The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-08
Chapter Four
Tour OF The House

Tour VI Inc HOUSE
T ANCE is cheerfulI" Jan de-
IL Tended. "At least most of the
time. He-he has courage"
"And haven't. Well, in case no
one ever told you, it .akes cour-
age to die. Did you tell your
brother about me?"
"Not about your trying to"
Drown myself"
please don't tell him." she
asked quickly.
Afraid it might put ideas into
his head? That's childish psychol-
ogy. So he believes I'm just a
poor devil who oTerestimated his
strength and swan out too far, is
that it? Let's see, I could be a
lone orphan, just kicked off the
WPA, with no place to CO."
Lance and ! are orphans" she
said shortly, "and the only things
which keep us off government re-
lief are two roomers and Lance's
model planes"
Sorry. I have a perGhant for
stepping on peoples toes. So now.
on top of all your troubles, you
have me. Why on earth didn't you
leave me alone? Or do you go
looking Cor trouble?"
II hoped you'd be pirate treas
.ure or ambergris," she retorted.
'fI'm going looking for some cheap
clothes for you right now. Maybe
] can find something at the sal
wage store"
As he appeared completely
mystified she explained that Sea
Tide had five stores overf1owing
with clothes, furniture, cooking
utensils and odds and ends which.
purportedly, were Salvaged from
steamships and railroads. II doubt
if it is, though" she finished.
That's just eolorful way to dis
pose of cheap junk"
"What, won't have a Bond
Street cutaway?" he pleaded.
You'll be lucky to get a pair of
blue Jeans and a Shirt And" she
added triumphantly. "you can't
go along to Interfere with my
choice"
Meaning you're too proud to
be seen with a man in a pink
quilt? False pride, contend.
Mind If / postpone meeting your
brother until I have something
besides this padded sarong to
wear? | shall try to make a good
impression, seeing that I'm to be
a permanent guest here"
correction, pleaSe-we can't
afford guests. If you stay here.
you will be obliged to work for
your keep"
He sighed, lugubriously. 81 hope
1t will be pleasure"
She didn't want to say it, but
she couldn't resist. by the ap-
pearance of your hands you have
small acquaintance with work of
any sort"
Holding up his fingers he
squinted at them ruefully, flexing
the joints. Never worked a day
of my life. Hurry up with those
clothes, will your"
Slipping into short tan REFER
she started out for the store, her
thoughts in jumbled chaos. This
was definitely the most exciting
thing that had ever happened to
her. It would be grand to have
someone gay and young around
the house, even if he was nom
eommital potential suicidel Who
was it said something about the
unknown Always being more fas-
cinating than the known?
Millionaire Wastrel?
60 he'd never workedI Perhaps
~ that was exactly what allied
him. Her mouth frightened with
sudden purpose. Her imagination,
rampant again, had him a mil
ionaire waStrel who had gambled
away his inheritance and desired
death rather than poverty or hard
labor!
Derek, left alone, Rugged the
guilt about him and began recon-
noitering. He opened cupboards
and peered at stacks CT lowered
dishes. shining pans. and grocer
les on neat. clean shelves. He
pulled back the curtains at the
kitchen windows and observed
the unprepoSsessing rear of z
sandwich stand where old paste
board cartons and tin cans lit
tered the sand.
Quietly opening the door lead
ing to the rest of me house, he
entered a square dining room
paneled with dark oak and fur
nished with a ships table and
plain. spindle-legged chairs. He
went. on. interested now. to the
living room which took UP most
Of the downstairs. Curtains Of
close, fine net covered the win
dows, shutting out Idly curiou:
glances of passersby. There were
vanished cases against the walls
filled with all shapes, sizes anc
colors Of sea shells, a ships COM
pass, part of a wheel and a ship:
log book. He took this last out
and thumbed through it, found il
was the log iof the Singapore
Moon, a cargo, ship plying be-
tween the west coast and II or
lent The captain was one Peter
Merriner. The last entry read
briefly:
"June 9th. 1885. Hwo hundred
miles of San Pedro,N Barometer
FALLING. fear bad stnkm Storm
irpOnTqs slirsi h"'"4s LIN