The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-21

those happy silences between them
been merely silences? Not some
thing dear and precious that you
accepted because you both felt
them?
1t was already September. There
were only few weeks longer for
her to be in Vickersport. Only a
few weeks longer to make some
thing real and lasting of her en-
chantment. What then?
She had made vague plans to
open a shop in New York on her
return. At another time, she would
have been thrilled, filled with her
plans. Now, she couldn't bear to
think of them. She couldn't see
herself anywhere but where she
was. New York was as remote as
Tibet-and as foreign, because
there would be no Locke there.
He had talked about New York
but she had never been able to
make him say that he would be
there. or that he would see her
there. Oh, he was very unsatis-
factory person. Why couldn't she
have fallen in love with solid
sort of person?
Why couldn't she have fallen
in love with someone-say, like
Philip Callen? There wasn't
really anything wrong with Philip.
Everybody liked him except her
self.
Maybe I'm fated to be one of
those women who always make
mistakes, she thought cheerfully.
| guess I'm not cut out to be the
femme fGtdle type: and all the rest
of us, according to current litera-
ture, have to make mistakes.
She was almost asleep when she
thought of that. Then a new
thought woke her up. Why hadn't
she thought of it before!
Locke hadn't kissed her. Three
times he had acted as though he
wanted to, and then, deliberately.
he had turned away.
Evidently. he hadn't because he
would have thought his kiss was
serious, and if it was -.
Cecily meant to find out.
Donald
CILAS POWERS kicked open the
- back door of the book shop with
capable foot and came in with
his arms filled with stout logs.
You'll be needin' plenty of EN-,
Miss Stuart. GIFTS right cool all of
a sudden in Se'tember up here"
That's right. Silas. But don't
mind. Hearth fires IN book shop
are good for the book business
There's something about fire that
inspires reading. you know"
Dunno" he said, brushing up
the chips into Cecily's neat hearth
before he left.
Business has been aWfully good.
hasn't it?" Laura said from the
depths of chair where she was
bent over column of figures.
Cecily waited until Silas had
gone. Then she said. "It's been
wonderful, Laura. The whole sum-
mer has been wonderful. | never
dreamed when came up here that
it was going to mean so much to
me. I've gained friends: have you
and =. and this form of achieve
ment. Plans for the winter have
worked out of ii and | ought to be
happy"
Laura dropped her pencil.
Aren't your" she inquired anxi-
ously.
Cecily laughed quickly. "Of
course, | am. / don't know what ]
was thinking of to say that"
Laura's quiet waiting embar-
raised her. She picked up her pen
and took a stack of cards out of the
file. The cards were left unnoticed
while she gazed pensively out OF
the window. Her gaze carried over
the field at the back and settled on
a clump of trees. Beyond there lay
the North road and at the end OF
the North road. a cottage she had
never visited.
''It would be cold and dismal
here in the winter" she said alb
sently.
"Oh, mol" the older girl protested
at once.
Cecily half turned in her chair
and saw that now it was Laura
who was embarrassed. There was
flush onaLaura's bent face.
1T will be lovely here" Laura
went on. when the ground is
covered with clean, white snow
and you're enclosed in sturdy
walls. Cecily, think of the crunch
of crisp snow underfoot. the ex-
hilarating tang of salt on the cold
air, the crackle of logs in big
hearth, light spilling a yellow well
come out of windows. There would
be long, quiet evenings ="
you're getting positively poet
&c, Laura" Cecily answered from
a great distance. She was thinking:
Life enclosed by sturdy walls can
be beautiful. But | can't ever think
of them because | have nothing.
My walls belong to someone else.
The thought brought her back
to Laura.
She turned full around.
what does it all mean, Laura?
Aren't you going back to Boston?"
Laura took a long breath. 81
don't know. yet" she said in
small voice. ats that well
! oughtn't to speak yet but :"
Cecily crossed the room and sat
on the arm of Laura's chair. ''Is il
Donald?"
Laura folded her hands in her
lap. "Yes," she said.
Cnnttnuad nr,anrrnxy