The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-20
Chapter 80
The Breaking Point

The Breaking Point
@uOW Fortunate" Eloise said in
l 1 a moment or two, II thought
to bring them-several times /
haven't, and really. it's most en-
barrassing-but how could one an
ticipate-after all, falling down,
or dropping them, yes. Why.
everybody has accidents. But one
can't anticipate-er-a blow, I'm
sure. But ! do think it was fortu-
nate ! had another pair"
With that commentary. Eloise
dismissed the situation.
at was unfortunate" Sara said,
sbut ] know that none Of US there
will mention it. Jssle has been ter
ribly upset, and she's not demon
strative. I suppose evefything'S
,seething inside her, and it came
out all at once. It's too bad she
landed on you and proceeded to
make you her safety valve-she's
probably crying her eyes out,
somewhere, and wondering how
she can apologize. ,o. 81
SPoor janet" Eloise said. eOf
course her father-that ruined her
life, / know-you couldn't call her
mother anything but Eighty. Just
Eighty. Mother warned me-of
course mother understood Jane.
But / couldn't help wishing-Zeb
is such a nice boy. So nice-looking,
and of course his family is beyond
but when / saw how things have
been going lately. ] just couldn't
help suggesting-and I'm sure
she'd have found it a very wise
choice. Mother thought so. and we
both hoped-but ! suppose she
knows her own mind"
I'm afraid she does" Sara said.
Eloise nodded. my own fault, |
suppose-but I'm sure | didn't
mean to plague her so that-real-
ly, mol My, mol I've just been try
ing to point out to her how Zeb-
after all, that red man-and par
ticularly notD."
II take it," Asey said. "you been
suggestin' that there was lot OF
sanity in hookin' Zeb, instead of
botherin' with Slade. considerin'
this situation?"
"Why, yes, of course. I'm sure |
didn't mean to plague her till she
but one never knows, does
one" her voice trailed off.
Zone doesn't, I'm sure-it," Asey
said. "It-oh, Sara, if | stay here
any longer, I'll talk like that too.
See to her, will you? I'll be back"
He could we'll understand how
Jane might have been driven to
the breaking point if Eloise had
been pumping out a steady if dis
connected stream of propaganda
In favor of Zeb Chase, and ap-
parently she had been doing just
that. That accounted for James
spending the previous day with
Zeb. Eloise had simply driven her
into it
Weston and jeff were in the liv-
ing room, busy over batch of
papers.
"Nice hunters you are" Asey
said. Where's Jane?"
Weston smiled. "Brinley found
her. | didn't know he was such
lady killer. He found her out I'M
der the trees. and brought her in,
and she's crying on his shoulder
In the dining room. and he seems
to be handling her so well that jeff
and | decided to leave the affair
TO him. Asey, what's to be done?
I'm going crazy and that's fact!"
ASey shrugged. "About all we
can do is wait an hope. right now"
1T Must Go Smoothly
81 WORRY about tomorrow"
i Weston said. "It's town day.
and tag day for our new hospitals
] want il to 60 off. Friday is the his
torical day-that doesn't count
much. and Saturday'll take care OF
jtsen, with the week end crowd.
and all. But tomorrow has simply
got.to. 60 smoothly. Oh, | forgot.
The state police head<wanted you
to call him. He didn't come with
the governor, he came later and
stayed only a few minutes. He said
he'd call Lane. Asey. isn't there
anything we can do to keep tomor-
row from being spoiled?"
Asey sat down. "Idon't think you
need have any fears about tomor-
row. Or tomorrow night got as
much endurance as the next. but
he done me up. He done Kay up l
sort Of hope he'll rest tomorrow
B'sides, he's done a number of
things he ought to sit down an
take stock Of. On oui side, we'll
take stock. too. I'd say that Friday
night, he ought to bounce back,
bigger an better than ever. By
that time, maybe we can have
doped out what he was after at the
hollow tonight. Probably amin to
plant somethin' else"
"Plant something else?"
sYes, he's been plantin'. but
don't ask me to 60 into Il now.
Maybe if he'd keep on plantin', we
might get some place. Honest.
can't move. / Like to think of our
friend somewhere. soakin' his feet
In EPSON salts. You know. some
ones got to cut my shoes OF, the
way I feel Tell Brinley to bring