The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-06-29
Chapter 80
Spitire At Work

Spitfire At Work
NELL, Mac hasn't lost his Job
w entirely" Erie said in answer
to Brenda's question. THAT isl
mean to say-well, the nephew Is
here, all right. Maybe they're
keeping Mac on to coach him a
bit"
Anger began to kindle In Bren-
da's eyes. 'Why don't you say
straight out he's been fired?
Bringing the boy here is the
equivalent Of it. / wonder that
Mac stays on after being insulted
like that He ought to have turned
on his heel and marched out;
and let the nephew 60 to the
dickens with his old accountsI"
'What a little spitfire you are.
my deari" Eric said admiringly.
Temper becomes you, too, if !
may say so. But about Mac. He
couldn't walk out on his job like
that. you know. II wouldn't be
square. No matter whether he
likes it or not. Macs not the
sort to leave things in mess"
"And I suppose you haven't
tried to help him." 1t was an
accusation rather than a queS-
ton. "You haven't seen this Mis-
ter-Mister-"
"You know his name is Hop
kins. Brenda!" Eric said.
"Well, Mr.. Hopkins, thenl
suppose it never occurred to you
to 60 and speak good word for
your friend-"
He laughed in genuine amuse-
ment. What could l have said?
Hopkins knows darn sight more
about Macs ability than ! do. OF
course" he went on kindly, 81
could have mentioned that he al
ways leaves the bathroom tidy,
and that his table manners are
good. and that"
She turned on a vicious high
heel and walked away.
"Men." she said coldly, "are
absolutely spineleSsi They are
utterly without resourcei"
MN. Try your hand at help
ing old Mac. why don't you? !
know for fact he won't be let
out before the first of the month,
and that's eighteen days from
now. Time for plenty of action"
Brenda. her head held high.
was thinking the same thing as
she marched away. She had had a
vague plan in the back Of her
mind all along. she now realized.
It seemed~the time had arrived
to put it into execution.
In her own room. she opened
one of the drawers of her bureau.
From beneath piles of fragrant
silken things. she drew a neatly
tied fiat package. Il was what
Mac called a "layout" He had
considered it the best thing he
had ever done in that particular
line. So. also il seemed. had the
viHaiRous- Mr.. HOPKINS. A num-
Der OF details had been changed
so Mac made two sets. Brenda
had salvaged this from the waste
basket where he had thrust it.
Now she wrapped it more care
fully and addressed it TO a man
she knew in New York.
"T'll write him to hurry the an
swer back at onc~. And then pooh
for you. Mr.. Hopkins. sir! Mac'll
have a job twice as big and i'm
portant as the one you took away
from him.
Rpffer Then Worse
WHEN both package and letter
Vwere gone. she felt better: at
least for few DAYS Then she felt
very much worse. Before even
she had expected it. the answer
came from Ncw York Good
work" was the brief comment.
"Y0uF man has brains without
doubt But I couldn't get my own
brother a i0b here right now.
suppoSinG had a brother. and he
needed a lob in anvbody's adver-
tisiug -deDartment,"
She creDt about the house
crushed. She had shot her bolt
and il had come back and raped
her smsrtiv on the head.
Out DfCfIud ItCNrf EGlid4tcu
crushed over long. Corklife. her
mind bohbed up and ser to work
anew on the problem.
Erie. how is young Hopkins
getting along?" she demanded on
an evening perilnusIy close to the
first of the month.
mot too well. il seems. | was
talking 10 Mac todav. We lunched
TO get her 7 honestly believe the
old man would send the boy back
10 his first ioh-if someone who
counted applied little pressure"
"Mac?"
Good Lord. MOI Even a girl
ought to know Macs the last one
who can do it"
aXOs, fka~,e