The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-01
DANGEROUS SERVICE


ders in clumsy comfort. "Poor Old
darling. But I've been thinking
don't want to raise false hopes, or
anything, but look at this" He
picked up a creased copy of the
Daily NetUS. which lay, with bat
tered and torn edges, on the table.
This has just come by mail. This
article is by him. Look where he
Is, on the map of China. And chat
ting with this war lord they call
the Crimson Slayer He's a damn
fine journalist, Petrol. But his jobs
are the kind best undertaken by
single men. His train was blown
up. He has been hostage for ten
days. I shouldn't Jump to the con-
cluSion he didn't care at all. Pos
sibly he was just afraid he might
care too much, and thought it fair
est to you to clear OUT
HE could have written and ex-
planned"
"You wouldn't have tried to cut
him out, if he had done that. And
his jobs won't get any more salu-
brious as the years roll on, if he
lives, as he wants to live. Petrol,
what wouldn't I give to be able to
get a story like this. Listen: I was
taken to interview the war lord Hi
Kai Shek under an armed escort
of ten Chinese soldiers" With
their bent heads close together.
Petrol and Peter read, for the first
time, an article by Tony Lance.
When they came to the end of it,
Petrol Strengthened. She was smil-
ing little. Her eyes were shining.
"Peter, he is worth loving! Pm
sure of it. He's hard, and callous,
according to sentimental stand
ards. But | can't marry anybody
else, until I've met him again."
Hes in China"
'fHe won't stay there. There will
be frontier incident, and fare
up somewhere in Europe. He'll be
recalled"
"This makes your sojourn in the
land of pagodas rather a waste of
time. Poor father confided to me
the other day that you were find
ing your feet nicely. He doesn't al
together approve of the reputation
you've been getting, but he thinks
very soon you'll meet somebody
who can control YOU"
She grimaced. Il know. Mr..
Crampling or Major Tyler. Go on
writing Peter! Your account of the
Jail outbreak was fine. They
printed half of it. think you may
yet get an offer of job. after all.
AS Rowdon said YOU might"
Peter slumped on to the old sofa.
Hope to goodness you're right. It
all depends on a little Burmese
fanatic with one big, vague idea, at
present preaching strife and rebel
lion. amid the green iungleS round
Mandalay."
"Saya SAM"
Peter nodded. GHis followers
paste up wonderful anti-British
propaganda notices in Burmese in
the bazaar. It reads something like
this: Wherever there are British
men. women and children, you
must kill them and kick them, you
must hit them with sticks, and cut
them with dahs.' To be more prac-
teal. they're refusing to pay taxes
10 rupees a head. That is going
to give him some money to play
with. Once the paddy crop is cut,
they have time on their hands to
make trouble. We shall see."
Muddled And Miserable
TT WAS Christmas Eve in RAN
i COON. Petronella sat beside CO.
lin, thinking how strange that
seemed. The car was open. Warm
air rushed past them. They were
both coatless, in evening dress.
Above them lay deep blue sky
and stars. Against that sky. the
great pag0da, fi0odlit, cleaned as
golden as fable from Arabian
Nights. Ahead Of them, the Cor
don-Stuart's house stood, with
lights in every window, and the
garden turned into a pantomime
version OF maryland, by hundreds
of little colored lanterns. Now they
could hear the dance music. They
were playing that haunting new
tune, which would soon be old:
Body and soul" At first it had
twisted her heart, with a message
about Tony Lance. Now, she was
less sure she cared.
'Tt's Christmas Eve. Colin, and I
think I'm feeling homesick."
II knew you were. You were so
quiet. Never mind. Wen wassail
together. Dance number seven"
he reminded her, just inside the
door.
They separated, hailed by their
friends. For q few minutes Petro-
nella was surrounded by maybe
black backs, and white trousers.
Then, her program filed, she
danced. She talked gaily to her
partners; strolled in the illumi-
mated gardens; fiirted very lightly.
But at heart, Petronella realized.
she was a little detached from It
all. She was feeling muddled and
rather miserable. Yes, she had
meant every word of what she had
written to Aunt Maisie last mail.
OF course she regretted sending
that letter now. It was unfair to
worry people on the other side OF
the world with troubles which
might be forgotten by the time
they reached their destination.
But she did feel desperate, some
times. Since she broke with Angus
and Graham. she had gone out as
much as ever, but never with con-
centrated interest in anyone. Half
q dozen or SO men were inclined to
be fond of her. some followed her
doggedly.
Father had noticed the change
in her policy. He had begun to fuss,
almost to bully her consistently