The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-16
Chapter Is
Mystery Man

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salad" Locke said. at was in
Venice-the Lockes were doges, of
course - and I used to putter
around in the kitchens, a floor be-
low the canals and very convent
ent, too. Many a cabbage did I
hook as it foated past our kitchen
window: Have you ever been to
Ve1ice?"
Eyes, I have, and nary a cabbage
did ! see floating in the canals.
You must have been very lucky
that day you caught a cabbage"
We'll, maybe you have to be
Irish to sense those things" he
answered readily. Where was I?''
an the kitchen under the canal"
'Not under it, Cecily. How
would you expect me to fish unless
] were on level with it,"
Cecily sighed. 81 don't expect
you to do anything that makes
sense"
Good That's the best start I've
ever made with a girl"
Cecily thought: This is the most
tnane conversation - but please
don't stop.
"You don't mind if I make
start, do your"
Cecily felt the quick flush that
rose to her cheek. The nearest she
had ever come to conversation of
this sort was the night that Ted
Pryor had asked her to marry him.
And that brief conversation could
hardly have been called light
banter. She didn't know what to
say.
She said, "Td like another cup
of coffee. Would you?"
He gave her a quick glance and
said he'd make it.
eff I remember, you said that
you learned to make coffee on the
desert?"
did /? I thought it was when
was a beach-comber," he replied
glibly.
when you run out of a story
book background, would you tell
me what you really do?" There!
She had started asking him ques-
lions again and she really hadn't
meant to-
It didn't really make any differ
ence. No matter what she said
Locke was not for answering her
seriously.
do you mean how do I live in
this workaday world? Pll tell you.
] get along on very little, earning
a few cents here, a few cents there.
Just enough to get around and see
what's going on in the world. Why,
only yesterday l sold a mess of
fish to Mrs. Arnold down the road.
Made a pretty penny, too. May
take fishing up seriously"
ITS nice work" Cecily felt un-
reasonably aggravated by the re-
suits Of her probing.
Il sayl" He got up and walked
toward her window. you've got
just the place for i'll"
For what?"
you could put a partition up
here, cover it with glass and floor
II with salt ice"
Cecily watched him, amused.
1T would attract attention to
the books and bring the curious"
Whatever are you talking
ebout?"
The window. Make great dis
play case and add a little life to
the place to see it filled with few
hsh. We might catch only the ones
that matched the color scheme
here"
Fish in the Window"
Certainly. I'm offering you a
partnership. How about it? I'll
catch the fish and you'll sell 'em.
Start little competition with
Calder. Nothing like competition
to spur business. And some day
when you're head of the VickerS-
port Chamber of Commerce, !
hope that you win remember me
when you make speeches. That's
AL the reward ask. will feel that
IN my small way have helped to
carry on. That / have contributed
q small share in the development
Of the worlds business, been even
q remote part of the industry that
mas made Maine. 80.
Fascinated
ITO you mind selling your fish
II somewhere else, Mr.. Locker"
Mr.. Locke debated. "Sorry,
didn't mean TO bore you. That's
the way am when / get an i'm
petuous thought. And it's Locke,
not Mr.. Locke"
"You weren't boring me-" she
said contritely. ain fact, I'm fasci-
mated. was only thinking that our
staff isn't very competent to han
die fish. We're too tender-hearted
10 see their poor eyes staring at us
ss they yearn for the blue waters"
$50 you're sorry for tramps and
ASH I'll bet you used to drag in
kittens and stray pups when you
were kid"
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