The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-02
Chapter "a J..
The Spitfire Surrenders

The Spitfire Surrenders
BRENDA caught her breath and
~ went on as though the need for
speech had become too great to
be denied. II know I was inter-
fering, and a little idiot besides
to go to Mr.. Hopkinsl / know it
has put you in an embarrassing
position. Eric-but / won't blame
Eric, though certainly ! was not
told the facts. blame only my
self. I can't imagine what has
made me act so. / never did in
New York; or at least If l tried
to help people therein the Vii
lage especially-it always turned
out right, and they were not up
set. Sometimes they were even
pleased-though l know you must
find that difficult to believe. Mac,
I'm sorry. That's really all / can
say, isn't it? If I knew anything
else to say -"
There is one thing you can say,
as it happens" he told her sober
1y. tits why I persuaded Linda
to send for you-so you could
say it."
She hung her head. 81 know
what you mean. You want me to
acknowledge that from the first
I've been a thorn in the side of
The Street-both sides. l suppose.
Well, I do. Acknowledge it. ]
mean"
mo, Brenda. That's not at all
what I want you to say" He
showed his hands in his pockets
and looked perturbed. "Pm not
sure / ought to let you say it,
even if it happened to be true.
Brenda, did you ever wonder why
I left The Street - Adelaide's
house?"
81 knew" she said drearily. II
didn't have to wonder. You were
afraid you would be the next
victim of my officiousness. And
even moving away didn't save
you, did it? I've said I'm sorryl"
att was your money!" The
words shot from him with force.
my money? What money!"
'@The Burnham fortune. / heard
about il the first day I went to
live on The Street. Everybody
took care to impress on me the ex-
tent of your grandfather's wealth.
We all heard more times than /
can count how your aunt had a
personal maid; how your grand
father thought nothing of paying
five thousand dollars for a saddle
horse; how -"
Her eyes widened to their great
est extent.
'That's all true, Mac, but !"
@And I on a salary" he inter-
rupted bitterly. Good enough as
salaries 60 these days. but nothing
TO offer the young heiress to the
Burnham millionS!"
One tiny dimple made fleeting
appearance at the corner of her
mouth.
'sNot millions. Mac. Not even
one million. Lots of money, but
not that much"
Too much, at any rate. Why,
that fur coat you wore this winter
would have cost three months of
my salary I'd have a nerve to
think of asking girl like you to
marry me-"
II he had looked UP ne would
have seen a second dinple come
boldly out into the open; but he
kept his gloomy gaze on the floor.
Words OF One Syllable
a UNIT ANNE gave me the coat
"A for a Christmas gift. Poor
dear, I'm afraid she denied herself
q good many things to pay for 1T"
Il suppose SO: things like an
English butler to replace the par
iormaid."
~Parlormaid? You talk like an
English novel, Mac. Aunt Anne
has no parlormaid."
@Of course she HASN'T" he said
warmly and inconsistently. She's
had her English butler from the
beginning. Judge Harper said your
grandfather had the only butler
The Street ever boosted"
sYes. Old black Selby. He be-
longed to the Selbys - that was
my grandmother's family - In
slave times"
He shrugged his shoulders.
There you arei Old family re-
tainers then. English buffers now!"
She took step toward him. els
that all you have against me now,
Mac-one lone English butler?"
"And all he stands for"
There is no butler" she told
him softly. 81 mean-Aunt Anne
has only one servant, Mac. She
cooks and does the general clean
ing. Aunt Anne dusts, and gets
dinner herself on Thursday night" "
IAN eccentric, Ell? Saving i all
up to hand on to youI"
"Of course if you're determined