The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-07

4
cordially inviting Iris to lunch
with her soon, to hear Miss De-
Muth's equally cordial acceptance.
Tim, as Buff fully realized, knew
little of girlsI
Buff was not surprised to re-
ceive. visit from George Weekes
almost on the heels of this call.
George has passed from annoy
ance to anxiety. He yearned to
pour out his troubles. He was
| glad to hear that the girls had
met that Buff recognized the gen.
uine menace Iris was to a man Of
Tins type.
"Why she's here I don't know"
he said, his clasped hands swing
ing between his knees. "But what
ever it is, it's not going to do old
Tim any good-having her here in
Boulder, mean. I think-this is
just my impression, but / do hon.
eStly think, Buff, that he won't De
quite the easy mark for her he
was last time. At any rate, he's
said nothing about being engaged
to her, and that's good sign. But
wish she'd go climb Longs Peak
and fall off," he said unchivalrous-
ly. WAY it is now, she'll keep
him dangling at the end of her
string until she's accomplished
her representatives that pur-
pose is"
Buff was thoughtful. what do
you think it is, George? / don't
know just how much she paid for
that land"
Buying Tins Favor
"T>WENTY thousand" was the
l answer. Tim and each put
in five of our own money, ten of
the firm's-firm of Cor1iss and
Weekes; that made twenty alto
gether. should say that it's worth
about fifteen hundred-if that
much. And 1ookit, Buff! Iris didn't
have to pay Nesbit twenty thou
sand. We'd told him to sell it for
what he could get out of it. In
our widest dreams we didn't eX-
pect to get more'n a couple Of
thousand. But Iris walks into the
Office, tells Nesbit she's prepared
to pay twenty thousand if he'll
let her buy it for a friend of hers
name of Smith! And Nesbit, of
course, grabbed it. Now why, I
ask you, did she pay the exact sum
old Tim and I planked down for
Latshaw's benefit last summer?
It's got me guessing"
"You don't think it may be
really valuable, after alp"
He shook his head. "That idea
occurred to me, too; but it's out.
Definitely out. Tim has personally
and thoroughly examined practi-
cally every square inch of that
da - that Internal land of ours.
You couldn't get enough silver
out of it to make a thin dime"
Tungsten? Copper"
Nothing. tell you; nothing
but some beautiful rose colored
quartz that tourists adore to take
home to make doorstops and book
ends"
whats become of the gentle
man named LatShaW?"
According to Iris via Tim, he's
now in California. Becoming con-
sciouS of the unworthy part she
had played, Miss DeMuth dis
missed her-er-her motivating
influence as soon as possible, and
got herself job a. private secre-
tary to some generous soul who
paid her right good wages, I
should think, all things considered.
Then someone had the considera-
ton to die and leave her some
money, SO out she took for Dem
yer, bought up our land, and came
here, simply pining for forgive
neSS-and nothing else, says Tim!
Nuts, says I and bet you do, too,
Buff"
Buff nodded. 81 think" she told
him, she's really in love with
Tim; that she got that money back
from Latshaw some way or other
it may have been a case of polite
blackmail--and she is trying to
buy her way with it back into
Tim's-Tim'S favor"
Think she'll succeed?" Weekes
inquired with a grin.
Bluffs small hands were folded
tightly on her lap.
Depends on many things; peo-
pie, too: you, me, Tim and Iris"
Tim and Iris, yes; but how do
you and I figure in it?"
"We-eH-you might just keep
track of what happens to that land
Iris bought. I have a hunch you'll
hear sooner or later that it has
left her possession. don't know
why she wants it, but I'm sure it's
the meat in this cocoanut. There's
another thing you can do, too; be,
rather. Tim relies a lot on your
judgment. He values your good
opinion. | know 1t worries him
right now that you are what he
calls cynical regarding Iris. Keep
1t up. He's promised me-" she told
him. the color rising little in her
face, "that he won't do anything
anything drastic for a while.
That means. of course, he won't
renew his engagement with Iris.
Playing for times our best bet.
People like Iris and Latshaw have
to work fast. She'll-overplay her
hand if we let her alone long
enough; at least that's about the
way it seems to me-"
He looked at he. curiously.
You're even smarter than I've
given you credit for being, nv
dear, and that's a lot. But you
where do you figure in this?"
I've role of my own to plav."
she sighed. "A darned difficult one.
too, if you ask me. Comradelv'
sympathizing friend to Tim. giri-
ish pal to lovely Iris. HIM. I
thought J was writing plays, not
starring in EN-"
Continued tomorrow.