The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-13

II
Holy smoked Buff, you're"
twill you listen?" she demanded
coldly. "You all but shattered my
eardrum then. Watch till you see
them come out, then follow them.
They'll head for Nesbit's office. II
by chance youslose 'em-I mean II
it gets to be about three o'clock,
you go on to Nesbit's anyway. Iris
has just started out for what she
called celebration luncheon at
the Shirley Savoy. From there the
three will 60 to call on Nesbit.
Need be more ( oecific?"
"You needn't" was the solemn
assurance. "The game is in the
bag; or would be-" he added on
sudden uneasy note, eff / knew
how certain I am to get Tim to
Denver. He'll certainly balk at
spying on iris"
Get him here by telling. him
she's in trouble and going to need
him" said the graceless child at
the other end of the line. @And
heaven knows that's going to be
true as soon as Latshaw finds what
is happening. If he begins to get
restless about waiting for her at
the hotel, or suspects something
amiss, then bully him into staying.
Tell him it's your right to know
what's going on; that there's such
a thing as loyalty to ones friends
and business partners as well as
to - Iris. Your tongue is ninble'
enough, George. Use iti''
She was oddly exhausted when
she turned away from the booth.
She had had an early breakfast,
the strain of her discovery was be-
ginning to tell upon her. She
longed to head her car back toward
Boulder and leave the rest Of the
affair to Weekes. But Buff had not
sacrificed her pride, given up her
beloved lecture course. spied on
another girl, invited - and re-
ceived! - Tins cold fury at her
efforts on his behalf only to aban-
don those efforts at the last minute.
Act One
MEN," she thought, "will never
AVA do the right thing, if it's
humanity possible to do the wrong
one. George has a lot at stake,
but how do I know he won't
get tired waiting. or think it's a
wild idea on my part-anything.
No. I've got to see it through. I'll
have a cup of coffee and a sand
witch and then I'll skulk about the
Shirley-Savoy and see what can
see. Oh, Lance-Eleanorl If you
could behold your only child at
this minute!"
An hour and a quarter later the
small person drifting to and fro in
the busy crowd before the big
hotel was rewarded by the sight
of George and Tim, the former
driving the shabby car they owned
jointly. the latter sitting grimly
by his side, neither speaking. Buff
could not forbear chuckle at the
picture they made. It was evident
to the most casual spectator that
they had had a row: that Tim had
yielded, reluctantly and ansrily, to
whatever argument George had
put forward. He was in the mood,
Buff knew. to rush to Iris's rescue
even It he saw her in the company
of Latshaw. 9 e
"But that's only Act One in this
thrilling drama by Buff Carroll.
starring Miss iris DeMuth and fea-
turing the Unknown Buyer. Act
Two will do the business. And"
tears from her eyes. "Act Three
will throw the playwright out on
her ear. however successful the
play has been from the box-office
standpoint"
It all worked with unexpected
smoothness. George was wheeling
his car by the hotel entrance for
the third time when the threc
came out: Iris with a gardenia
pinned to the shoulder of her new
coat, Latshaw looking like a cat
about to spring on a mouse, the
second man smugly smiling. Buff
had glimpse of Tins startled face
before George sent the car past as
rapidly as he could with safety.
Buff felt oddly breathless when
she got her own car from the park
ing lot and drove it toward the big
building which housed Nesbit's
modest Office. The delay was suffi-
cient to show her the first party
going IN at the entrance. She
waited until she saw Tim white
and plainly furious, and George.
anxious but stern, follow: then
she circled the block and turned
back toward Boulder. -
It was her hour of triumph, but
no victor ever experienced less ex-
ultation than she. Her very flesh
seemed sore and bruised. ano her
heart. she decided with a gulp of
misery, was merely a cold, aching
lump in her breast. She wanted
nothing but hot bath and a bed:
Webby to bring her tray at sup
perfume perhaps, and to answer
the telephone and doorpell with
the information that Miss Carroll
was-what? III? Gone to Little
America? In the hospital at Den
yer with fractured skull and criti-
cal internal injuries? Anything,
anything that would keep people
awayl
She didn't want to see George.
She hated him as fellow conspira.
tor in what she now felt to be a
piece Of treachery on her part. BE
cause, lookl" she adjured herself.
why should | offend all my prin.
ciples, practically starve and freeze
myself, run the risk of being ar
rested for vagrancy in Denver. miss
a couple of motor accidents by
half of split hair. just to prove to
a dumb-bell that he is a dumb
bell? Especially when he'll prob
ably come around and brain me