The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-10
After "A Muzs.s Heeyr.f
: by JEAN RANDALL

in the deep armchair. 81 Just know
she'll call him Jimmy! And not
even that will convince him of the
kind of girl she isl"
| Webby looked in on her way to
bed. "It's past eleven, Miss Buff.
Hadn't you ought to be getting
your sleep?"
pretty soon," she said absently.
I'll come pretty soon."
But the clock on the mantel
chimed midnight, and one, and
two before she stirred. She had
work to do tonight, had Buff Car
roll. First of all, she must con-.
quer her emotions; anger, jealousy,
love, outraged pride. How could
she think when her mind was
tossed about by these forceful pas
sionS?
| It took long time to overcome
them. Buff had recourse to many
an aid which would have aston
ished her parents. She thought of
the mountains: the Snow-capped
peaks which had looked down on
so much human misery and un-
certainty. All the wild passion in
the world could dash itself against
their grim sides and move not so
much as a small rose-colored
boulder from its appointed place.
The knowledge Steadied her.
Quite, literally she could tell her
self: II will lift up mine eyes unto
the hills from whence cometh my
help" Help did come from con-
temptation of the Interchangeable,
the immutable, she knew. Iris's
puny deceit, Tins foolish chival-
ry. even her own yearning love
for the big mistaken man, seemed
small and unimportant, measured
against the mighty range.
Lesson Of Patience
THEN there was time. She was
L young to have learned the les
son of patience, but somehow she
had learned it. "Give it few
weeks, or days, Buff: or even a few
hours. It's wonderful how time
brings out the true value Of
things" Thus Eleanor, restrain
ing her impetuous child. The rest
less cartoonist and his gentle wife
had not done so badly for their
daughter, after all, even though
her formal education had been fire.
quently interrupted.
| "Iris will try to hurry the mar
riage. Why? There's a reason back
of all this" thought Buff, her alert
brain once more at work on the
problem. 81 knol1 she isn't marry
ing because she cares for him or
because she wants to be safe from
anything or anybody. It's all tied
up, this buying back that useless
Land. Iris returning, her. deter
mination to be engaged to Tim"
Her small face was haggard with
fatigue. The fire had burned itself
to ashes and the room was cold.
But slowly into Bluffs eyes the
light of hope dawned. Hope and
resolution. Il
I'm going to find out what all
this is about! Tim, the old foolish,
may go on being noble and waving
his eyebrows at me all he likes.
TIL drop my lecture ccurse-darni
did | ever try to get educated that
something didn't interfere?-and
haunt Miss DeMuth until | dis
cover what she's up to!" She made
a childish face, moved her foot
and found it asleep. stamped on it
to restore the circulation. $50
there, Tim Corlissl You may be
Just like that young man they used
as an example to teach me gram
mar years ago. I tCill drown and
no one shall help mel And so he
drowned because he couldn't get
his auxiliary verbs right. But you
aren't to drown, my darling idiotic
Tim, though heaven knows you've
got all your verbs, nouns and ad-
iectives-especially your adjec-
tives. Timl-about as wrong as
they car be-"
She moved her stiff body eau
tiously.
81 wonder if I'd wake Webby If
took hot bath? I'll risk it, any
how. I'll never get thawed out ex-
cept in a tub of boiling water"
The announcement of the en-
gagement duly appeared ins the
next days paper. Buff had a. bad
time when she saw the words in
print. Upheld though she was by
her conviction that there was still
time to save Tim. and accustomed
by years of Lance's work t6 view
newspaper stories and announce
ments with little of the awe ac-
| corded them by most people. still
those black letters set her to trem-
bling, gave her a sinking feeling
at the pit of her stomach.
Not for long, however. George,
rushing up while she was still at
dinner. did much to restore her
composure George l.as In a fine
roaring rage Tim Corliss was a
fool and he. George Weekes, didn't
care who heard him say so. For a
Canadian dime, he'd bust UP the
partnership and let Tim go to-
well, wherever his soft heart and
soft head led himi And thus and
so. and double it and treble it, and
then sonnet
"Sit down and have a turnover
and a cup of Coffee" Buff soothed
him. you'll feel heaps better
afterwards. George, do as | sayi"
she added sharply. "You and I
must talk, and ! want you to be
calm. not upset, during our con-
ference"
He frightened at that. Then you
think there's still some hope"
you bet your sweet life there's
hope" the girl answered. inele-
gantly but firmly. "You wait till
you hear. Georgel"
Greatly cheered, he ate two
turnovers and drank three cups
of coffee: then followed her into
1 ~ Z. q