The Key West citizen., 1940-09-14
Chapter "A
Goodby Kiss
hJITHEN are you leaving?"

TITHEN are you leaving?"
w Tomorrow morning - as
soon after the coroner's inquest az
it can be arranged. The body is at
a mortician's in town. There will
be a brief formal inqueSt-mur-
der by person or persons un-
known. The usual thing"
"Ohl I'd forgotten about the in
quest do We all have to be
there?"
mo. Just Gerald and !, to de-
scribe the finding of the body.
Colonel Pennant has arranged
that you girls won't be called,
except possibly Sandra, who may
have to identify the body. These
things are only a formality. You
won't need to attend unless you
want to-"
81 don't" I shivered.
81 didn't suppose you would.
It's scheduled for ten o'clock to-
morrow morning. 1 expect to get
a train out before noon"
I'D like to go with you," 1 said.
and surprised a quickly veiled
gleam in his eyes.
I'm afraid Ivan would make
neither a pleasant nor an dde-
quate chaperon," he said lightly.
"At least as far as Chicago" l
continued, as if that were what l
had meant all along. "It's time l
was terminating my visit here, as
you so aptly suggested last night"
'Please don't. Don't terminate
1t; and don't remind me of that. ]
was not myself last night-now
get insulted about that, too, if you
must. But you know it's true. l
think you must like me or you
wouldn't continually try to put
me in the wrong. And I particu-
larly want you to stay until I get
back-rd like you t. keep an eye
on Sandra. Cultivate her, see if
you can get her to talk. She'll be
right here in the building. You
may stumble onto something. /
have a strong hunch that she's
not telling all she knows"
/ thought, she isn't the only one.
A feeling of helplesSness descend
ed on me, and with it an impulse
to tell Adam all / knew. l was
getting too tangled up in this
thing. Why should / let new 10y
atty to Julia make me forget that
Adam was my friend here-the
only one on the post who really
mattered?
It isn't easy to Jump right into
an acknowledgment that you've
been holding out on someone you
like. cast about in my mind for
ways of leading up to it gradually,
but the little moment of intimacy
was already gone. Adam was deep
in his problem again and the eyes
that were fixed on mine were
veiled by abstraction. He did not
see the words trembling on my
lips. And he took my silence for
consent.
I'll try to be back by Wednes-
day." he said. 'If I'm detained I'll
let you know. Promise you'll not
60 out alone at any time. Use my
car. by all means, but take some
one along. And be back here by
dark"
/ promised, and he went off to
communicate With Colonel Per-
nant, to arrange about leave and
to pack his grip. ! know he had
not thought of any possible dam
ger to me beyond that covered by
his admonitions. He has told me
that nothing of the kind even oc-
CURED to him. Certainly it did
not to me. / did not want him to
go. Not because I was afraid, but
because would be lonely without
him.
Secret Rapping
I SAT down with the play and
L read it through-or as nearly
through as natural boredom per-
mitted. 1t was an ambitious prof.
ect. having as its theme nothing
less than the restoration of the
Romanovs to the throne of all the
RuSSiaS. Young Alexis, the tSare-
witch, like Ivan, had been snug
gled out Of the country. At time
which appeared to be the near
future, his loyal supporters over
threw the Soviet Union to the ac-
compartment of loud bombings
and impassioned speeches.
saw Adam again at cold sup
per in the mess hall. when / gave
him back the play with a brief
comment that seemed to please
him. He ate hurriedly and left
before the rest of us were
through.
l was alone in my room, trying
TO read. when he came in about
ten o'clock. / dropped the book l
was holding and smiled, in the
foolish hope that he would not
notice my eyes were red. He
closed the door behind him.
looked at me for a moment with
out saying anything, then put
hand on each of my shoulders.
I'll be as busy as a boy killing
snakes in the morning" he said
lightly. 81 may not see you"
His hands were holding me, but
they did not draw me into his
arms His eyes were luminous and
very tender. He bent down and
kissed me on the lips.
"Are you yourself now?" !
asked as soon as I could.
Very much So" His hands
frightened little and he shook me
lightly. affectionately. Take care