couldn't
see anything wrong about that.
Aunt Sara laughed when I asked