The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-08-16
-Chapter 38
Salvaged Again

Limited.
Jan" Lance murmured, his
voice both meek and weak. I'D
like you to read the special air
mail letter had from Rose yes
terday. It's under my pillow
How are you feeling, dear?"
she asked. reaching under his
head. observing the new lines
OF pain in his thin face.
Better. Jan. he says I'm 60
ing to walk again. Maybe a long
time with clutches, but eventual
~ tO1lk. hoped but ] never real
~ believed-'$
She saw tears in the hollows of
his cheeks. Swiftly, she leaned to
kiss them, then sat back, pre-
tending absorption in the letter
1t was surprisingly short and very
much to the point. Johnny, Rose
wrote, had grand new job in
New York. They were leaving at
once for the east. The prospect of
success had changed him. They
had decided really to make go
of their marriage and they had at
last fallen deeply in love. She
wanted Lance to know she was
terribly fond of him and of Jan
and hoped they would always be
good friends.
Carefully she folded the sheet
of paper and tucked it back into
the envelope. One load lifted, she
reflected. But the heaviest load
never would be lifted: her hope
less love for Derek. Certainly
he'd never forgive her the tea
party escapade. She supposed
she should be sorry to lose his
friendship, even if it was found
ed on gratitude, but she wasn't.
She wanted his love or nothing
at all.
Lance interrupted her forlorn
thoughts. "If this letter had ar
rived even a week ago, ! would
have felt myself MORALLY wound
ed" A wisp of laugh parted his
lips. "But in the hospital, when
was half-conscious and still
hazy from aneSthetic. ! wished
over and over that Norma was
there to hold my hand and coddle
me and sit beside me with her
placid knitting. Do you think
there's a chance she'll have me.
Jan? I mean, for 1ife?"
"She would gladly have mar
ried you this summer. wheelchair
and ALL" Jan said sharply. "But
you fell off the deep end over
Rose again and Norma knew it
and L don't know what she'll
have to say now"
"I'll be so penitent, so humble
and IL she'll give me time"
Doctor Murray tapped on the
door and came in, his rosy face as
delighted as if he had just won
an Olympic Championship. do
you know" he demand, that
foreign visitors don't see America
at all when they whirl diZzily
about your famed Manhattan and
return home without even cross
ing 10 New Jersey? 7 owe you
youngsters a debt of gratitude for
persuading me to vacation west
with you"
I'VE owe you the larger debt
of gratitude" Jan said gratefully.
She slipped out while he re-
moved the dressings from Lance'S
knees and sought the Western
Union operator in the Club car.
Her gaminish smile came back for
q moment as she wrote these
words to Norma:
Put on your neD bright bonnet
and hitch old Dobbin to the
sleigh. For your man is recovered
and you had better set your tCed-
ding day.
Then Jan went on through the
car to the observation platform
and watched the steel rails dis
solve into distance. She told her
self she must get a firmer grip
on herself before she reached
Sea Tide again; also she reminded
herself how lucky she'd been that
the magazine editor liked her and
had ordered more sketches and
referred her to an excellent
agent who could dispose of extra
work.
The dear, good doctor had not
yet presented his bill and. she had
reason to suspect never would,
and she had not been obliged to
touch Norma'S generous gift of
< money nor would she now tell
: Lance. 1t wasn't good, she reflect
E ed. for a man to feel too IN
debted 10 woman. even when
he loved her. and perhaps it was
worse when he didn't love her.
1t did something hurtful to his
ego. she supposed, she didn't
quite know what.
Frank and Norma met them in
the early morning at the station
in Los Angeles. At JAMS urging,
Doctor Murray decided to stay
two or three days at Sea Tide. BY
then, he said, a competent reg
iStered nurse could do all that
needed to be done for Lance.
Before the doctor left to catch
his boat out of San Francisco.
Lance and Norma announced.
with practically delirious ecstasy.
that they would be married the
moment Lance could stand up
with the aid of crutches.
He's Come Back
1T WAS the kind of an October
day which had everything. The
calm ocean reflected the clear,
bright blue of the sky: the bene-
ficent yellow sun beamed on surf
summers and surf-batherS. 1t was