The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-06-24
Chapter q
Crisis

OrlSIs
WHO" demanded Eric, coming
" in rev minutes after they
had taken their leave, "were those
women? I can't believe yet that
really saw them. They look like
1ike-Brenda, were they people.
or figments Of my imagination?"
They were Mrs. Wick and her
daughter Frances" She enjoyed
the look OF stupefaction In his face.
They came to pay a neighborly
call, and to ask If they could help
Us in any way. / told them they
could. asked them to go down.
town and pay the bills for us"
"You-what?" He sank into
chair asif his legs would no longer
support him. Honestly, Brenda, !
can't decide whether your reck-
lessness amounts to a sort Of cour-
age, or if you're so simple you Just
don't realize the terrifying things
you dol Of course the Wicks re-
fused?"
"Of course they did no. such
thing" was her composed answer.
They took the bills with them,
and said they would pay them-in
cash." 7-s'-s-.e
The front door closed softly and
Eric gave a feeble hail. 'Macl
Mael Come in here and listen TO
what Brenda's done nowl"
There came a day when DR..
Stern pronounced Adelaide's ILL
ness critical. It took them all by
sur pri e. The household h a d
settled into a fairly comfortable
routine Of nursing. Of receiving
callers, of planning meals. AIDE
ladies fever had been banished
and she seemed to Brenda's mex
perienced eyes neither better nor
worse.
The Wieks were proving a
source of unfiagging interest to
The Street. Staunchly had Mrs.
Wick gone forth that first day in
her ogtmoded clothes; but upon
her return boxes of significant
sizes and shapes began to be de-
lvered at her door. A genuine
thrill went up and down the block
when mother and daughter ap-
peared for the first time in the
smartest and most up-to-date of
outfits.
"And / don't know what we'd do
without Mrs. Wick" Brenda con-
fided to Mac. "She runs the busi-
ness end of the house as if she'd
been doing it all her life"
Macs eyes searched her face. It
seemed to him thinner, it was Ger
tainly paler. than when she had
come.
"You must get out more, Bren-
da," he said abruptly. with Isobel
preparing for her quarterly re-
citals. and Eric and me both hav-
ing extra work. too much is fall
ing on you"
Making No Effort
CHE shook her head. II have a
~ lot of help! As said, Mrs. Wick
is regular Rock of Gibraltar. She
and Frances come in every day
and simply dump the bills and
budgeting into her lap and she
straightens everything out. How a
woman of such force could have
shut herself up for all those years
! do not see."
81 think" Mac looked thought
ful-"since I've seen her I've come
to the conclusion that she did it
to cure Frances. Giving her a huge
dose of her own medicine. d'you
see?"
TOO big dose, l should call it,"
"But | suppose she didn't know
how long it would last when she
began. You know how people drift
along from day 20 day until some
thing wakes them up and they
realize that years have passed"
We'll. she's comfort and a
Joy. at all events / don't know
what I'd do without her until Ade-
laide gets we'll"
There seemed no question that
Adelaide would get well. True, she
seemed not to sleep much but as
she did not complain, DR.. Stems
attention was not called to it. In
deed, it was difficult to know
whether she was asleep, or lying
quietly with her eyes closed most
of the time. She tried docilely to
eat the dainty meals Brenda
brought her, she swallowed her
tonic unqueStioningly.
And then the day came when a
fine line appeared between the
young doctors thick eyebrows,
and he drew Brenda into her own
room and closed the door.
Mrs. Rosttetor is not trying to
get WELL" he announced bluntly.
sunless she makes an effort I'm
afraid she's not going to pull
through this"
"Wh-whati" Brenda whitened,
and caught at the back of a chair
for support. mot pull through?
WHY. there's nothing really wrong