The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-07-01
Chapter IS
The Rosewood Cabinet

Chapter Is
The Rosewood Cabinet
THE casts were removed from
\ old Mack's legs on the fifteenth
Of October and he was allowed TO
hobbIe about q short while each
day with the support of crutches.
The doctor expressed wonder at
the swiftness with which his bones
had knit, but Gramp insisted:
sFiddlesticksl I'm tough and jest
In the prime o. lifel ! got years
ahead o. me 70 poster folks and cit
'em In trouble and out Of It"
However, now that he was more
self-suficienE Jocelyn could think
Of no excuse to postpone her we'd
ding again. Not that she really
wished to, she reflected, but she
hated to leave Seaelih. torn up as
ii was, and all the dear. familiar
things she had always known.
Nevertheless, Godfrey was inpa-
tent, and she felt further delay
would be most unfair to him.
The nights and mornings now
were nippy and only in the middle
Of the day could she dive into the
surf or the swimming pool This
particular day, coming out from q
rigorous ten lengths in the pool.
she saw Tally approaching her. q
frown on his face.
Without preface he said: II
promised you long ago to give you
first chance at buying that rose
wood cabinet IL ] had to sell. Well
II has to be sold"
"Why?" she asked, pulling the
rubber cap from her head and
shaking out her hair. isn't your
farm making money!"
Eyes. did have a small savings
account but It went for the doctors
bill. Now the semi-annual taxes
are due on this place and ] must
pay them. Your brother paid the
first half last spring; now it's my
turn and the only way can raise
enough money is on that cabinet.
This antique dealer offered me five
hundred
Jocelyn picked up a thick Turk
ish towel and began wiping the
water from her face and arms.
Her legs felt cold. Why did Tally
always approach her and speak to
her as II ne had a chip on his
shoulder and hoped and expected
she would knock it off?
"pll ask Thorn for the money
as soon as he comes home" she
promised. "He hasn't given me my
allowance yet this month and I
need it. III have q lot of clothes
20 buy for nny-lny marriage.
Tally stiffened. "At least you'll
never have to work for living. Il
might have done you some good;
still. you might have found out
you couldn't take it, lis
do you haze to be insulting?"
II didn't mean it that way. Sor-
rys I'll call for the money tonight.
Don't bother" she called after
his retreating back. 'I'll bring it
over when ! come to see your
grandfather"
She went slowly into the house
and up to her room. She was so
lonely these days. She missed Bob
terribly. She had come to dread
the ritual Of dinner because she
had to face Thorn across the long
empty expanse Of table. Thorn had
changed so since Nola's departure.
He had certainly become person
Of paradoxical moods. He was. by
turn. morose or genial: silent or
over-talkative. When she had in
CURED as TO his sudden interest in
Gramp he had put her off with an
evasive answer.
wild Cat Scheme
I IFE, which up until the Macks'
advent, had flowed sereneIy
and peacefully. had now become
complicated and IinpredictabIe.
Even her-own mind and emotions
were tangled up in disturbing COM
plexlties.
Hearing Thorn 60 into his room,
she drew on robe and knocked
On -his door Her appearance
seemed to, startle him. He looked
IS II his clothes were full Of pins
sticking into him.
Thorn, what on earth Is the
matter with your" she demanded.
You're as iittery and iumpy as
raeehorse."
~Oh. It's nothing. Nerves. |
guess. I'll take run in to the doc
tors tomorrow and have him take
look at me-
She told him about The taxes and
the rosewood cabinet, finishing:
$50 be a darling and write me
check for Eve hundred, win you?
And while you're at Il give me my
allowance. You might spare hun
dred or so extra for clothes be-
cause III be driving to San Fran
cisco In the next day or so.
Thorn slIumped into q chair as II
his legs had suddenly refused TO
support him. He fnoistened his dry
Lips with the tip of his tongue.
Lyn-the truth isl can't give
you any money at all. Not pen
ny. You see III have invested our
money. Eexpect to triple it any day
now"
you mean you put every cent
OF our inheritance into some Wild
eat scheme7"
'It ISN'T wildcat" he defended.