The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-12
Chapter Eight
Job For Derek


Job For Derek
II WON'T fall in love with him."
L Jan assured ner brother and
Norma. Pm much toe level
headed. zoo busy. too practical
Besides, Re informed NE last
night he was thankful | wasn't
beautiful. He seems not a bit i'm
pressed by me or my musical lsl-
ent. He heard me playing Shubert
this afternoon and locked at me
as If he'd like TO lock me in g
deep, dark dungecni'
"Oh. you're practical enough,
Lance conceded, "but you do have
the widest imagination. ! don't
doubt for minute that you fancy
him a shipwrecked pirate king OF
something equally as far from the
truth"
We'll, pirate king or bank rob-
Der, he's going to learn to wash
dishes" Jan asserted. "And to-
morrow I'm going to get him q
Job if / can"
Captain Tupple, master of q
fleet Of fishing barges, grunted a
welcome to Jan when she perched
on his desk in the ticket Office al
the end of the pier. He was q
sour-visaged, grizzled man with q
vast contempt for. the tender
foot" who let more fish get away
than he ever caught However
two dollars was two dollars
whether an amateur or profess
sional fisherman paid it for q
days fishing. The thing which
disguised Cap futile most of all
was the prevalence of seasickness
among his passengers. That car
dinal sin. in his opinion, was far
worse than losing a fierce barra-
cuda or sportive sailfsh.
Captain" said Jan, swinging
her sandaled feet. 81 want you to
give a friend of mine Job. He's
young and strong and willing"
To herself she added. willing
hopel"
Cap grunted deep down in his
leathery. wrinkled throat. "Ex-
perienced?"
mot very, but Pm sure he
could learn quickly if you show
him what to do"
Cap squinted up at her from
under overhanging gray brows
and shifted his wad of tobacco
from one leather-hided cheek to
the other. THAT no-good life
guard got anything to do with
this?" he demanded. "He minds
everybody's business but his
own
Jan knew better than to defend
Frank to Cap Tupple. Their feud
dated back to the time three
years ago when Frank, in line OF
duty. reported Cap for his negli-
gence in providing sufficient life
buoys and lifebelts for his pas
sengers in case one of his old tubs
should meet catastrophe. The
police harbor patrol. investigat-
ing. had forced Cap to outlay
money he regarded with far too
much fondneSs.
An impish CLEAN appeared in
JAMS eyes as she said ingenious
ly: AS a matter of fact. Cap.
Frank insisted you wouldn't give
this fellow a job"
Cap stopped wing and
leaned forward, planting the
shiny blue elbows of his Captains
coat on the table. "He did, Ell?
Well. you just march your young
man down here tomorrow morn
ing and wen see about it. OF
course it's early yet and not much
doing in the week, but I think
! can use him Saturdays and Sun
days Two dollars a day" he
bargained, his eyes shrewd.
-Four dollars a day." she said.
her round chin stubborn.
They settled on three.
Love Versus Music
TUBhANT. she turned toward
y home. her small toes peeking
out of the beach sandals, curling
against chilli Six dollars a week
would pay for his food and he
should be able. il he had the least
bit of gumption. to pick up odd
jobs for week days to earn his
cigarette and spending money
Ii was past noon and she was
hungry and the prospects of de-
lightful food were slim unless she
got hold of Johnny and his rent
money before he went to re-
hearSal this afternoon. Il was a
good day to. worry. she thought
wryly. turning her head to look
at the somber sky and somber
sea. The ceiling of fog was too
low and too heavy even to hope
the sun might penetrate, yet
there was, something exciting
about this kind of day. A light
mist touched the f1awleSs youthful
skin of her face and arms and
dampened her hair into elfin
curls. AS she scuffed gaily over
the walk. a true native in her
red pullover sweater and faded
blue jeans. little .whirls of mist
caught at her body as if some dis
embodied spirit wished to make
her captive.
Dreaniily. her thoughts adven-
turing for the moment, she
stepped lightly into the house.
She stopped. startled. Music flung