The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-17

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on the wheel.
? $50 you're settling an estate for
Mr.. Hire-your- car-by- the hour"
she murmured.
Bartell was in the drivers seat.
He held both hands toward Toni.
Would you mind hanging onto
these? If you don't, they're going
to get out of control and Los An
geles will have hire-car murder
on its hands.
Seriously, Toni" he put the
car into gear and started weav-
ing traffic" do you talk to Pierre
as you do to me?"
Pierre doesn't lie to me-" she
retorted.
BartelPs profile was grim.
There are a few things worse
than lying" he observed. and
stepped on the accelerator.
They shot over blue hills where
the tops seemed to have become
mixed with white stars of enor-
nous size. They looked down on
acres of lights, laid out. said Bar
tell, like the trees in a fruit
orchard"
They sat before bars of chro-
MUM plate. of ebony, of crystal.
They danced on a pier to the
music of a barrel organ. They
danced in a cafe where a spot
light played on the leader. then
switched to faces of screen stars,
blonde, brunette and red-headed.
Allen saw none of them. He was
watching Toni.
1t was gay. reckless, ridicu-
lous night, but finally even the
street lights grew pale. and
weary. lop sided old moon start
ed hurrying for its blue blanket
of ocean.
Allen stopped the car on a de-
serted stretch Of beach road. pur-
portedly to watch the moon, the
sea and the mountains. Toni
waited. This was her night. She
knew when he shifted so he could
look at her, when one hand
reached for hers. when the other
arm curved about her shoulders.
Love And Hate
FOR jus: a moment she yielded,
L then like one awakened sud-
denly, drew back. Goodness, AL
len, your technique is superb. But
| suppose you have lots of prac-
tlce. For a moment / almost for
got you were Great-uncle limo
thy'S attorney. A profile like yours
must be great help in the law
business"
Toni hadn't known Allen could
move as swiftly. Scarcely had she
spoken before his hands were
Juggling at brake. switch. wheel,
and then the car shot down the
highway and cut over the hill to
the city.
The tires protested as he braked
into the curb before the hotel. He
assisted her out. offered a courte-
Gus goodnight. and was gone.
He had it coming" Toni de-
Tended. fighting tears back until
she had reached the privacy of
her room. He just can't take
what he gives. He's just SO used
to that charm of his melting all
resistance that he it was his
pride that was hurt-it wasn't his
heart"
Toni sat before the grazing
window tasting her triumph. It
was bitter Then suddenly her
head went into her arms, crush
ing the wilted jasmines.
Il might as well admit it." she
whispered Il can at least be hon.
est with myself. love a man !
hate. He represents everything /
distrust. and yet if I don't get
away from here I'll let him know,
and if he learns he'll use that
knowledge to wreck my morale"
A sleepy railroad ticket agent
told Toni he could give her a
reservation: he'd just had a can
collation..
Toni packed hurriedly. She
wanted to go home to Pierre.
Pierre would understand. He
probably did now. She would
marry him eventually. Marriages
based on compromising and mu.
tual interests were the safe, sane
unions. She wanted 10 be safe and
sane. She had been neither.
She closed her eyes as the train
pulled out of Los Angeles. Her
visit had been a complete failure.
After this she would let Pierre do
the travelling. II he wanted to. he
could help her by paying his own
expenses and she, would refund
them at the end of the season.
Shed need to be home now
that Dotty was no longer there
Mrs. Dougherty. Toni corrected
herself.
And | really loved her." she
cried. inwardly.
The thought Of Pierre's COM
forting arms became increasingly
dear.
Fortunately she was tired
enough to sleep most of the way.
She rode into San Francisco and
took the ferry back across the
bay Standing on the bow she
watched for the first glimpse of
her farm. She felt that maybe
that too had vanished since she
had been away
But no. there II was, vague
shape in the soft mist which
seemed TO snludge shorelines
Shed have to take the bus from
the ferry tram depot Dotty
wouldn't be there to answer the
telephone.
The road from the bus stop to
the farm was dusty. Il reminded
Toni of the army of Tolands who
had trailed along it a few weeks
earlier.