The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-26
Chapter 20


&t~N~@ ~
I'm Sorry, Dear
THE door of JAMS room was
l. still closed. He could. he
unused, give her a million dollars.
What would happen to this
household if he did? The contem-
plation of the change put a scorn-
full smile on his too vulnerable
mouth. Lance would buy Rose
Cornwall. Rose would cheat. Jan
would suffer for her brother.
AS if in mirror he saw what
the burden of riches might do to
these people. Let alone, each
would work out his own salvation
his own way. If Jan had any Gre
alive ability at all, and he thought
she did have. it would come out
eventually and give her at least
fair recognition as an artist.
Lance. handicapped, would get
over Rose, who would drift away
with some man or other. Norma,
in all probability, would one day
marry Lance. As for Johnny. who
cared?
Yes, Derek Knowles would re-
main in China while longer.
Perhaps he might never return.
He sat down at the piano and
picked out the refrain of popu-
lar. sentimental song. To the devil
with yesterday He was learning
the goodness of earning money
xry;f11 he I,.rIe 4I,o eaf;<fooxsoy, of
eating because he was hungry. the
exhi1aration of living out in the
sun and wind, the pleasure of Just
being dliUe.
He smiled a little and sang in
a strong, if not particularly must
cal. baritone voice the words of
the song he was playing:
"I'nn sorry, dear so sorry,
dear e. so sorry made you cry.
Won't you forgive -. Uon't you
forget :. I'm sorry l made you
cry.
Finishing, he listened hopefully
for sound of Jan. Nice kid. so
darned valiant about things, he
hadn't meant to hurt her. He
hoped when she did fall in love it
would be with a man who could
appreciate her fine qualities; not,
he frowned. someone like Johnny
Benton, who would make her life
miserable by trying to make her
over to fit his stupid pattern.
He started to play the chorus
Of the song again, broke off alb
ruptly as Rose opened the front
door and came in.
Hello" she said, sitting down
beside him on the bench. crossing
her slim, tanned legs and letting
her gay print beach robe fall back
from her smooth. warm skin. Her
hair was loose and sprayed over
her shoulders darby. Her gray
green eyes. meeting his, were
amused and compelling.
Il didn't know you played?"
"If you call this playing" he
Knocked. "Any luck today. siren?"
''Not much" She sighed. THE
good-looking men are definitely.
oh. so definitely, attached. and the
others are ugly past belief. or old
and fat and bald-headed. l wish
l could afford to buy myself
pretty mani"
Like me?" he bantered idly.
you might suit" she admitted.
You're a queer sort. you know.
for an odd-iob man. I have a feel
ing all of the time that I've seen
your picture somewhere and il
wasn't in the Fisherman's DigeSt!"
Are You For Sale
"HAVE you been in the sheriff's
Il Office lately? I'm wanted for
robbing the mails. Five thousand
reward, dead or alive. But trust
you. dear friend l know you
won't give me awayI"
idiot" Her slim, well-tended
hand reached out from under its
load of colored wooden bracelets
and touched his unruly hair.
tugged at it. rumpled it.
He heard the closing of a door
upstairs. "Be yourself" he or
dered Rose. "You can't afford me-"
Timing herself expertly to fore-
stall any resistance. she caught
his lean. brown face between the
palms of. her hands and kissed
him on the lips.
Jan. halfway down the stairs.
saw them, heard Rose say, at
was much better than expected,
darling. BY the way, isn't the
monotony Of your existence graf
ing on your nerves? You have a
preSentable outfit of clothes now:
why don't you come along with
me out to the gambling ship to-
night? III stake you anything
up to ten dollars"
mo. thanks" he refused short
ly. Lady Luck doesn't smile on
me-"
"Are you for sale?" she asked
softly. 81 might manage some
how"
Scarlet color crept along his
cheek bones. This was Lenore be-
fore him. scheming, planning, I'M
scrupulous. He crashed his fist
down on the ivory keys, and
swore at her beneath his breath.
Jan, coming in, saw the sudden
pallor of Roses skin and the d.
lation Of her eyes. Not under