The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-16
Chapter %
Alexandria

I Asst Christmas in Bucharest.
this Christmas ir Alexandria.
next Christmas - where? Peter
wondered He looked through the
window at his side. at the dazzling
silver OF wing. against the IN
credible blueness o. the Mediter-
ranean Sea. Across the sparkling
surface, the shadow OF the plane
seemed to move slowly. Now
ahead and below them, Peter saw
land: great welt OF II. looming
up and gong or and on. Africa
Hot. misty. and fiat Il looked. that
coastline against it, blue setting
He turned To Petrol and pointed
She smiled nodded She was look
ing lit these days. his sister. He
didn't w0nder that she was be-
coming quite well known: that
peoplsEmaGe q fuss over her .llat
they were invited to spend Chf8sts
mas T.. Alexandria. moving IN H.
lustEnu. diplomatic circles. land
with; round of gaiety planned Tor,
them He could sympathize with
Mike .ur being crazy about hers
PetreI's skin was { warm, golden
brown: her clear gray eyes seemed
blue because of The gay twist of
the blue scarf she had bought IN
Rome. II was incredible tC recall
how Young. and PLAIN. he had seen
her lOnk sometimes On long tram
journeys. from one side Of Europe
to another when. IN obedience to
a wire from ROWd0n. they had
left at few hours notice. In the
gray dawn of that .nOrning in
Kharknv when he had found her
waiting up for. MIN. with that
urgent message she dared not
write. In those tenement buildings.
the immense stone fOrtreSSeS of
Vienna. where the SchutZbundler
had fought desperately. Where she
had gone down tn help the women
and children. after the machine
gun fire had ceased. 1t seemed eX-
traord nary that Petronella was
not yet twenty one. Many expert
ences and emergencies. had given
her Charm, assurance, and person.
alitJ. She had seen a good deal
for a girl of her age and type. He
was glad they were calling this
halt and holiday. He hoped (vain
ly, he ieared) that she might agree
to marry Michael He. could offs :
her a FIFE for which she was excel
lently fitted
ard l." thought Peter. don t
need her any more" He could not
have done as we'll as he had with
out her Special correspondent. IN
stead n; war correspondent. in two
years. was not a bad start. But he
had learned his job, he considered.
He did not need restraining con-
tinually. as he had done at first
The intense excitements of youth
were dying. But the thought of
tipping ard checking up on all his
own stuff appalled, him. He had
left so much of that kind of thing
to her II was time he stopped
leaving so many gaps. for verifi-
cations, figures. statistics to be
painstakiT.gly filed in while he
rushed or to something new.
Separation was bound to come
some time. He'd assure her again
of the foolishness of her persist
ence about Tony Lance She had
not heard a word from the man
since he left her those roses in
Moscow. They had missed being
in England at the same time by
two weeks. Now he was in Abys-
sinia. And rightly so, thought
Peter, who had come from Rome.
He was likely to remain there for
some aime. From PetrePs point of
view TONY Lance. continually en-
gage6upon confidential" govern
met service, was a badbe arl&{it
was 9me the poor sweet realized.
it. Shs ought to be more like Mari
gold. She had not wasted much
youth waiting for him. She had
married Jeremy Now he was god
father to her small son. Jeremy
Peter; who had cut two teeth.
There's Mike
THE plane was banking. They
Il were coming down. Below
them the tall white buildings of
Alexandra looked like toys.
There were two gray ships of
the British Navy lying at anchor
IN the blue harbor. a cruiser and a
battleship. There was cluster of
little boats round them. A naval
pinnace. its ensign fiuttering,
spray flying. was speeding shore
wards. II left a trail of white wake
behind. Now they. were going to
land on the dried green landing
ground of the modern airport.
They could smell the earth and
the grass. They held the arms of
their chairs for the moment of
impact. Their pilot made . perfect
threespoint. landing.
There's ~ come to meet usI"
Halo, MI The young man
in a palm beau suit came stEiding
towaM them. IL helped Petrol to
alighf and kissed her firmly On The
lips
Might as well begin as intend
to 60 on! You're looking marvel
ousi Hello, Peter, you old dog.
How are you both? They'll take
your bags to the customs. It was
great you managed % desist from
your internal shopping to come
I've been behavinp like a llnatic