The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-06-19

CdDIGs u 1ldfCu b111lCs Sic III
formed them. "Tm going straight
home to write Anne Burnham
about this. I shall send it air mail,
special delivery"
The girl frowned. Aunt Anne
trusted her, but at that Brenda
did not want her peace Of mind
disturbed. No telling what sort of
Interpretation the Ormond would
put on these innocent meetingsI A
sudden inspiration descended on
her.
Hugh, may I tell Miss Ormond
what we've been talking about?
1t may be she will be able to adj
wise us"
The cartoonist gazed at her
blankly. He had reached that state
Of misery where he cared little
who knew his story. He nodded a
moroSe assent. So Brenda poured
it all out, being careful before
hand to obtain a VOW Of silence
from Miss Ormond.
The writer in the girl came to
the front in this recital. She told
it simply, not seeking to drama
tie what, she considered, was al
ready dramatic enough. She was
gratifed halfway through the
story to see Miss Ormond sink
down on the step beside her, lis
tening abSorbedly.
"And Hugh is so worried about
his wife that he feels he must talk
about her or go mad" she fin
iShed. "He and / both know there
must be some very simple solu-
ton to the problem but so far
we've not been able to find il"
She added artfully: could you
think of enc, Miss Ormond?"
plead Your Cause
THE eyes of the old teacher
L frightened. "And you call your
selves creative artists, both Of
you! With not a spark of magma
ton between you! There's just
one person who can persuade
Linda Saltus that her husband did
the right thing for her brother"
"Who?" they exclaimed in one
voice.
''The brother himself - this
JIM" And as Hugh's mouth fell
slightly open with surprise and
even Brenda's pretty lips parted,
she smiled sourly. "You, Mr.. Sal
tus-well, Hugh, then!-write to
the brother and explain the situa-
ton; ask him to talk to your wife.
She's in touch with him, you may
be sure of that; probably goes
occasionally to see him when she
can get away from work! If Jim
is still convinced that your adj
vice was good-and it tDas good,
my dear boy, make no mistake
about that!-then he'll be glad
enough to plead your cause with
Linda"
She rose. brushed dried leaves
from her coat.
"Now there's to be no more of
these clandestine meetings, chill
dren. If you, Hugh, feel you must
talk about Linda you may do one
of two things: send for me, or if
you feel Brenda is younger and
understands you better, ask her to
meet you in my house"
She stalked ahead of them and
the first smile Brenda had seen on
the mans face for weeks twisted
his lips now. Brenda herself had
an extraordinary feeling of relief.
Some instinct told her that this
woman. to whom the hearts and
minds of thousands of young hui
man animals had been laid bare,
was far better qualified to handle
the present situation than she.
Brenda, was.
Returning to the old Burnham
home she was confronted with a
problem of an entirely different
sort. Judge Harper was awaiting
her in the living room.
"Alaine and Ned again?" she
demanded.
He shook his head. I've asked
Isobel Burke to see that we're not
interrupted for the next half
hour" he began. II have some
thing rather odd to show you. my
dear"
"Why, Judge Harper!" She
looked at him in establishment.
His hand was trembling, his bushy
eyebrows twitched nervously.
He took letter from his pocket
and thrust it into her hand. Read
i'll"
1t was a pale pink. perfumed
affair. covered with spidery words
in faint blue ink. Brenda had to
bend close to decipher it.
MY dear Judge" the letter be-
gan. 1T is true that you and ]
both live on The Shortest Street
where the old conventions pre-
vail But on the other hand ]
have lately been thrown so much
with my young contemporaries
next door that l have more or less
acquired the modern viewpoint
And the basis of that viewpoint
my dear Judge. is honesty. stark
honesty.
Some time ago I had a little
visit with our dear Brenda. and
/ must say her cosmopolitan
straightforward, and above all
intensely honest attitude toward
all problems of life blew away
from my mind the last rose
colored cobweb of maidenly reti.
cence."
But ] never saw a rose colored
cobweb!" Brenda paused to COM
ment In increasing bewilderment
mo, and you never saw a letter
like this one either. I'll wager
was the grim reply. GO on. Read
it"
Continued tomorrow