The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-19
Chapter IA
Visit To The Macks

Chapter IA
Visit To The Macks
TITS TIME you got your sense
i Of humor back" Nola insisted.
You have a place to live, plenty
70 eat, and Bob says your roadside
stand Is making money" Placing
her hands on her hips, she tossed
her head and laughed. eff ! had
no sense Of humor I'd be in an
asyluml" she told him. Mother
got the idea last year Of having a
genealogist decorate the family
tree. When she found out Dads
ancestors were blacksmithS, leath-
er-tanners, and cobblers, she had
q nervous breakdown. My great
grandfather. the one who founded
the Cranston shoe factories, was
only a poor cobbler who came to
America via steerage. And since
] decided to give away part of my
money I've been bounded by
-cranks and radicals to the point
where ! wish had no money!"
81 read something about it in the
papers but ! figured it was just a
publicity stunt" Tally commented.
81 can't imagine anyone giving
away millions"
II can't imagine anyone keeping
fhemi" she retorted "What good
are they7 / couldn't spend them il
] tried. However. it begins to look
Is II I can't even give money away
without starting revolution. !
wish ! knew what to do"
His brows puckered thought
fully. eff it were my money" he
said slowly. 81 think I'd give 1t to
the government for re-forestation.
Iwould draw UP a contract stipu-
lsting the money could be used
only for that one purpose and that
q strict accounting must be offered.
A person who did thing like that
would 20 down in history as a ma
tons benefactor."
-fNola caught some of his eager
ness. Perhaps that is the solution
the idea I've been looking for.
But this contract business :"
81 could draw it UP for you." he
offered, cor draft it out for you
before you went to your lawyer"
"But ! thought you were q
farmer?"
81 am. ! did study law, though.
at Texas University. l passed my
bar examinations but ! never
practiced."
"Why not?"
Couldn't" He shrugged. Won
dering at the urge which prompt
ed him to talk so much to this
strange girl. Things got bad on
the farm and we had to let the
hired help 90. Gramp is toe old to
work, so il was up to me ! had
dreams once but they disappeared
into reality. Oh, I'm not sorry for
myself /. +. / like farming all right"
do you know" she announced
with sincere candor, 81 like you.
Talbot Mackl"
A flush spread over his tan
cheeks. He felt a sudden tighten
ing Of the heaviness which had
settled in his chest a few weeks
ago:
rd like very much to meet the
rest Of your family. Talbot. Grand
ma Jocelyn used to talk to me
about your grandfather"
All right. I'll take you in the
house. but / can't stay. Have to get
this blowing finished before the
sun is too hot"
As they walked toward the
house he found himself talking to
her more freely than he had talked
20 anyone for many months. He
realized that he had missed the
companionship of persons his own
age much more than he had adj
mitted to himself. A sudden rebel
hous thought marred his pleasure:
why couldn't Joeelyn Russell have
been like Nola? Yet, being in
nately just, he saw that it might
be different If No1a owned Sea-
cliff.
Lurking Mischief
MRS. MACK was putting away
IFl the breakfast dishes when
they entered the kitchen. When
Tally informed her of the iden-
tity OF her visitor, she smiled shyly.
obviously abashed in the presence
of an heireSs to millions. Nola, per-
ceiving this, promptly sat down.
eyed the coffee-pot on the stove
and said:
ssAny coffee left? / never eat
breakfast but could go for some
coffeei"
Mrs. Mack, pleased, set a cup and
saucer on the recently scrubbed
oilcloth and poured cup full of
strong, Steaming LIQUID. Old Mack,
hearing strange feminine voice,
came ambling in from his "settin'
room" and took a sizing-up look
&C Nola.
Hlo." he said. "where'd you
come from?"
"Don't shootl" Nola laughed.
@Pm q stranger in these parts"
When Tally reluctantly left,
Nola's quick laughter followed
him. Watching from the corner of
his eyes as he guided the horses
over the burrows. he saw her go
with Gramp toward the orchard.
Gretchen would like Nola, too.
he decided.
Nola appeared at the luncheon
table with lurking mischief in her
eyes. Thorndyke, seating her, in
Quired, "What the devil have you
been uD to- NOla2 saw Won coming