The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-02
Chapter IL
Tuck's Necklace

AA0kSC4 Ia
Tuclk's Necklace
CHARLOTTE JEAN" said Tuck
~ next morning as she dried the
newly washed flower vases, 1--WE
had a marvellous melon cocktail
last night. Mrs. Deane Is an awful
ly good cook. Not that you cook
the melon, of course" she added
hastily as question grew in Char
lotte jeans eyes. at seemed very
simple. / poked mine to find out
how it was done. Order some mel
ons today, will you? One of every
kind they have"
"Yes'm, Mrs. Forester. Did you
drink it or eat it?"
I'VE ate it. Like an oyster cock
tail, Charlotte JEAN"
"Yes'm." She sighed. "I'm for
Prohibition, myself"
"Why the sigh?" Tuck asked
with sympathy. "Has somebody
disappointed you over it?"
Eyes, ma'am, Mrs. Forester. It's
my new gentleman friend" she
said with a certain self-consciouS
pride. 'rm afraid he drinks"
Tuck set the glass down and adj
mired its shining brightness.
That's too bad. Did you speak to
him about it?"
Indeed I did" She pursed up
her lips. "But Pm afraid he'll go
right on drinking to his dying
day." Charlotte Jean rubbed the
stove resignedly. "And if thought
that wouldn't marry him."
My goodness, had you intended
Eyes, Mrs. Forester, give him
my promise true the other night.
OF course l don't know him very
well yet, but it's Just as we'll to
say yes the first time they ask
you, and then you have a kind of a
hold on them, And of course you
can always back out, can't you,
Mrs. Forester"
Apparently. Who is the gentle
man. Charlotte Jean?"
well, you may not approve, him
bein' so near and all, but it's Hig-
gins, Mrs. Forester. He's kind of
a little man, but don't mind that.
Seems to me little men have more
brains than big ones. And then"
she paused melodramatically, "it
isn't as if it mattered much if he
has brains or not. He's coming into
a lot of money"
Money? Higgins? What is he,
Charlotte Jean? The younger son
OF an earl, over here in disguise?"
"Of course not, Mrs. Forester.
I've seen earls. with my own eyes,
in the old country. He don't look
anything like them. No, / don't
exactly know where it's coming
from. but he's going to get it. He
told me not to mention it to any
body. but of course I'm not, Mrs.
Forester"
Certainly, you aren't. Much
money, will it be-" Tuck looked at
her curiouSly.
81 don't know. Quite a bit,
think. Maybe five thousand dollars,
he said"
DOESN'T ne KNOW!
"No ma'am. Mrs. Forester. It
depends on something"
"On what?"
81 don't know. On something"
"Does he expect to get it soon?"
81 think so. He talks as if he had
II already. he's that grand about it.
A bird in the hands worth fifty in
the haYch &c NV pnnff0o
"And two or three in the hand,
] suppose. is better than one?"
Two Rockeries
CHARLOTTE JEAN hung the
~ stove rag in the -ellar-way
"Now you're teasing me, Mrs. For
rester," she said reproachfully
DO you want me to cut them
flowers for you, or are you going
TO do it?"
Tuck glanced out of the window
over the sink. "Oh, he's working
in the garden? Well-much as
hate. to. slow up loves young
dream. am very anxious to have
the silver polished very thorough
~. The District Attorney is COM
ing to dinner"
Tuck had gathered an armful OF
gladioli. put them in vases in the
house. and was down by the hedge
before she noticed what Higgins
was really doing. He was bringing
his barrow full of stones and piline
them in semicircleS, one at each
side OF the garden gate.
What are you doing?" she
asked curiously.
He got up from the ground anc
jerked the barrow a little closer tt
the pile of stones. "Pm maxim {
rockery, num-" he replied.
"A rockery? Two rockeries, Mr.
Higgins? But why? This isn't a
all the sort Of garden to have rock,
cries in. is it? It's too formal. Won
they quarrel with the sundial?"
"It'll be easy to whitewash 'em
mum. Then they'll mate"
"But surely, are rockerieS sup
posed to be whitewashed? ! don
want TO interfere, but I think {
rockery - two rockeries-agains
the hedge think it will spoil thu
garden. Don't your"
He piled two more rocks on tn,
heap. 81 don't know nothink abou
II, mum. Orders Is orders" he salt
stubbornly.
~Yes. But don't you think your