The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-03
DANGEROUS s. 3;Qzls3
. bY GRACE ELLIon TAYLOR

I Will TIE IQEa o. WORKING MS Way
| to Sydney. He was damn glad he
had waited.
They received a cable from Aunt
IMaisie as soon az they were at sea.
It cheered them. very much bet
ter. But continue journey: Love,
| Naisie." 1s7e
81 wonder?" smiled Petronella.
| She looked at Peter. II did write
miserable letters" He guffawed in
sudden delight. @Good old Maisie!
Wonderful old Maisie."
They found her in excellent
health. Petronella Rugged her in
gratitude. The truth was never
| fully confessed. That would have
been disloya1 to their father. But
Aunt Maisie did not contradict
their obvious conclusion.
James came in to dinner their
first evening at home He had
broadened. He had grown an an
noyingly small fair moustache. His
ears were very red, as he shook
10Th Petronella's hands in his.
Since it was very special &C.
casion, Aunt Maisie lit candles, for
dinner. James looked often at
Petronella. He was puzzled. She
had changed, he thought. She had
become very charming. But she
was quieter. She smoked. But it
suited her to smoke. Was she the
same, in essentials He was afraid
her quality must be impaired.
Reading her letters, he had told
himself that was what must be
happening. She was out all the
time. She was being spoilt.
But il this was so, why was he
coming gradually to the conclusion
that, even if she did need taking
down a peg or two, he no longer
knew how to set about it? He had
imagined himself performing the
disciplinary service for her. then
re-admitting her into his grudgirc
approval. But the change had re-
moved her from him. Where there
had been absolute frankness, there
was now reserve in her eyes. Or
was it sadness? Didn't it concern
him at all? Some mani" he
thought, and felt qualm of resent
full jealousy.
Outwardly they were all very
noisy, happy, and excited.
"As if you had been in prison,
instead of having the time of your
lives" remarked Maisie, crisply.
''It is such heaven to be back"
sighed Petronella. IT nearly went
crazy, when ! first saw the white
cliffs, and the little green fields"
Making His Start
THE following Monday, Peter
L went to town, saw Rowdon, and
Called up to tell them that he had
started work. He was a reporter on
the staff Of the Ddity Netps., He
rented a divan room in South Ken
sington, only slightly larger than
that which he had occupied during
his car-selling interlude. For
month Petronella felt it best to
remain at home, in the "Forest
House," amid its awakening trees.
Peter must make his start alone.
Aunt Maisie's mythical illness was
good reason for delaying the Sec
retarial training she had decided
to take.
She went, therefore, to several
local dances, with James. She
golfed with him at Handcross, and
HaywardS Heath. She rode. She
walked alone. She read the Daily
NetUS, where reports were once
again headed by Anthony Lance,
our Special Correspondent in
Shanghai"
Peter came home for brief,
snatched week-ends. He looked
thin. He told them, tits q hard
life, but ! think it suits me. AT
least I hope it will, when I've got
the hang Of it. At present get
thoroughly bawle6 out" Petrol
could not help noticing that he
talked much too fast, that one SUBJ
ject had not the power to hold his
attention for more than a few min
utes, before he rushed on to some
thing else. He was nervouSly over
excited, she realized. London, on
the verge of the depression, was a
strained city, and he had caught
the feeling of tension.
Aunt Maisie arranged for Petrol
to start work at the West End
School Of Commerce" at the begin
ming of the summer term.
You'd better live in town, dur
ing the week, and look after
Peter" she told her. 1--WE been
thinking, it's too far for you to
travel UP and down. He's not get
ting proper meals. A little apart
ment for the two OF you, with q
sensible woman to come in for an
hour or so in the morning, win be
a very sound scheme. I'll allow
you thirty shillings a week, and
you must tell me if it isn't enough"
Petronella was grateful, and de-
lighted. 'But Auntie, darling, why
should your"
Maisie grunted self-consciously.
Nonsense, it's nothing"
rlitted at the prospect Of his sis
tiers companionship. When he
made, mistakes, which he seemed
to do frequently, in his new work,
he exaggerated their importance.
Journalism was the one thing in
which he wanted to excel. But
keenness did not save him, ap-
parently, from laundering. He had
a great deal tolearn. His irnagina-
ton increased the Nervousness OF
his errors, till he was often afraid
that he was a failure. When Jodson
synote his desk with his fist and
shouted. This isn't a report, it's
libelous rubbish. You'll never be
any damn good to me, Malone,
until you learn to observe imper-
sonally, until you get me the facts,
facts, FACTSl
| Peter told Petronella. 'T had a
nightmare last night. JodSon WIS