The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-24

awhile with Lance, trying 10
draw him out of his neurotic OBJ
sorption with man talk.
Not very good" she answered
Derek finally. Il don't know what
to do. / don't suppose it would do
any good to tell her to move. He'd
dislike me If ! did that. And
Norma. she scarcely touches her
food. She's eating her heart out,
Derek. She can not take it philo-
sophica1ly at all"
Probably we wouldn't either,
put in her shoes. I'd like to tell
that Rose" He broke of,
shrugged. "It's none Of my BUSH
ness"
"You might try DETECTING her
attention" Jan said.
she wouldn't look at the likes
o. me-" he countered cheerfully.
Besides, Johnny's doing his
best"
Il feel sorrier for Norma than
Lance. and | can't seem to dislike
Rose. I suppose | should. I've
never known anyone like her be-
fore. I can't blame Lance. either.
She is beautiful and exciting
and" she smiled wryly. "deserv-
ing of the movie appellation
'glamorouS.'
He was thinking how many
women he had met and known
like Rose. He doubted much If
she would find the rich husband
she was searching for so diligent-
ly. Men with money were not
such fools as novelists, play
wrightS and columnists made out.
They could buy beauty and they
knew it. Most of them had had
Experience before expiration of
their adolescence with women
like Rose. Her eyes were telltale
with hard. bright greediness. Le-
more had been like that, more
subtly. and deep down he'd
known but refused to acknowl-
edge it until she forced him to.
He'd wanted so terribly to believe
she loved him. believed in him,
cherished his success as much as
he, that he'd put dark glasses
over the eyes of his mind.
Ir0nic Situation
IAN, little ashamed of driving
- him so hard, really touched
by his mirth-veiled pleas for a
mans job, appealed to Frank,
who managed to find him work
driving one of the little trans
which trundled by electric motor
from Sea Tide up the two miles
of beach front to Santa Monica.
He had to have a uniform of sorts,
dark trousers, khaki shirt and
busman's cap. which cost ten dol
lars, so Jan advanced him the
money on provision he return it
as fast as he could.
His salary was fifteen dollars
a week for six days work, three
dollars less than he made on the
fishing barge, but, he told Jan at
the end of the first day, this bus
driving was lot more fun.
He bought himself smoked Cog
giles and wore his cap well over
his eyes, hoping, although Jan
didn't know this, that no one he
knew would ever condescend to
ride on his little boardwalk tram.
He dallied with the advisability
of dyeing his hair, for that cop
per crest would give him away
quicker than anything else about
him, but decided against it. He
found himself in curiously
ironic situation these days. He
had, often. to 60 without minor
things he wanted and needed, yet
at any time he could have gone
into any bank, established his
identity and withdrawn any sum
he wanted. But he also knew that
the moment he did so his pleasant
anonymous life here would end,
and he had no wish for it to end.
not yet.
Rose appeared delighted that
| Derek had graduated from Tive
bait fisherman" to tram trun-
der" Once in tailored silk Stacks,
once in gay peasant beach cos
tune. she rode with him to the
Surf Club and back. He per-
mitted her to share part Of his
drivers seat and told her in low
voice he considered her: "An un-
scrupulouS, predatory and abso-
lutely selfish moron" To which
accusation she replied with light
ripping laughter.
Jan saw them riding together
and laughing and decided pas
4 sionately that Derek was plain
traitor. To soothe her vexation
she slammed an old straw hat on
her head, pulled on baggy Stacks,
took a fishing pole, told Lance
she'd be back in a couple of hours
and set off in her boat to sulk. It
was the middle of the day, the
sun was hot and the fish refused
her wriggling bait The hotter
and more tired she became, the
more irritated she grew until.
when she turned homeward a lit
tie after four. her face was
threatening as a thunder cloud.
| She ached to throw Roses clothes
out of the house and Rose with
them.
| And so, coming off the pier, ap-
preaching home, she was brittle
with temper and in no mood to
receive what awaited her.
A knot Of people stood before
the big red house. milling about
the temporarily halted tram car,
craning over one another's shoul-
derS to see the tall man with the
red hair who exhorted them to
purchase beautiful. original ma
rine' paintings at unheard-of-low
pricesll"
To be continued.