The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-24
TWO AGAINST LOVE
: BY Frances Hanna

INST LOVE
S Hanna
| family. It is my duty to carry On
its traditions. If you feel so con-
tenaptuous Of lis. why don't tyoii
get out?"
San excellent suggestion. Bob
agreed. I'LL what can be- done
about it." He started walking to-
ward the highway, his long, lean
body tensed with purpose.
Upon reaching the roadside
stand he hesitated a moment
lwatching Gretchen straigEten the
lshelves Of produce. As yet she was
not aware Of his presence. His eyes,
usually twinklipg with humor. be-
Icame serious and tender with emo
ton. His face seemed suddenly
lighted by some warm inner
knowledge. She lis SO dear, he
thought. So sweet and honest and
down to-earth. The sort ofswornaTl
la man could depend upon for
steadinesS and trueness all scf his
fife.
eGretchen," he murmured going
near to her. Gretchen, there's
something I've been wanting to
task you"
Her,wide, dark eyes, meeting his
l.gray ones, told him all that he
wanted to know. Honey, this
isn't a very romantic time orplace.
Ebut-" he reached across the cout1-
ter and caught her hands in his
Gretchen, I love you. VIII you
marry mel"
"A smile Of happiness parted her
Esoft, trembling lips. YES, Bob-I
love you, too"
Young Ones In Love
LIE DUCKED under the counter
III and caught her in his arms;
kissed her with a rapture that took
no heed Of passing cars and curious
glances. Finally she held him
away long enough to ask, tBut
what about your brother and sis
ter, Boz? They won't like 1t"
YOf course they won't" he
agreed, "'but ! really don't care.
Believe me, Gretchen, I've known
the first complete eontentment and
happiness of my life since. you
came here to live. At first ] didn't
quite know why. Well, i know
now. ] want to be with you for the
rest of my life. want to watch
Betsy grow up into young woman
-. honey, let's get Mons to watch
the stand and we'll jump in the
car, 60 to the airport and take "a
plane to Arizona and be married
before midnight We won't tell
anyone but your mother until we
come back!"
"But my clothes" Gretchen pro-
tested, her feminine instinct CONF
ing to the fore, II would like to
look pretty, Bob -"
Sure you would, honey. Well
stop insSanta Barbara and buy you
anything yousWant. / have enough
of my months allowance left to
take care of this wedding and all
the trimmings!D
Hand in hand, flushed and ex-
cited as two children, they ran
through the citrus grove and burst /
into the kitchen. Mrs. Mack looked
up from the. dough she.Was folding
into q buttered pan. Her round face
creased into smile. She Shook her
head to get strand Of hair out OF
her eyes.
snow what are you two. so ex-
cited about?n she asked. skAnd far
goodness sake be quiet. i just thas
minute got Betsy to sleep"
Gretchen threw her arms about
her mother and kissed her moist
cheek. Mama, Bob and ] are go-
ing to be married--fightnowi You
you'll have to watch the vege-
table stand and make up just q lit
tie story because we don't want
Gramp or Tally to know about il
until we get back"
And why not?" Della demand
ed. Both Of 'em will be glad TO
have Bob in the family"
Because" explained Gretchen.
her adoring eyes on Bob, we want
TO elope to Arizona. Now we've
made up our minds we don't want
to wait the three days California
requires. You know how Tally S
so sensible he wouldn't
understand"
s'Sure and ] know about young
ones in love-" Della nodded. "Just
run along. the both Of YOU. and
Gods hlessin's be with you"
Jocelyn was clrled up in biz
chair lazily thumbing through .
new electromagnetic shrinking cx
her trollsseau. She experienced no
enthusiastic anticipation: rather,
she felt as II she were being car
ried along, unresisting, by an OUT
side force toward the first Of Oc-
tober and her marriage to Geoff-
reg. She felt that way, she told
herself, only because she had
known Geoff so long and so well.
They had been sweethearts since
her sixteenth birthday; almost
four years.
Now she lifted her eyes from
the magazine page and looked
across the room to where Geoff sat
playing chess with Thorndyke. As
he waited for Thornss move he in
dulged in characteristic gesture
which somehow annoyed her to-
night: that Of slowly rubbing the
knuckles of one big square hand
with the palm Of the othe4. He had
come over late in the afternoon
from the polo field and had stayed 4
on to dinner. Itwas past midnight
now. He looked like all the roto-
aravure pictures Of polo playing
young sportsmen the country over
she thought. Clean cut; well bred:
clear eyed; but still one Of pat
tern without any unusual dis
49, e,,.sel.sess9 e,anVlrc