The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-13
Chapter Nine
The Fence

T YN ran slim fingers through.her
! hair. THE viii is crazy" she
told Thorn. Il can't understand
grandmother STIMULATING the es-
tate couldn't be sold unless mar
ried that peasant. There is no solu-
ton. I'm going to marry Geoff and
the estate can never be sold. don't
want it sold. And you are going tc
marry Nola Cranston. You and
viii both be leaving here; leaving
everything to the Macksl They'll
sell the furniture: plow up the ter
races: turn the swimming pool into
a horse trough and the stable into
a cattle barn. It makes me sickl I
Lore this place; its history: its
beauty; its traditions"
Perhaps l can by them of"
he suggested. "Offer to purchase
their rights"
Then do It." she urged. "Do ii
before it's too late--before lose
my mindl"
When Thorndyke returned to
the library an hour later she knew
by the ireful flush on his heavy
cheeks that he had failed. She also
surmised that he had lost his tenn
per.
She was correct. Tally and his
grandfather had both insisted they
were more than content and had
no wish to 60 elsewhere. "How-
ever, Thorn finished, young Mack
promised to do something about
the old man and the child over
running our place: also about the
annoyance of the chickens and so
forth"
"Just trh1t?"
Thorn shrugged. 81 don't know.
Anyhow. they can't be bought off.
offered them five thousand dol
lars cash."
Jocelyn sighed. 'T wish Bob
would get back from the tennis
meet in Los Angeles"
Why? He certainly is no help.
II anything. he would encourage
them to further outrage"
Perhaps. But they do seem to
like him and he might be able to
do more with them than we can.
After all. he ought to help us; we
are his own flesh and blood"
Thorn growled. TELL YOU what.
Lyn = jump into some sports
clothes and TIL run you over to the
club for the rest Of the day. You
need TO get away from here"
"f need something!"
A few minutes later Tally. rest
ing on the plow handles. saw them
drive of. His chin hardened; his
eyes REGISTERED resentment. Gramp
ambled over. his wrinkled laws
worrying his "chaw of tobaccy /"
His sh-ewd old eyes Eoted Tally's
expression.
Whats eatin' on you. Tally?
The sight o. them folks traipsin'
OF 70 their swell doin's?"
mo It's none of my business
what they do"
Wish you was rich like them?'
mo. Not II it made me like that
snnrg. pompous ape that calls him.
self Thorndykei Gramp. get YOUR
hammer and nails. We've got work
70 co."
"A Little Snob'
WHAT you amin at, Som"
W "A fence" Tally stated. "a
high board fence with no knot
holes and no chinksl I'll take the
trailer into town and get the lum-
Der and We can start on it this af-
ternoon. The blowing can wait.
Tn going to run a fence on our
side Of this property all the way
down TO the edge Of the ocean and
all the way back to the highwayl
I've heard enough Of their yowl-
ing about property rights and I'm
going 20 stop i'll The sight Of us
makes them sick
%You don't figger none Of it's
your fault, Tally?" Gramp squint-
ed like a wise old monkey. 81 amt
seen you bein' very sweet-like."
why should II" his grandson
defended. "The first thing after we
arrive they try to shove is into
rooms they don't want. then they
start telling us what we can and
can't do. If they had left me alone
-oh, well. what's the usel They
started this and I'll finish Il. "
eff they'd known you like do
they wouldn't have started Moth
in'I" Gramp cackled. "Say, that
gals right pretty, amt she?" His
grin was sly.
81 suppose so, IL you like the
kind who think they're too good
for common folks and consider an
honest farmer q peasant I think
she's q little snob."
$50 was her grandma" old Mack
chuckled. @till she fell in love with
me. wouldn't stand no sass from
her.
yet she ran of and married
someone else"
The old man looked rueful. Il
was q stubborn young fool like
You. One time / guess | was too
derned ornery. Anyhow. that was
q long time ago and no man ever
had . better wife than Katie
OConnell, your grandma. ] amt
sorry much, Tally. / had good
life - howsomever. If you get
hankerin' for that e-blooded
ally youn have to break her to