The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-16

| were seated across the aisle. In
front of her she could see two
parts in two black heads. They
could belong to buds or to inter-
esting people.
And ahead Of them?
Toni stood up in protest. She
sat down quickly. The head re-
Ginning against the back of that
seat had crisp, wavy hair. light
brown shot with gold. There
couldn't be another head like it
in these United States.
The train was speeding between
tar velvet hills. between fruit
farms, trees heavy with fruit, be-
tween more hills. The conductor
appeared.
i simply must move to another
car" Toni told him.
mot a chance" said the man.
Every seat is sold"
The head two seats beyond
hers moved. Shoulders appeared.
The head turned and gray eyes
dancing with golden lights ap-
peared, stared at her in shocked
surprise.
Allen Bartell came quickly to
her. Imagine seeing you here"
he exclaimed. Mind if / take this
chair?"
How did you know l was 60
ing to be on this train? I watched
to see that neither Abe nor Dotty
telephoned."
Bartell shook his head. You're
the most conceited girl | ever
met" he disparaged. Here ! am.
due in Superior Court in Los
Angeles tomorrow morning, and
you assume I've taken an eight
hundred-mile trip for the pleas
ure of your company"
Nothing could have silenced
Toni more effectively.
However," the golden lights
were dancing again-"as long as
we're both here. suppose we in
dulge in some promises. Well
pretend we've just met. I've
picked you up. I don't know you:
you don't know me. We're just
couple of streamliners passing in
the night"
Toni shook her head. 81 fell for
that game once" she remarked.
But as long as we must ride the
same train, let's pretend we know
each other. Let's admit we're both
fighting for the same thing"
Sold" agreed Bartell, and ex-
tended his hand.
Nary A Frog Leg
TONI could not be altogether
sorry hat Bartell was on the
same train. He knew every point
of interest. told her the story of
the various missions, seemed to
know the reason for the existence
of each town, pointed to spots at
the base of towering hills to the
west of King River Valley and
said they were homes of cattle
ranchers ne had visited.
He even knew the intriguing
looking gentleman sitting opposite
them in the diner. and introduced
him to Toni as a railroad of
fetal, the patron saint of that par
| tlcular Train.
Toni didn't know how the con-
verSation was switched to food,
to how the line purchased its sup
plies, but during the conversation
she learned. vaguely, shat the
commissary department head
quartered in San Francisco.
Later, escorted by the official.
they inspected the train from one
end to the other. Toni marveled
at the tiny kitchinette in the
buffet car, the equipment of the
bar in the club car. and enthused
over the kitchen of the diner.
A huge ice compartment held
the perishab!e goods; steaks.
/ ro3sts. chickens. fish.
/ and nary a frog leg" teased
Allen.
| Toni looked at him. quickly,
but he was talking to the official.
He left her alone as soon as they
returned 20 the car.
Toni nestled down in the seat,
adjusted the blind, and sat star
ing on the unbelievable beauty Of
the scenery: miles of blue water,
fading to amethyst at the horizon
line and, when the road-bed
curved, purple hills that dropped
straight to a line of white sand.
"And nary frog leg" repeated
Toni. She sat up That was her
cue. And Allen Bartell mad given
it to her. Unconsciously he had
placed the weapon her black army
/ would use to WIN the farm from
him. Toni swayed from one end
of the train to the other before
she finally located the official
From him she obtained the name
| of the head of the commiSsary.
She sounded him out on the idea
OF frogs legs as a delicacy COM
mensurate with the other fine fea-
lures of the Daylight's service.
ct is an interesting idea" he
conceded. 'but not in my iuris-
diction."
However. when Toni returned
to her seat, she had his card with
an introduction TO the commiSsary
buyer written on it.
For a little while she watched
the view. ragged cypress black
against now amber sea- Some
one remarked that those houses
low against the water were the
beach homes of movie stars. She
wished she might be star for q
few days.
A series of serrated peaks thrust
purple heads from the water. An
island. She lived OF an island
Bay Farm Island -. and some
where within her few acres there
was someone helping Allen Bar