The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-06

ne protested. i 1eeI nave IalleQ
you. You should let me do this
work for you"
mo, Pierre" Toni sighed as she
said it. From now on the real
work is selling. If win, have to
win because I have done the real
work. I wouldn't feel right with
myself If you were responsible for
my success. Besides, we don't
know but what Bartell would
make it a point Of contest."
'Bartell," spat Pierre. always
that man. Toni, would like to
take copy of that will to good
lawyer; someone away from here,
say in Los Angeles, or San Fran
cisco where they know the Cali
fornia laws. ~ y -.s#l
ut is such a ridiculous will. 1t is
like a joke"
But that is what it was intend
ed to be-" explained Toni. Uncle
Timothy didn't guess I'd try to win
the legacy"
"You will let me try? You will
give me copy of the will?"
Toni hesitated a moment. She
had read it carefully. She could
find no legal loophole, but then she
knew little of legal loops or holes.
And everyone admitted Allen Bar
tell was clever lawyer.
eff you want to-" she agreed.
Two weeks later the copy was
returned from Los Angeles, with
only an attorneys fee accompany
ing it. There were no loopholes, it
seemed. Miss Toland must win or
lose according to the stipulations
in the document.
The two weeks, however, had
brought a little luck to Toni. She
was making her third call on the
local buyers. Some had promised
to try her frogs with a western
accent" If they proved on a par
with the southern frogs they would
split the orders.
A few emergency orders had
been telephoned. Toni wished that
| Allen Bartell could have been
there to hear them come in.
The second two weeks she went
on to San Francisco, to Vallejo
and to San Jose. She returned
knowing she had made a few cafe
owners "frog-leg conscious"
Dreams And Nightmares
a THE end CT the month she
"A looked at her books. May first.
A few black figures marched down
one side of the page, but so had
the red figures marched.
There had been new pool in
stalled. In it were established little
silver-top minnows that would
breed quickly and provide the liv-
ing food the frogs demanded.
Toni dreamed of food; dreamed
of a million mouths opened, wait
| ing for her to fill them. Once she
thought she was going to fall into
lthose unsuitable mouths and
screamed until Dotty, frightened,
came In TO awaken her.
She extended her territory, driv-
| ing into the hot valleys, talking to
buyers in sweltering kitchens,
looming out nauseated by the smell
| of hot oil, to return to an equally
hot tourist camp when she longed
to go to an air-cooled hotel.
T. Air-eooled hotels made red
marks.
BY the end of May, the army of
black figures had increased. One
4 of the largest San francisco no.
tells was buying regularly. Two
I Oakland cafes had installed frogs
legs on their menus for the first
time. Frenchi's Frog Farm was be-
ginning to ship to the interior. And
Toni had lost ten pounds, her coll
or and her zest for fun.
Driving back from Stockton one
Friday night in late June, she Won
dered if the farm was worth the
battle to win it.
4 The highway lay straight across
the San Joaquin River valley.
Lush green fields bordered it, but
from them arose the steam like
heat. The sky arched in brass; the
hills were purple smudges. When
she reached them, they reared bar
rem tan shoulders and cut off what
breeze there had been.
II wish could pick the farm UP
and throw it at Bartell," she
thought savagely, "Here l am,
building it up. and in the fall I'll
hand it over to him, all ready for
bumper crop next season"
d Another long fiat stretch, then
! she reached the Dublin pass and
cool, salty air greeted her. Eagerly
she breathed it IN? BY devious
crosS-eutS she reached the farm
within an hour.
Never had it looked as beautiful.
The big magnolia tree was a mass
of cream-colored rosettes. The
fence was heavy with fragrant
Paul Scarlet roses. Cecile Brun-
ners. delicate, soft pink petaled,
draped the driveway arch.
And beyond the old house, the
western sky was apricot, but
: smudged with purple clouds, fore
runner of high, cool fog which
: would spread goSsamer wings over
: the earth within an hour.
Pepper greeted her arrival joy
l ously. Pickles bounded out to arch
against her ankles. Abe shuffled up
to put the car away; Pierre ap-
] peared, blue eyes warm with
: greeting, to take her bags; Dotty
? hurried out, drying her hands on
: her apron, TO engulf Der in mother
7 ly arms. And Toni, glancing to-
: wards the left, saw smoke coming
, from the Bartell chimney.
"Allen's home again." offered
: the housekeeper, catching the
= glance.
!, 81 didn't know he'd been away
! murmured Toni.
S 81 told you he was a farmer, land
lover, or whatever you call a per-