The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-10-02

Cecily stared. They were not old
they were not rumpled. They were
new, expensive, beautifully tai
lored and quite definitely not the
sort that she had expected to find
Unhesitatingly, she drew back the
lapel of each, searching for a writ
ten name in the pocket lining
There was no name.
Then she discovered a piece OF
luggage. The kind that cost a great
deal of money. Heavy .pigskin-
expert workmanship. There were
labels. Labels from Switzerland,
Vienna, Paris. Leningrad, Mexico
City. Not the labels you'd expect
to find on the luggage Of man
who was content to sell a pound
of mushrooms. a few quarts of
berries. There were labels, but
there were no initials.
There wasn't sign in that whole
cabin to give you the slightest clue
to the identity of the occupant.
Labels from Europe could mean
anything. Complete absence of any
Identification could also mean any
thing-it could mean that that alb
sence was intended.
Cecily went to the old-fashioned
dresser that she had not noticed at
first. She couldn't bring herself to
open the drawers. But on the
dresser top there was small bas-
ket. The kind that the Indians
from the reservation brought
around during the summer to sell
to summer guests.
Cecily lifted the sweet-grass lid
and at first she thought there was
nothing in the basket. Then, a
gleam caught her eye and she took
the basket to the light in the win
dow.
There. at the very bottom, as
though they had been forgotten,
were two small black pearl studs.
Cecily didn't know very much
about black pearls but she knew
from their luster. their perfect
shape. that they were valuable.
She replaced the lid, carried the
basket back to the dresser top anC
put it down. Then she let herself
out the way she had come.
More Questions
CHE had accomplishe nothing
- more than to increase the pace
OF the questions that stirred
around her mind with feverish in
tenSity. And to add another more
startling question: what were
those beautiful black pearls doing
in Locke's basket?
Cecily Stuart, you promised
yourself that you tpouldn't think
about 1t any more. You'd put it
out OF your mind. immense your-
self in other things.
One of the other things was the
coming dance at the Yacht Club.
There were two "big" social af-
fairs to which the summer colony
was looking forward. These were
the last flares of the season: the
closing dance at the Yacht Club
and the concert. =
Gloria Watts was chairman of
the dance committee. Olivia, natu-
rally. was the moving spirit back
of the concert. Olivia had sent for
her secretary and already she was
rehearsing for her program.
The dance was scheduled for the
twentieth: the concert was to be
given a week later.
"Cecily, you ought to be awfully
good on committee. How about
little help?" Gloria had asked.
Cecily said she'd be glad to help.
She was glad, returning from her
visit to Locke's cabin. that she had
agreed to serve on the committee.
There was to be meeting the next
night at the Yacht Club and it
would serve to take her mind off
her present problem.
"Laura's awfully good at deco
rations. Do you mind if I bring her
along?" Cecily had said and Gloria
answered the more the merrier.
Laura tDdS good at decorations
but mostly Cecily wanted her
company for some reason she had
not put into words; Laura was her
only link to the thing that was
closest to her.
Laura dined at Darelea the night
OF the committee meeting.
Gloria, porting Importantly over
her notebook. said. 'There are
only three important angles to it:
music. decorations and fooc."
AT college," Tony contributed,
we used to say there were only
two important things: men and
music. We could get by if the mu-
sic wasn't so hot. but it was first
class flop if there weren't enough
interesting men,"
"Alas!" Gloria sighed. "It,s a
good thing the same thing doesn't
hold true here. We're lucky if we
can get man per girl. Like the
Ark, we're two-by-tWo here. Hus-
bands or imported escorts. There's
seldom stag-line."
Lucky Cecilyl" Both Cecily and
Laura looked surprised when Tony
said that.
Lucky Cecily is right She has
Philip right here"
Oh-Philip! Cecily had forgot
ten him.
81 say, Philip. you ought to be
good about music. We really ought
to put you on our committee. Can
you think up some way Of getting
a good band for almost no money!"
Philip laughed. sim afraid not
Gloria. Getting something for
nothing isn't my strong point"
II looks could speak, Cecily
would have calculated aloud:
mot much. it isn't!"