The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-13
Meet Mr.. Lochinvur
-R,, As,a Rl,.,d---.~
BY Marie BLIZZARD I

| She insisted that Laura buy a
yellow silk that pointed up the
cloudy softness of her dark hair.
"Pll be wearing an apron" Lau-
"a protested and bought it.
You'll do nothing of the sortl
You'll see that Donald Heming-
way has a great big supper and
that his coffee is Sweetened by
your own hand"
Laura turned away to hide her
confusion.
The invitation said: Supper from
seven to nine.
Outwardly cool, at six Cecily in
spected the long table - boards
placed on carpenters horses-at
the back of the shop. It had been
covered with a pale pink damask
cover borrowed from Olivia. The
lush blooms of New England'S
gardens, wild Sweet-peaS, cosmos,
blue delphinium and pink gladioli,
were massed colorfully in wide
crystal bowl and surrounded by
lighted tapers in silver candle
sticks. Great bowls of salad, brown
crooks of fragrant baked beans,
platters of pale pink ham, and
mounds of sandwiches on basket
trays weighted it down tempting
ly. There were glass dishes of thin,
bitter chocolate minis and small
mountains of buttery nuts.
On another table, there were
piles of decorative paper plates,
borrowed silver and small nap
kins. There was an urn for steam
ing coffee. And in the back in the
small storeroom, there was an ex-
cited Sue Calder. dressed in her
"best dress" with one of Cecily's
smocks over it, waiting with BEAM
| ing face to serve the tempting
food. There were great quantities
of it in reserve. Attt$.4
A Good Party
IOUT in the back yard, the
~ youngest Calder, Archibald.
turned the handle of the big ice
cream freezer and thought of his
position.
At ten minutes after six, Cecily
said, "Oh, Lord, Laura. what if no.
body comeS!"
Her cheeks burned with excite
ment and her heart quickened
with every sound.
At half-past six, Mrs. Brewster
and her elderly companion rolled
up in the Brewster limousine, and
Mrs. Brewster inspected the table
with her lorgnette. my, N.Y." she
said appreciatively. "Cecily, my
| dear, your party is going to be the
| best ever in VickerSport."
Mrs. Brewster ought to know. In
spite of her refuSalS to invitations
for the past twenty years she was
| still the acknowledged social lead
er of the colony. Tonight, she had
| paid Cecily the compliment of
coming in her lavender silk.
Within fifteen minutes, Cecily
knew her party was a success.
There were the Goodales, the Har-
bingers, the INDEPENDENTLY
wealthiest customers come down
from their big houses, acting as
though they were at a country club
party having a wonderful time. At
eight o'clock, Sue had already re-
filled the salad bowls and was slic-
ing more of the succulent ham.
Everyone is here" Laura whis-
pered excitedly to Cecily and hur-
ried on to fill cup with coffee for
Donald Hemingway.
Everyone wasn't there. Lochin-
var hadn't come.
"He's gone the way he came"
Cecily said. and was angry that
she should have felt such keen dis
appointment that her food seemed
tasteless to her, her laughter with
out cause.
Sleepy-eyed, but with a new ex-
Infancy she could not hide, Laura
came into the shop early the next
morning.
"It was wonderful" she pro-
nounced at once. "Cecily, we'll
make all the money that it cost,
too! I'll bet everyone of our guests
will be in to thank you and to
trade. Didn't you have a good
timer"
Grand" Cecily said listlessly.
It had been good party. She had
thought her guests would stay to
supper and move on. Instead,
someone had proposed playing
Ghosts" and the game had gone
on merrily until well after mid
night. If Cecily had had party at
her own home, it wouldn't have
come off better. Even Mrs. Brew
ster had remained until after
eleven.
"Mr. Hemingway took me
home" Laura said.
81 hope he asked you for a date, T"
Ceeily replied. her thoughts far
off. And little sad. Everyone was
having fun but her. All she had
was work. Get up in the morning
and come to the shop. Leave the
shop and go home. A routine.
The color of Cecily's sky had
changed from blue to gray.
| And all because a shabby
stranger had come and gone away
again.
| But he hadn't gone away.
| Cecily saw him on Saturday.
1 She had gone to the blacksmith
shop at the far end of the village
to have a bent fire-tong repaired
She came out of the shop and saw
a familiar combination. A shabby
wagon and a motheaten white
horse, the latter plaeidly chewing
the grass beside the road.
4 She knew Lem Soderson's old
Bess and. when she remembered
kept lump of sugar in her smock
pocket for the aged beast.
Il Hello BeSS." She said cheerily
and patted the nuzzling nose
searching vainly for sugar.
And c11IjaYl,, sI.ar1 l. - ,,,,e EIse