The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-28
Chapter SO
The Skies Fall

tldO ETC always USeH LIKE ILLS
unreasonable, absurd, even a little
childish? She felt as though she
were dealing with young Robert
in one of his impossible moods.
There was a maternal note of
patience in her voice as she an
swered him.
''Pats had no children, Eric. Be-
sides-Pats and l are two differ
ent persons. l haven't the slight
est intention of leaving Bob.
Whatever may have felt for you,
Eric, years ago"
"Sue!"
whatever I may feel for you
even noW," she went on bravely,
cit isn't enough! l know now it
never was enough. let me be
perfectly homes with you, Eric. |
was deeply infatuated with you
then. | think that's the right word.
Enough of the old feeling fingered
to make me-to stir me when l
saw you this afternoon. / suppose
you'll always be to me figure of
romance. l don't mind at all tell
ing you that | shall never feel
toward Bob as l did-as do tow
ard you. But that's not love, Eric;
or if it is, it's not the right kind
of love.
Listen" she babe him smiling
~. Bob and | have been through
almost every kind of experience
that can come TO a husband and
wife; been through them to-
gether. We've had money and
we've been without it. We've lived
in houses with parqGet floors. and
houses with board so splintery I've
had to cover them with carpets
clear up to the walls. I've borne
Bob's children"
He was very white and he put
up a hand for silence.
"The simple-and uSual!-an-
nails of the married woman, Sue.
Don't. for heavens sake, try to
dramatic them. Any little clerk
and his wife go through what you
are describing. But that's not
love! There's just one significant
and important thing in all you've
told me; that is, that you've never
felt for Trenton what you feel for
me. That pulls the underpInning
from the admirable domestic
structure you've been showing
me. my dear. It's all over with
it's in the past. AS for the chill
dren, if Trenton objects to your
having them all the time, surely
a compromise can be arranged!
Half the year with him, half with
us"
Lets not have any more nom
sense about this, Eric" she babe
him crisply. Il shouldn't even
dream of leaving Bob-much less
divide the childrens time between
us. This sooner you understand
that the easier it will be for us
both. Shall we go now?"
Extra Sweet
IT was good to be home again!
The children greeted her rap
turously, Bob was soberly glad to
have her back. She had been away
only a week but there was tidy
budget of domestic news for her
Robert had lost a front tooth
Little SuSan-"and Dad was sup
posed to be watching her. Mother,
cause l was at Sunday SCHOOL,"
had wandered away and was
gone until nearly five in the after
noon; had been discovered in the
park. overlooking the river. "And
Dad was so scared he didn't eat
any dinner at all, and Susan prom
ised croSs-your- heart and-hope-
to-die she'd never do it again"
"Allen was here day before
yesterday" Bob told her later.
Spent the night. / thought he'd
be all broken up about Pats but
he took it very quietly. D'you
know. Sue. l think"
"Oh. | do, tool" she said radi-
antly. Only l got it at the other
end of the line-from Barbara.
OF course it will be some time
yet; Barbara will probably stay
with Forest until fall. But after
thatl Bob, won't it be splendid to
see old Allen happy at last? With
children of his own. and a wife
who really loves him!"
The strange New York week
was beginning to seem unreal.
Sometimes she wondered if she
had really had that incredible
talk with Eric. But yes, she re-
membered the touch of gray on
his temples, the grooming of his
hands which struck her as being a
trifle too fastidiouS-or was it
only in contrast to Bob's? Bob
was forever tinkering with the
engine of his car. forever fixing
the wheel of Susan'S doll buggy.
forever seiZing the trowel from
her own hands in the evening and
helping her with her self-im-
posed garden tasks.
The change in Bob'S hands was
almost the measure of the change
in Bob himself, she unused: The
immaculate young man who had
very nearly pushed her over the
river bluff years ago had palms
as smooth, nails as meticulously
cared for, as Eric's own. But how
many useful tasks had engaged
them since then! Sue had ten
der memory of Bob, leaving hi:
desk in Queen City to fit {
troubled farm woman with CON-
Portable shoes; Bob. who hac
once declared that in his estima-
ton a shoe clerk was the loweSt
form of masculine life!
As she moved through the rou-
tine of her days during the fort
night following her return from
New York. she had a sense O.
layers of sophistry, of speciou
opinions, falling away from he