The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-13
Chapter %
sHighbOrn Russian


I SMILED and Adam caught me
L at it. He raised his white
browS.
"Just imagining you in a pow
dered wig" said.
"One of the things ] like about
you is that you understand me
so thoroughly" he return d
blandly. .
Sandra glanced from one to the
other of us with baff1ed distruSt
Then her small dark eyes rested
on Adam in a child's frank ap-
praisal.
your hair looks sort Of pow
dered," she said. Il never saw
such white hair on young man
its distinguished"
Not white-just tow" Adam
corrected. But the most idiotic ex-
preston Of qualification sprained
/ his face, and there was CLEAN
of approval in his eyes as he
handed her tenderly into chair
"It's not every man." he began
expansively, who is lucky enough
to get a word alone with a bride
on her wedding day
What do you mean alone?" ]
asked coldly. Would you like me
to withdraw"
Dear me, no. Think of the
proprietiesl I was speaking in q
relative manner only. Relatively
alone, I meant to say"
Then I'll relatively with
draw"
l stood up and strolled toward
the inner bedroom, swiShing my
silk housecoat, making it swirl
around my ankles. had not
missed the teasing note IN his
voice; neither had / missed his
moronic response to Sandra's
crude flattery. ! felt unreasonably
irritated.
/ gave the door a push as
passed it, but it did not entirely
close. Eventually, I knew, he was
going to work around to asking
her questions, and ! wanted tc
hear the answers. So, having
gathered up the necessary arti-
cles, l settled myself near thai
partially open door and pro-
ceeded to do my nails.
He was wishing her happines:
and making the usual remark:
about JEFF being a lucky devil.
I'm so glad you feel that way,
she answered plaintively. 'I'm in
rather an awkward position here
as you've probably noticed. JEFF
tried to get another station, bui
Colonel Pennant insisted on hav-
ing him in the regiment. so whai
could we do?"
Il must be stupid. 1t seems tC
me an ideal arrangement-you're
all such friends"
Her laugh was little overdont
as to bitterness.
You're not including Julia il
that, are you? She'd scratch my
eyes out if she dared. She wanted
him herself, of course, and TIT
poor boy had to make heroic eff.
forts to break away. He couldn'
avoid being thrown with her |
great deal when they were boil
at West Point-and he was 81
young he didn't realize what h,
was letting himself in for"
The point of my nail file slipped
and had to go into the bathroom
to stanch the bleeding before
could finish. So I missed SOM
of what followed. When ! cam,
back they were talking abou
Ivan's play.
She admitted that he had toll,
her about it.
at was a shame the way the.
treated him." she said indignant
~. IT'S not as if he was entirel,
unknown-he had a play Of
Broadway last year"
did he?" Adam sounded sur
prised. "What was the name o
it?"
She told him. I had never hear
of it. Neither, apparently, hal
Adam.
Devoted Servants
IND it have good notices? How
- long did it rum"
at was a wonderful play" sh
said firmly. But the critic
chose to make fun Of it. I>suppos
because he was Russian. Peopl
in this country think Russian
ono Ill o-az- Tat - 49,, &L;-1
Swedes are funny and Italian
romantic. It's a form of nationa
conceit that is really just ig
norance"
There's something in what yol
say" Adam admitted. $50 IvaI
was Russian. You mean he wa
born in Russian"
"He was smuggled out of Rus
STA by devoted servants when h
was only a small child. His owl
people, of course, were all shot
They-they were too close to tn
car"
The servants brought him owe
here?"
First to England. They passes
him on as their own Child, VIII
died Of privations on the way
But there were people who knew
other refugees, and members o
the British aristocracy. They saw
to IL that he was educated at Ok.
ford. Then-then he had to COM
over here"
Why?"
sit was safer"
She stopped, and I could hea.
her draw a long breath. "Yoi
mustn't ask me any more ahou
II That's all ] know. There werl
things he couldn't tell me. ! know
T0douC Hnrocoon<