The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-20
Chapter 20
Change OF Fortunes

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CHE went to the telephone, called
Bob's number. His personal
secretary answered.
'Mr. Trenton's out just now
Mrs. Trenton. I don't know when
he'll be back. No, he left no mes
sage but got the impression he
didn't intend to return at all to-
day"
''You have no idea where he
went? The Benton Club, perhaps?
The Chamber of Commerce."
Il wish I knew" Something hui
man and sympathetic crept into
the crisp voice. Neither of those
places, I'm afraid. lists a ter
rible blow to him, Mrs. Trenton;
but of course you don't need me
to tell you that!"
Sue, her hand still on the instru-
ment, bit her lip. Where should
she call, whom should she call
next?
Allen! The answer blew CRATE
fully across her hot perplexity.
It was late afternoon before Bob
returned to his home. Allen had
telephoned his sister several times,
reassuring messages for the most
part. Bob was tied up in a con-
ference at the bank, Bob would be
free presently, Bob was perfectly
all right; pretty low in his mind,
poor fellow, and dog-tired, but
taking the blow like man.
Sue met him in the hall. Her
small face was quite beautiful in
its forgetfulnesS of self, IN its sweet
sympathy. He stared at her for a
moment as though she were a
stranger. Then:
"Sue!" he said brokenly. ooh,
Sue, you're going to stand by mel
knew of course you would, but
! didn't realize all it would mean
TO me. Sue. :"
There, Bob, there!" She drew
him into the liVingroom with a
soothing hand on his arm. "Of
course I'll stand by you. I'm your
Wifel"
Kitchen
you need a man to do that,
L Sue," Pats said Disappearing
ly. THAT is, if you're going to
bother with it at all. Personally l
don't see why you dol"
Sue, painting a little, ceased her
attack on the clods of dirt in the
tiny back yard. The area she in
tended to be a flower garden had
been spaded but not raked. Now
in the thin April sunshine, she was
dressed in old riding clothes and
her shabbiest sh o S, wrestling
with the stubborn clay.
Its fun," she informed her
sister-in-law. 'This used to be a
charming old garden, Barbara's
grandmother tells me. I'm going to
try restoring it just as it was in
the Academy's time"
Pats disparaging glance Travelled
from the tiny brick building
which was now the Trenton'S
home, to the larger one some fifty
yarQS away.
Who but you would think of
living in an old kitchen!"
Kitchen! It was the dining
room, I'd have you knowl That's
what gives us our lovely big room
downstairs. But think of the poor
girls having to trail clear over
here in wet weather when meal
time came aroundl I wonder why,
when they were building the
academy. they didn't include din
ingroom and kitchen!"
The other girl shrugged. It
seemed to her Supremely unim-
portant. The Young Ladies' Acad-
envy had fiourished more than halt
a century ago. Now the larger
place was an apartment house, the
smaller had been made modern
70 the extent of adding plumbing,
lights and furnace. Nothing else
had been changed.
you were foolish not to take an
apartment" she rebuked the gar
dener. You could have had five
nice rooms for the same rent as
this shack"
Sue smiled but said nothing
Her TRY domain had charm, and
she knew it. The wide-boarded
floors were Of walnut, the big old
room which, with the exception OF
the small kitchen constituted the
entire first floor, was quantity
panelled.
You haven't asked me what
caiiI. for," Pats suggested present
ly she was smart in green wcol
suit. with gloves, hat and shoes OF
the game creamy brown. She had
dragged out a chair for herself
careful % see that it was placed or
she sidewalk and not on the actual
scene of Sues labors.
''E'or the pleasure Of seeing me
] hope!"
rats did not smile. Aliens sister
was no longer an asset to her save
hat her popularity in the town
esn.cd undiminiShed. Mrs, Allen
Davenport had to buy her owr
clothes now, could no longer dine
IT the beaLtiful Trenton place, MOI
rely on a Trenton car to drive hel
about.
81 came to tell you that your
house is Sold!"
Sues smile vanished. How like
Pats to wish to be the bearer o.