The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-08
Chapter 20
Whirling World

grass a DTlluanb ORANGE the at
tie sloughs were vivid blue, the
mountains now a deep purple.
Two herons stepped into, view,
TO stand on long legs, red bills
vivid against their white feathers.
Like Japanese etching, thought
Toni.
wouldn't l love to take them
home" she murmured.
NO." answered Bartell, unless
you expected Abe to stuff them.
White herons consider frogs deli
cacy."
Toni didn't know when she
dropped off to sleep; she only knew
that for the first time since the will
contest she was completely at ease.
She awakened to find the sky
q turquoise green, banded with
strips of orange and apricot clouds.
Bartell was not in sight. He was
not on the little island. The tide
was out. Only a thin strip of water
lay between their little mound and
the next one.
Beside her was her vanity box.
On top was a note.
I'm off to fnd a telephone.
= keep the home-fireS burning
so I can is1st3s you if it turns
dark before I get back. LoUe,
ft-- Allen
Toni forgot the first part of the
note, because she was concentrat-
ing on the. love Allen" 1t
wouldn't be a difficult thing to do,
she ught, and found that
thought exciting.
She dressed, then investigated
the larder. She'd have everything
ready to serve by the time Allen
returned.
He returned at dusk, making il
across the bayou as the tide was
sweeping in. Toni watched him.
smiling, believing her joy in his
returning was merely relief at not
having to spend night on lonely
island.
There was no excuse for the
readiness with which she went into
his arms, with which she lifted her
face to meet his lips. or the heady,
reckless intoxication which swept
over her at their touch.
The work. should have stood
still, but i didn't stars appeared
0verheea Inc SIP q opened TO pur-
pie. the req t.e Little camp
fire begged sol sa and all were
ignored
The world didn't stand still; it
turned topsy-turvy for Toni. 1t
stood on its hoary old head and
threw her well organized plans
into space. What was a frog farm?
What did success, winning a wager
with ghost, mean?
Allen said nothing when he re-
leased her. Still dazed, she watched
him pile logs on the little fire and.
automatically, she reached to pull
the coffeepot back. to scrape some
Goals aside for frankfurters he'd
brought with him.
81 telephoned Dotty," he said at
length. "She was worried. There'll
be a boat here for us in a couple
Of hours"
Toni nodded, and fastened bun
TO a toasting fork.
81 brought some cream for your
coffee" he continued. II found a
highway with little store and fill
ing station couple of miles be-
You'd"
Again Toni nodded.
Not until the dinner was over.
the fire built up as a beacon and
cigarettes lighted, did their talk
become personal.
Toni" Allen was stretched on
The sand, chin propped in his
hands, freight bright on his hair
81 wish that boat would never
come. We're both different out here
like this. I wish that difference
could last forever"
Magic Circle
TONI couldn't answer. She knew
! this was some kind of magic
circle which would break when it
touched the reality of home shores.
This was vast blue bubble, bright
with stars and freight, and the
first shaft of man made light
would pierce it.
"Our promises only hold until
we reach home" she agreed.
They sat then in silence which
had no need of words because of
some inner communion. And then
from the waters came search
light, the red and green eyes of an
approaching craft. Shrill and clear
came a voice. 1t rose above the
n1uted tone of the slowing engine
4 must say" cried Lily Mankin,
that is a fine way for a person
who's about to be married to act.
Pretending to be literally cast off
on desert island. You can't tell ne
she didn't plan that"
The blue bubble burst. Iridescent
fragments of dreams and desires
melted into darkness. Tomi's world
righted with a jolt.
a person about to be married. I"
. She looked at Bartell. He was
looking at her, a question in his
eyes. So he was trying to see how
she was taking it, was he?
All right. he had promised. She
would carry out that promise to the
very minute they reached home.
But, Lily, she caroled back.
there's many a slip between the
curb and the city clerk s Office"
ts
Life Is real. life is earnest,"
quoted Toni from her pillows.
Darn life, anyhow. Shed sell both
the real and the earnest for ten
cents this morning. Ahead of her
doomed a whole day which she
must spand within three hundred
yards Of Allen BarteIl-AIlen and
Lily.
1t was bad enough having Lily
on the rescliing party, but Pierre