The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-25

Cecily stuck her arms in the
sleeves OF her polo coat and went
downstairs. She was going to the
movies with Philip.
Chin Up
CCRUNCH, scrunch. Sturdy boots
~ on pebbled roads. Match your
footsteps to Philips in the beam
of your flaShlight. Don't look up at
the stars. They're only stars, after
all. What's that new pungency in
the air? It's the strong scent Of
summers last flowers. Why do
growing things smell stronger at
night? Is it because the sun alb
serbs the perfume in the daytime?
Look it up in your botany book
when you get back to New York.
You'll have lots of time for i'm
proving your mind when you get
back to New York. You won't have
your eyes and ears attuned to
waiting for someone then. Keep
your chin up, it won't be so bad.
There, now, don't keep your chin
up, you nearly stumbled that time
and Philip had to take your arm
and, of course. he has to get a death
grip on it.
"Please. Philip. I hate to be held
Onto"
He shrugged his shoulders. %It,s
a good picture, Cecily, and you
wouldn't enjoy it if you had to sit
through 1t with a Sprained ankle"
Can't you say something? Must
you be so ungracious? Philips try
ing to be amusing. And he did stay
home when the others went off in
the cruiser just so that you
wouldn't be alone. Cecily, you've
got a bad disposition. Think Of
something nice to say to him, be
reasonable sort of girl. How would
you like it if some girl treated
Doug this way?
"Philip, you haven't told me
about your new book. What's it
going to be about?"
Philip recaptured her elbow and
held it in a firm grasp.
"It's going to be a love-story this
time. It's going to be about YOU"
Cecily sighed through her teeth.
She thought: I've given him a
chance and, as usual, he muffS it.
Is there anything I can talk about
and get him going onto that is not
personal?
They had come onto the main
street of the village and she gave
up the effort. She was glad that
they would soon be sitting in the
darkened theater and she would be
free of her efforts. She would also
by concentrating on the screen
be free of her own thoughts. Locke
and Philip. Philip and Locke.
Where was Cecily between?
She sat on the small of her back,
hands thrust deep in her pockets,
staring at the screen with physical
intent. There was the usual news
reel. A hog-calling contest. A Jap
anese baseball game. Calisthenics
in Budapest. The Notre Dame foot
ball team warming up for the sea-
son. Hitler. The launching of a
battleship.
Cecily wriggled. Every time
60 to news-reel and see these
things over and over again I'll
think of this theater. Locke and
have never come to the movies.
I'm glad we haven't, because then
I'd never be able to go to another
movie without thinking of him. ]
suppose movies are beneath him.
Philip was laughing uproarious-
ly over an animated cartoon. Ce-
ely found herself laughing and,
in the midst of her laughter, felt
herself impelled to turn in her
seat.
She was sure she hadn't heard
Locke laugh out loud. She had
never heard him laugh out loud
so she wouldn't have recognized
his laugh if she had. But there she
was turning around to see him
staring straight ahead at the
screen, not at her, and only three
rows back. 1t was as though he had
called to her. and suddenly she
was angry.
She hadn't seen him since the
day he kissed her. Yet with the
very power of his thoughts-or his
nearness-he had been able to
command her to look at him.
Continued tomorrow.