The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-23

anyone when his mistress was
about, might be secretly cheating.
And if he were, she smiled. the
person sharing his love must be
the right sort.
The little tent smelled of ciga-
rettes and soap and clean mascu-
Unity. Pausing when the bed
making was done, Jan suddenly
dropped onto the rough army
blanket and laid her cheek
against Derek's pillow. AS if this
act accomplished a joining to-
gether of memory she closed her
eyes and warmed herself by
thinking of how Derek looked
when he swung off to work this
morning. Burned to the color of
coffee, Injured to beating sun, he
now wore only a pair of blue
jeans, sneakers, and a jaunty of
ficer's cap. From his waist to his
flaming hair he was as evenly
brown as if he'd been painted by
a spray gun. Also, he'd picked up
an astounding vocabulary of fish
erman's lingo and delighted in
trying it out on her at breakfast
when they had the kitchen to
themselves.
A great deal of the bitterness
had gone out of his talk and man.
ner. A few days ago he'd asked
her to play for him and he'd lis
tened without growing dark and
fierce and violent. Tirnidly she
urged him to play. He refused,
but his refusal was only shrug.
no outhurSt of words. Encour-
aged, she asked. "Just what do
you harbor against Chopin? You
said once you couldn't bear him."
Il can't. His music hurts me,
haunts me. l lived long time ago
only 10 perfect myself in the play
ing of his Polonaise in A Flat
Major"
I'm A Misft'
A MOTHER time, setting his
"A teeth into his favorite SUBJ
ject, the chaos and hopeleSsness
of the world. the growing deca-
dence of civilization. she had
| checked MN with:
"Derek, it's the misfits who rant
on soap boxes. Busy people, hap
py people, useful people. haven't
the time nor the desire to tell the
world how lousy it Isl"
He'd thought a while. Then:
Maybe you've got something
there, Jan. I'm a misfit if there
ever was onel But it isn't my
fault"
Perhaps not, but if you keep
on being a misfit it's certainly
your fault"
rs this fitting in. then? This
existing to eat and sleep and Ia
Dor with my hands?"
you can look out of your tent
at night and see the stars" she
said. you can watch the sunrise
and sunset and look at that ocean
out there and realize how little
and unimportant you are. You
can dream"
PHILOSOPHY is cold. Y'know,
Jan, it's funny thing-I hate the
idea of manual labor, but IL
like it. 1t does something to me.
Something good. genuine, earthly.
I'm earning my salt and inciden-
tally my own self-respect. Lord,
sound like an Horatio Alger
hero"
Lying on his cot. relaxed, feel
ing the salt breeze fan her skin,
thoughts anG words all ran to-
gether, blUrring. With sigh she
poked her nose over the edge of
the pillow and fell into sound
sleep.
Derek, stealing guiltily through
the house two hours later, think
ing he had escaped detection,
found her there. One arm was
crooked under her head. the
other dangled off the edge Of the
cot. Small and childish and de-
fenSeleSS she seemed in sleep. Her
lashes lay thick and dusky against
her soft golden cheek; her sensi-
tively-curved pink lips pouted
with dreams; her hair sprawled
yellow over the pillow.
His eyes, watching so intently,
woke her. 81 must have fallen
asleep" she murmured drowsily,
sitting up, rubbing her temples.
Then she had a good look at him,
A small shrek escaped her.
"Derek! For h Ravens sake,
what happened to your"
He grinned and hung his head
a little while she stared. terrified.
For one eye was turning black
and swelling shut. a good-sized
lump distorted his jaw, and there
was blood on his cheek.
1T was StDell fight" he de-
clared. But, Jan. Cap fred me"
Tell me all" she ordered. "Pn
bet you started the fight"
Il did" he agreed. defiant. u
was helping a guy pull in whop-
ping big barracuda and Cap
grabbed the pole away from me
and hollered I didn't know any.
thing and never would and If it
weren't for you he'd knock the
daylightS out of me and toss me
overboard!"
"Oh, Derek. you didn't hit hirnI
He's an old man."
mo, l didn't hit him, but ]
burned up and told him a few
things about his rotten old tubs
and the first mate got in on it
he's always hated me, anyhow
and then a couple Of other fell
lows took sides and it turned into
free-for-all," he related. Gosh,
it was fun. feel gloriousi ]
haven't had a fist fight for yearsl"