The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-07-11
Chapter 80
Fire!

Fire!
before dinner that night Joce-
- Ign went IN TO see cid Mack. Il
was the first time she had visited
him since Thornss tragic denoue-
ment of how the old man had
swindled him cut Of the Russell
inheritance. She went because
Gramp was the only person she
felt she could really talk to.
He was alone in his room, poriEg
over a scented sheet of pale blue
paper. When be looked up she saw
that tears had dampened the net
work Of wrinkles about his eyes.
sam / intrudine. Gramp7" she
asked hesitantly.
sTosh and nonsensel" he exc
claimed. "Come right in and set
down here by me. What's this ]
hear bout Kensing rentin' room
here?"
"You hear everything. don't you,
Gramp?"
"Yep. Nothin' wrong with my
ears"
Eyes, Geofrey's staying here"
Defiance tinged her voice. He
wants 10 make up"
seYou got any ideas bout it?"
81 suppose / will agree. live
known him so long. I'm used
70 him, Gramp. And could ill up
my life with children and parties
and trips and -"
Horses" Gramp snorted.
Might as well marry q horse and
be done with il" he grumbled.
%He's a two-legged horse and a
mean one.
HE isn't really nseon,s she pro-
tested mildly. II can handle him
very well"
"Oughtnt marry man you can
handle! Josie, I'm disappointed in
you. / figured you had lots o. fight
and gumption. Why in tarnation
are you iettin' a blonde snatch the
man you want?s
Il thought you liked Nola." she
evaded.
Didn't say / didn't. But she
amt the one for Tally. She won't
make him happy. She's got too
much money. She'll 60 a-draggin'
him of to fancy places and he'll
be mighty miserable" he tapped
the letter on his lap with a crooked
forefnger.
81 kept this hid, Josie, ever
since ! found il quite a spell back.
Your grandma and me used to put
notes in q secret drawer in tibet
old cabinet when we was courtin'
Jest for old times sake tried to
see IL still knew hoW to open it
when we, come here. ! run
across a letter to me--she must
have figured some day I'd come
along and maybe find it. She
wrote it jest jest afore she
Silently, he handed the letter to
Jocelyn and silently she accepted
II and read In her grandmother's
familiar handwriting:
Talbot, NV Dear
I write this in the fond hope that
some day your eyes will read it.
No one else knows or ever has
known Of this secret place Of ours.
l have Just finished making out
my will and, although the doctor
will not tell me am dying.
know. i do not want to die, Talbot.
Does anyone ever want to die?
think not. For many years. through
my solicitors, | have followed the
adventures of your family. | know
your grandson is a fine young
man, unSpoiled by money: un-
selfish in his devotion 20 you and
the others. am hoping that this
sentimental. seemingly inconsis-
tent will of mine will be the means
OF bringing together my grand
daughter Jocelyn, and your grand
son. ! want them to be poor trust
Thorndyke. my eldest grandchild,
to see to that want them to build
a future together. solidify love
and marriage with hardship and
trouble shared and overcome.
l should never have run away
from you. Years of empty living
have given me that bitter knowl-
edge | loved you. Talbot. never
stopped But we were of the gen.
Grafton who laid in the beds we
made for ourselves regardless of
thorns :.
Sandy's GrowI
IOcELYN could read no farther.
- for the last lines were blurred
and stained with tears. Folding the
letter carefully. she placed Il in
Cramps hand, then went swiftly
from the room. her eyes misted by
deep compassion.
Dinner went badly. Nola, cool
and exquisitely groomed, was
monosyiiabic, Jocelyn. aching
with grief. had no appetite for
either talk or food. Thorn and
Godfrey attempted light CONVEX
sation. finally desisting as their
efforts fell fiat Only he odd little
man, Fred Jones. appeared to
relish his food. He spoke but once
during the meal. to inquire with
strange intensity II the fog was as
thick tonight as last night.
Nola, excusing herself from the
table, walked to the long windows,
and glanced out of doors. She said.
rs il thinking aloud, u wish Bob
and Gretchen weren't going to
town TO that movie tonight. It's
bad driving on the highway in
this fog"