The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-10-21
Chapter Six
Buff Breaks Down


THE letter had come; the letter
Il Buff had expected and dreaded.
She had known what it would be
like. Eleanor was slow to make up
her mind, but when she did she
acted with decision and entire
fhoroughnesS.
Her daughter caught her breath
when she took the fat envelope
from Atkins. She was far too pre-
occupied to observe that the fore
mans manner was odd; that he
hdgeted. east a glance toward her
which was mixture of appeal and
defiance, and in the end stalked
away without opening his mouth.
Up the stairs Buff few with her
letter. Tins door was open and he
reused himself to mark those fly
ing footsteps. And noticed that
they dragged forlornly and sur
prisingly just before the girl went
into her room and closed the door
behind her.
Minutes later or perhaps 1t
was hourS-he caught the sound of
mufaed sobbing from somewhere.
He had been so far away from the
ranch, been with Iris, hearing her
hauntinglk sweet voice, dwelling
On the soft radiance in her uplifted
brown eyes. that it took him some
time 10 realize that what he was
really listening to was little Buff
Carroll crying in her room.
San Their love affair gone
wrong" he concluded grim | y.
Nothing l can do about it either.
Or can /? Shall hobble iA and in
vite her to weep on my shoulder?
Did / want TO weep on Georges
shoulder when - when - no, of
course / didn't The only thing l
girls are different-queer. Maybe
she'd like a bit of brotherly SYM
pathy." He scowled. "Oh, lord!
Hate to barge in and risk being
told TO mind my business. Con-
found IT. The child'll tear her
own throat to pieces if she doesn't
let up"
He considered the man who, pre-
sumably. was responsible for all
this woe.
what more does he want?" he
demanded angrily of his injured
leg. Money! suppose Carroll s
got something. and this girls his
one and only; looks - George
seemed TO think she's not too
homely - the prestige of being a
famous cartoonist's daughter. May
be he's one of these men who resent
brains in a woman" he decided.
THAT stuff she writes-maybe he
holds il against her. But he needn't
read it," he said somewhat fiercely.
Anyway I'll bet his own past is
nothing TO frame and hang on the
wall of the living room"
He looked at his watch. I'll give
her FIVE minutes more: then, if she
doesn't stop that crying I'll make
q nuisanee Of myself and offer SYM
patty Maybe she'll be so furious
itn distract her."
II was the shortest five minutes
he had ever known. The long hand
Of his watch seemed to race. When
the limit was up, he hobbled re-
signedly toward the door. His hest
tant tap on Bluffs went unnoticed
and he knocked; good loud knock
this time. There was a moments
silence and then Bluffs voice, curl
ouslv muffied. replied.
who is it? What d'you want?"
Tim"
Without further ado. he opened
the door and limped inside. He
frowned again. seeing her in a
tight. unhappy ball on the bed.
Don't DO that" There was acrid
protest in his tone. ut doesn't do
any good. He isn't worth it, Buff.
though | know you won't believe
me. As matter o. fact. he's an ego
fist Of the first water. Confound il,
why shouldn't you write If you
want 10. If il amuses you? It's your
life. after all"
"W-what 90 you mean?" Her
breast rose and fell stormily. "He
doesn't mind my writing. 1t was his
idea in the first place"
''Oh, il wasl" Another explana-
tion daWned on him. Jealous, Ell?
Invading his own field? Well, all
I've got TO say is he's louise"
Slight misunderstanding
CHE jerked herself up to one ell
- bow, swept the loose waves of
hair from her wet eyes. you shan't
call him that, Tim Corlissl He's the
dearest, the finest . and what
do you know about him, when it
comes to that? You've never laid
eyes on himl"
Nor wish to-" he informed her
coldly. Il know the kind of guy he
IS: absorbed in his own concerns
I suppose he calls 1t his work.
and paving no attention to anyone
else unless he feels his supremacy
Is threatened. You're darned well
nd Of him. Buff. if you'd just face
e."
But don't want to be rid of
himl And you're simply silly about
bis being jealous. Anyhow. he
didn't write; it was she-Eleanor!"
He made frenzied motions with
his hands. $50 there's an Eleanor
IN II, is there! / might have known.
Always a triangle Of some kind,
from that in the Garden Of Eden
straight down through the ages.
And Eleanor wrote you'll HIM.
Doesn't that show you? Doesn't it
Buff" he urged.
Tears welled into her drowned
blue eyes, spilled over the swollen
lids.
@Of course it does" she admitted
forlornly. 81 knew it before,
though. It's just seeing it put into
words"