The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-10
Casual! &;!!auahte1s
by VIRGINIA HANSON

standing in the doorway. Gerald
turned.
"As l was just saying" he OBJ
served lightly, IF | had a girl like
Kay | wouldn't leave her to
strangers. I'd take care of her my
self"
Adam seowled and turned beet
red. He stood aside and watched
Gerald out of the room, but he
said not a word. He watched un-
til Gerald's footsteps diminished
into silence. Then he came over
to the bed and just looked at me.
THAT fellows in love with
you" he said accusingly.
l raised eyebrows.
Adams Arms
lust what tDaS your mission
y in New York;" l asked DO
litely.
Abruptly his annoyance faded.
A teasing smile twitched his lips.
His eyes sparkled.
"A few blondes, a few night
clubs. Is that what you mean?"
leaned on one elbow and
thumped the pillow.
What did you accomplish" ]
demanded bitterly.
You're not belittling blondes
as an accomplishment? They're
second only to redheads all
right. all right. don't work up a
temperature" He sobered abrupt
ly. Il Learned three things: that
Ivan was liar and a money-mad
scoundrel of whom his poor old
parents had despaired: that San
dra had backed his play with all
the money she had in the world
and lost every penny of it: and in
a trunk she had left in storage !
found a vague. pitiful letter to
jeff from his father-a deathbed
letter explaining that he had left
Sandra the ten thousand dollars
because it was the smallest part
of his estate. and that there was
silver on the Ozark farm"
"Oh. Adam-that fiend of a girl!
| can really despise her now. Of
course it was just sick mans
delusion, but to LET JEFF think that
his father died hating him"
"He knows better now. did
that much" He paused, regarded
me searchingly and forced a note
of lightness into his voice. 81 sup
pose that was a touching fare
well | Just witnessed = Beaufort
wouldn't dream of going behind
ano Their mans back. His lips
would be sealed. you would never
know"
He interrupted himself to draw
a deep breath and expel it in a
single caustic CONNER tary:
"Hooeyl"
Having spent, along with the
breath, a measure of suppressed
fury, he returned to his milder
manner and His apparent neces-
sitv to interpret Gerald to me.
"When / first saw him last night
he was nearly out of his mind. l
tell you, the fellows in love with
you"
I shook my head. You're
V~o@~."
I'm right"
Our ewes caught. held.
$50 WHAT" | said.
go if you want him you'd bet
ter say SO before he leaves"
"You don't think he's going to
join the foreign legion?"
He looked affronted.
cts no laughing matter" he
said stiffiy. "Fm trying to say that
] don't blame either Of you. Beau
fort is a fine fellow, quite apart
from his glamor: and l hope-1
hone | can lose like a gentleman"
"Oh. so you want to join the
lepion YOURSELF"
The power of speech seemed
briefly to desert him. He opened
his m h. closed it, looked
around for something to throw,
then abruptly grinned. He sat
down on the edge of the bed, his
eyes shedding blue sparks like
the broken ends of a live wire,
and bent above me smiling.
"Confucius say man who boost
brother through window may find
self left out in cold" he said.
Under the electrical lombard
ment of those eyes. my own con-
versational proves tagged. I
stared back at him in tranced
helplessness, saw that he was de-
liberately waiting for me to
speak.
"Confucius nobody's fool" I
said weakly. "But much talk,
little do"
He gave a quick, voiceless laugh
as his arms swept me up from the
pillow.
THE END