The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-12-06
. By MEDORA FIELD

instead of smiling, should sud-
denly draw backward in a snarl?
But this, | knew. was crazy.
Determinedly l shook myself out
OF that mental miasma and made
conversation.
How did you get into that
room without my hearing you?"
l managed to ask.
ooh. that was easy enough. !
just walked on the rug"
"But-but why didn't you use
your fiashlight, so you would have
recognized me and not scared me
to death?"
Kirk laughed, his old. easy
laugh. and somehow the sound
did lot to restore the balance
Of sanity. / was quite sure Blue
beard or DR.. Crippen had never
laughed in that wholesome, nat
ural fashion. How was | to know
it was your" Kirk asked.
"Oh. of course" | admitted,
smiling feebly at my own incon-
sIStency.
Kirk put another log on the
fire and, taking out his cigarette
case. opened and automatically
passed it to me. Keep forget
ting you don't smoke" he OBJ
served, as ne extracted and light
ed cigarette for himself. Aunt
Maggie'S idea of a Southern lady,
l suppose?"
IF there is such thing"
agreed. q liked my grandmoth-
er's idea better She always said
if you were born a lady. you
didn't have TO bother about be-
ing one"
Kirk grinned. and smoked a
moment in silence. Going back
to the drawing room" he said.
I'm sorry | gave you such a
scare. But you see. when | opened
the door al the far end of the
hall. | couldn't see anything at
all at first. The fiashlght would
have been a dead giveaway. there
n the dark. So | kept it in my
pocket. as figured | needed both
hands to cope with the situa-
ton
Southern Calamity
/. CUDDENLY. unaccountably, !
y was struck with the abSurdity
Of the picture and found myself
laughing. Kirk looked at me I'M
easily. as though he suspected
Mysteries, and certainly they were
not far eff. But the looSening of
tension made me feel better. It's
! too ridiculous" | explained. First
! I'm a iunatic at large. Then I'm
a situation"
Every lovely lady is situa-
ton" he said gallantly.
why. Kirk" chIded. This is
terrible. You are getting entirely
too Southern. | can't believe a
thing you say any more"
That may have been the trou-
be" he agreed. with unexpected
/ guinness perhaps it was lust
Southern hospitality on her part.
| hut there was a time when |
thought | was making little
! Roadway with Claire. | know this
/ is not the time TO talk about il.
/ But-Sally" = he turned to me
fercely-"I can't let her marry
/ Bob"
"Oh. Kirk" | demonstrated.
little shocked at his sudden vehe-
mence. they've been in love
since they were children"
He Tipped his half-smoked Gig
arctic into the fire. DO YOU think
| that NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. busI-
ness has to mean so much?" he
demanded. Couldn't it be Just
one of these fixed ideas or habits
or something. kept alive because
of obstacles? In this case the OBJ
stacle being Bob's so-called hard
Iuck?"
That isn't like you. Kirk" |
said. but his question and Bob's
excessive drinking did make me
wonder little.
Il hope not" he agreed bitter
ly. but being myself hasn't got
I me anywhere in this instance"
As | have said before. there is
/ something SO vital about Kirk
! something SO essentially mescu-
line and compelling. that it rather
hurt ne to see him sitting there
n that detected fashion. COM
pletelY minus his usual self-confi-
dence. | forgot all about having
compared him in my mind with
DR. Crippen.
you men make me tired"
said. Don't you know that. when
it comes to love, women are all
alike? You look like one of these
he-men. Don't you realize that's
the way woman would expect
you to act?"
Sally" Kirk grinned. you've
seen too many movies" But / no.