The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-24
Chapter 10
New Job

New Job
you lost your temper, that's
L what happened" Jan scold-
ed. "You love to bait people. It's
that superiority complex of yoursI
! should think you might have
considered me. | found you the
job and you know good and well
/ have to have money to feed
you"
Teasing mischief narrowed his
one good eye. Wait a minute,
Jan. Hold on a minute before you
get into a latherI I've given you
every penny you asked for since
! got the job. All you ever talk
about is money, money, money!
You're a mercenary wench. that's
what"
Il never have any money, that's
Whyl" she stormed. Half the
time / have to wait for Johnny's
rent because he loses it gambling
or spends it on clothes and Nor
mas going home next month and
oh, Derek. can't you under
stand? It's all l have. Haven't
you ever been poor? Don't you
know at all the value Of money!"
His brows drew together. He
looked at the locker where she
kept her paintings. He Whistled
an idea. "Say, why don't you sell
some of your stuff? People buy
that sort of thing. You could raise
a little money on it if you exhib-
tied if"
"And where would I hold this
magnificent exhibition" she in
quired sarcastically. "Derek. you
are quite mad. HopeleSsly mad.
Nobody would pay enough for
those pictures to pay for the can
vases and if you had any sense
you'd know it,"
He dropped down on the cot,
bent his arm back and began
scratching his bare brown back.
Il guess you'll have to get me
another job" he said.
Il WILL" she promised angrily.
"And in the meantime you can
just help me with the homework
for your board and room"
"Meany," he teased. "Shylock.
Nagger. What makes you so mean
to me, Jan? Don't you like me?
OF course it makes no difference
whether you do or not, I'm going
to stay here just the same. I'm
yours, dear lady, for better and
for worsel Don't forget you
wanted me once and now just be-
cause you're tired of me you in
tend throwing me away like an
old, wornout shoe. But you can't
do it. I'll stage a sitdown strike up
here on your old roof and tell
everybody in the street below
about you'll"
She laughed helplessly. "Oh,
come along downstairs and I'll
apply First Aid. you nitwit."
That's much better" he COM
plimented. What am l going to
have for dinner tonight? That
brawl made me hungry"
You'll get nothing" she de-
clared firmly, unless you agree
beforehand to wash and wipe the
dinner dishes"
Agreed" he echoed. very. very
meekly. and followed her down
to arnica. iodine, and bandageS.
Scullery Maid
IAN, with the grim, forbidding
- mien of a Tartar's mate, stood
over him and made him work de-
spite his walls of protest, using
his appetite as her club. She
taught him to toast bread without
burning it; to make oatmeal with
out Jumping it; to wash dishes
properly and scour pans. He
helped her with the washing. ran
clothes through the wringer and
hung them up ineptly. but well
enough. He ran the vacuum
cleaner and scrubbed the kitchen
floor and busted furniture.
Il can't figure how you ever
did all this alone" he told her al
the end of a week. Il thought
homework was sissy job for wo-
men only. Jan, for the love OF
Pete. will you help me figure out
some kind of mans job? You
know more about this beach col.
ony than | do. Honestly, I'd clean
the beach with one of those cane
stickers in preference to thisl"
''Pll try" she promised. relax
ing into laughter.
A little later he said, How Is
Lance making out with the
siren?"
She wished desperately to
evade answering, knowing Derek
had been about the house enough
this week to see what was hap
pening. Rose, in her careless. self
iSh way, was charmingly atten-
tive to Lance. Twice Frank had
put Lance in her car for a long
drive. from which he returned
home flushed and radiant. But
there were other days when Rose
didn't want to be bothered with
him. days when she slipped quiet
ly out of the house and stayed al
the Surf Club heSe days Lance
kept Jan hopping on senseleSs err
rands. He fumed and fused and
rolled his chair back and forth
across his room until the wheels
made deep tracks in the carpet
Derek, to relieve her, sometimes
answered the buzzer and stayed