The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-10
CHAPTER %
Madhouse

~---@~@A~(- ~ LAAG AOOSAE4
picked you, did he?" Old Abe
was saying We'll. it's a shame he
didn't peck harder"
Il wonder" unused Mrs. Dough-
erty from behind Toni, ''if l could
prevail upon Gladys to break q
leg so I'd have to go home and
take care Of her until these To-
lands left"
They won't be here that long"
protested Toni. What time did
they arrive?"
"Eleven-thirty," answered the
hOusekeeper dryly. But twenty
four hours of this is equal to a
year Of nice. quiet life in an in
sane asylum. / took your books
away from the lawyer and locked
them IN your desk. / rooted the
Major away from my household
accounts Two of the women were
checking your linen and another
one was trying on your hats"
Toni sighed as Mrs. Dougherty
departed for the dining room with
q loaded tray. She jumped as a
crash sounded. From the hall door
she saw Harold going up the
steps. two at a time. Dotty was
sitting on the floor surrounded by
broken crockery.
Maybe you hadn't better wait
for Gladys TO break a leg" Toni
murmured. timidly, as she helped
the grOaning housekeeper to her
feet and began gathering crock
cry.
Maybe you're right" agreed
Dorothy DOugherty, "You lived
with tn m for twelve years:
you're Injured. Besides, you'll need
my room tonight. I'll wait until
after the dinner things are cleared
away. providing there are any left
to clear"
Toni thought dinner would
never be ready. the family never
seated. but eventually everything
was under Great-aunt Hannah's
control. Even Harold was so quiet
no one saw him leave the table.
They knew he had. because he
was returned to the dining room
by an Old Abe who seethed with
indignation.
THE frogs are fed. The pens.
the shelters. the chicken yards.
the boat. the tool house and the
garage are all padlocked. I'm 60
ing to Alameda and I'm not COM
in back till morning"
"What hammered Ahe9n haooad
Toni. following him into the hall.
HE tied Little Sweetheart to
toy cart Little SWeetheart,who
never had an unkind hand laid to
her since she was a polly wog,
nor before.
Imagined hin getting that
close to her." marVeled Toni.
But then he was born in early
June. You go on, Abe, have a good
time. see a show"
SHOW" blurted Abe. 1--WE had
all the show / want right here on
these grounds"
Toni rescued jardiniere from
The newell post, or from Harold,
and escorted Harold to the table
with firm grasp of his shirt COL
lar. Half an hour later Harold
used the long hall as a bowling
alley and succeeded in knocking
down three of the five crystal can
dlesticks he'd placed near the
front door. The iardiniere broke
on the lowest garden step.
The men of the family helped
Toni assemble the beds and
carry them from the sheds. Major
Toland fell down stairs. but
somehow managed to light on the
mattress he had been carrying up.
Only his dignity was injured.
Long-Suffering Darlington
dropped an iron bedstead on Aus
tins foot and spent the rest of the
afternoon apologizing. Agatha.
given to hay fever. stuck her nose
in a mass of tamarack blossoms
and the old farmhouse rang with
her sneezing. Parilla caught her
flowing skirts on d bramblebush
while she was bringing the aired
blankets into the house. Toni felt
that all she did was run around
in circles.
Only Great-aunt Hannah re-
manned calm and unruffied. En-
throned on a straig h t-backed
chair, she directed activities.
Toni had no time to think OF
Allen Bartell. and because of this,
the sight of him caused her heart
to leap into her throat and re-
main there.
It's A Promise
~DOES this belong to anyone
IL here?" he inquired pleas
antly. from the door. and brought
into view a small figure which
dripped water from head 70 heels
Il ished it out of the bay with q
gaff-hook.
May hurried her young son up
stairs and Bartell turned his
charm on the Tolands.
well. this is a pleasure" he
greeted.
"And it's all yours" whispered
Mrs. Dougherty behind him
Aloud. she asked if he would take
her into town with him when he
left
Toni saw the golden glints
dancing in Bartell's eyes. "Abe,"
she explained with dignity. took
his car when he drove into town
Pierre is driving mine to Sacra-
mento."
The lights continued to dance.
The family smiled with pleasure.
The young man wasn't as impos-
sible as they had thought.
Before he left with Mrs. Dough-
erty, Great-aunt Hannah had
promised to knit him a skull cap
to wear in his boat. and the male
Tolands had promised to try the
boat Immediately after breakfast.
you're having dinner with me
Tomorrow evening" Allen whis-