The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-13
Chapter %
A Lesson

Chapter %
A Lesson.
LIS grief was a revelation to
II Sue. She had not dreamed he
had SO wanted a child. Once he
was assured that his wife was no
longer in danger, Allen gave him.
self up unrestrictedly to his bitter
disappointment.
"You mustn't, Buddy, you
mustn't Think of poor Pats, how
much harder it's going to be for
her!"
He stared at her incredulously.
Pats disappointed She's hoped
for this very thing all along
made no secret about i'll But l.
it's my last hope Of fatherhood,
Sis. No woman who dislikes chill
dren as Pats does will ever give
safe birth to onel"
Hes pretty bitter" Bob OBJ
served as he drove his tired wife
home. II think he's unjust to Pats,
too. No matter how she felt be-
forehand, she'd have loved her
baby after it came"
Sue agreed with him. 1t seemed
beyond the bounds of credibility
that any mother could fail to
adore her own child. But when
she was at last admitted to her
sister-in-law's room, and the in
valid graciouSly chose to ignore
their last meeting, Sue received
enlightenment.
81 suppose you and Allen are
mingling your tears these days,
aren't you? Well, I'm not going
to be a hypocrite about it. I said
from the beginning / didn't want
a baby, and heaven knows Moth
ing I've gone through with all
these months has changed me.
I'd have done my best by it, if it
had lived; since it didn't. I don't
see the sense of looking solemn.
and acting as though there'd been
a death in the family"
Sue said briefly: There has
been!"
There hasn't!" Pats voice was
angry. at never even drew
breath, DR.. Baker told me so!
Now, Sue, if you're going to up
hold Allen in this foolishness-"
Her nurse slid in quietly from
beyond the partly open door.
You're getting too excited,
Mrs. Davenport. Our doctor will
seold us if he finds our pulse fast
when he comes this evening. Per-
haps Mrs. Trenton had better let
you rest now"
Sue went no more to the hos
pital. But Cecily went! Allen re-
ported disgustedly that she was
there every day; that she kept
Pats room looking like florists
shop; that fruit and candies and
mysterious packages which Pats
refused gayly to let him open.
poured in in a steady stream.
"She asked me the other day If
you never came to see Pats" he
said. "She actually had the nervel
where's your sister these days.
Allen? I've been hoping to run
across her when she was paying
her daily visit to the hospitali
Bob came up just in time to hear
this.
Il hope you told her it was
none of her COMPOUNDED husinessl"
81 told her-I don't know what
] said" he replied. running a
tired hand across his forehead.
Something about the number of
visitors being limited. dread to
have Pats come home. That Cecily
woman will be all over the place"
Strictly Feminine
DOB looked suddenly truculent.
~ Look herel I'll tel her to
stay away. I'm responsible - at
least | suppose am-for her be-
ing in town. It's up to me to keep
her from annoying you, Allen"
bob, that's the last thing you
must do! You're the last person
to do it. in any case. And it
wouldn't accomplish a thing.
Patsy will see Cecily as often as
she pleases, whether Allen likes
it or not. No. I've told you both
before: the only thing to do is
to wait till she's tired of st. Jo-
seph and goes he- way. It'll be
September next week. Surely
she'll be making her plans for the
winter soon. If we just sit tight
and keep our dignity bit longer,
this will all blow over"
Sue proved herself a true
prophet. Mrs. Meade Trenton
vanished from the city almost as
suddenly as she had appeared.
Whether she was bored by Patsy's
vacuity, whether she recognized
that neither Sue nor Bob intended
to allow her to make them angry.
or whether, as Sue had said, she
had plans which now pressed, the
result was the same: she sold her
car, gave up her furnished house.
and was driven to Kansas City
where she took a plane for New
York.
Ensued a bad time for Aliens
wife. With returning strength she
shed her lacy robes and negligeeS;
had need of a new fall wardrobe.
She called Sue sweetly and asked
her to come in for lunch. Sue as