The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-26

hear it. Pm ashamed to admit ]
should have acted so childishly.
go on" he said patiently. "It's
rather important for me to hear
lit"
Feeling exceedingly 70 olish.
| Cecily went through the whole
thing. She omitted nothing that
had happened since the day she
had told what she thought was
an innocent white lie to save face.
She told him how Philip Callen
had turned up at Darelea. Out of
fairness to Philip, she told Locke
how truly nice Philip had turned
out to be. When she seemed to be
making no impression, because
Locke was busy with his own
thoughts, she repeated:
"You see, Locke, I am the one
who is really to blame for the
whole SILL situation. I suppose
the real reason why ! haven't told
my aunt is because I'm ashamed
to admit could behave like such
a fool"
II see," he said and Cecily saw
that he hadn't even been listening
to her last words.
Darling
I"CECILY, have you told anyone
| ~ else about it? Think hardl
Anyone at all?"
Laura" she answered at once.
"And that's absolutely ALL"
HAS Laura told anyone else2"
of course notl Why should
she?"
81 don't know" he answered in
that same notwithstanding
thinking-of- something important
voice.
81 don't know what you're get.
ting SO excited about" Cecily
pointed out.
"I'm not excited" he said at
once. Then there was that half
humorous, quizzical smile of his.
II just naturally got anxious when
heard somebody'd stolen my
gal"
Who's your gal?" she asked.
Guess" he answered and when
she closed her eyes, he said quick
ly, mo, don't guess"
When she opened her eyes as
quickly as that, she found the
laughter had gone out of his. Her
quick, happy moment was over.
What had come down between
them, shutting him away from
her?
"All right, we won't play" she
said and picked up the pitcher of
milk to put it in the ice-box.
"Oh, yes, we will" he answered
easily. "Cecily, some day we'll
play lovely games. I'll show you
sights you have never beheld be-
fore. Behold before . now there's
a phrasel Hand in hand, we'll ex.
plore new adventures. :"
Where are you going?" she
called after him, helpless to keep
from calling him.
He had gone toward the back
door of the shop. He picked I'D a
bucket he had left there.
He gave her a sweeping bow.
ITO peddle my berrie: to the plu-
tocrats," he said eau reUoir, darl-
ing, don't tell anyone else what
you've told me today. Let that be
our little secret"
Darling! He called me darling!
Laura said, 'I'm sorry l couldn't
get here before, Cecily. ] know
you wanted to get away early this
afternoon"
did II" Cecily asked dream
NJ. She heard her own voice as
it f1oated down from somewhere
above. Some celestial place.
well, didn't you? thought Mrs.
BrewSter's dinner was tonight.
You said something about want
ing to wash your hair"
"Oh, yes" Cecily got up, reluc-
mt to go, reluctant to leave the
shop. Once back at Darelea, other
things, other people, would come
between her and the fragile thing
that was her present happiness.
Anything happen while I was
away?" Laura inquired when
Cecily was getting ready to go.
Nothing important" Cecily an
swered at once. She wasn't really
evading Laura: it was simply that
she didn't want to talk about
Locke then.
A little later, when she was
setting waves in her hair. Laura
and Locke m il.gle I'd in her
thoughts. She had a sudden sense
that something was escaping her,
something that Laura might be
able to set right. Was Locke jeal-
Gus? What did his concentrated
interest in her recital about Phil
ip's position at Darelea mean?
Cecily jabbed combs into her
head in a moment of self-abnega-
ton. What foolish, unbalanced
girl she was getting to De, always
trying to find reason and mean
lngS. writings on the wall where
there were nonel
She tied net around her hair,
wrapped herself in woolly robe
and, picking up her bath salts and
powder, went on to the bath.
Soaking in the warm, fragrant
water, Cecily let her thoughts spill
lazlly about her, a luxury the
quick-minded seldom enjoy. Bub-
bles of thought floating on the
surface of the mind. Impressions
impinging one upon the other. No
vivid reds or puppies. Gust pleas
ant neutral-colored.
She hurried through her dress
ing, pulling the clinging yellow
crepe over her head, touching
eye-shadow to her lids. Ny, Miss
| Stuart, 1Dhdt q Qlumor0uS QiTl uou
are getting to bel Smooth rouge
in carefully, dust the powder
down for the velvety effect. Not
too much lipstick. There, now, the
hair combed loosely. Let it fall
little over to the side. Tie that
narrOuy \ mn ,,a1,,o& ysLk~.,