The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-01-18

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caustic comment when she met the
Sleuth:
Gle looks as though he ought to
be investigated himself" >
Later she reluctantly admitted
the wisdom of her sons action
when Detective Mccarthy re-
ported on t, letter that was Mrs.
Marchand's pet preference. It was
written in old-fashioned script
and signed by Abigail Johnson"
It seemed like breath of laven-
der and conjured pictures Of
fragile old lady sitting by an open
fire, lingering her ecru fichu.
Served two terms for shoplift-
ing" Mccarthy disgustedly an
rlounced.
Search into the past of the
others selected proved less dis
maying. One old man was ruled
out because Mccarthy said he was
'rich as old Croesus" and notori-
ously stingy.
With fearful protest, Mrs. Mar
chand would plead for each writer.
She wanted them all. It broke her
heart to disappoint one But both
Allan and Noel urged her to stick
to the original size of the guest list
and finally the choice was made
and the invitations written.
Noel chose a struggling young
designer named Elsie Grant who
lived at the Weymouth Club for
girls. Noel remembered the place
well. :.
when I was broke, four years
ago, / spent Christmas in that
place It's cheap and respectable
that's all you can say for it. I'd hate
TO think of poor Elsie in her cub
byhole of a room there on Christ
mas Eve" she explained.
So Elsie headed the list.
Much as he'd held out against
the plan, Allan had guest of his
own, too. Going through the avail
anche of mail he'd come across
one from an Archibald Whit
taker" and when he'd read
through the letter, he exclaimed:
Archie, The Mouse
WHAT do you know about that?
w Here's Archie, the Mouse"
Then, as his mother looked
askance, he explained, "He was
one of the teachers at Stratton
when I went there. A meek little
fellow-but a decent sort as I re-
member. Good Lord, is Archie still
in the land of the living?"
After that, Archibald must be
included, and his name followed
Elsie's. Next came the widow of a
naval officer, Elizabeth Barton,
whose son had died and whose
daughter was married to a young
Marine Subaltern in far-off Hawaii.
Tommy Sheldon who confessed
he was a. hopeful architect with
nothing to build wrote in whimsi-
cal vein of seeing real house, not
one on white paper or in cold win
ter dreams. Poor chap" Mrs.
Marchand almost wept over his
letter. So Tommy was in.
Detective. Mccarthy had some-
thing to do with the last one. He
reported so Sympathetically of one
"Janet Smith" that she was &C
copied on McCarthy's recommeYl-
dation. "Sweet young blonde kid
from. TT~wa cretty as a picture,
looks IS thorgh her parents ought
to be taking care of her. Says she's
an artist, but sure needs the
breaks"
There they were, the fortunately
chosen, and over the letter that
went out to each of them, Mrs.
Marchand labored for hours. They
were to come to her country home
the morning before Christmas. She
would send them their railroad
tickets and they'd be met at the
station.
"And, Noel, darling, you'll have
to come up long before that to help
me with the plans" she went on,
building her lovely dream Christ
mas and waiting her magic wand
that would turn it into a reality.
Each day, Noel grew fonder of
the delightful enthusiastic dowa-
ger who seemed lost when Noel
was off on some other engagement.
Il feel I've had you for years."
she'd say with her arm around
Noel. You're such e comfort
and so beautiful to look at"
Walking briskly up the Avenue
and over East to her hotel after
she left them. Noel thought Of
these two newly made friends and
how quickly they'd grown into her
life. She adored Mrs. Marchand
and she liked Allan, she knew. But
she wasn't sure Just how he re-
garded her.
The theater tonight with David
didn't seem so alluring as it would
have week ago. Her mind was On
the coming Christmas party. ~
It was while Noel was relaxing
after her shower and before she
put on her dinner gown that she
saw it! In the afternoon paper. The
gorgeously tall figure, all swathed
in sables, alighting from the trans
continental plane at Newark Air
port that morning. A coolly beau
tiful face, looking calmly superior
as the cameraman snapped her.
And, underneath, the caption:
The popular Elaine Corey Schuyler.
back home from Reno Nth her free
dom from the equally popular Vim
cent Schuyler.
And so. as the society reporter
dramatically wrote, "endeth the
story that started with their elope-
ment last Christmas Eve"
Elaine-Christmas Eve-Elope-
ment!
The words registered one by one