The Key West citizen., 1940-09-20

I'd be poor underStudy, but he
wouldn't grudge me the pleasure
of your company in his absence.
Now / think of il, perhaps he
undertakes me a bit. I'm a dan
gerous fellow-that's why I've in
vited Felicia to come along. For
your protection"
You're sure I'm not going for
her protection?"
"A fair question" he admitted.
From the far side of the We
randa. around the corner Of the
/ house. an orchestra began to play
softly. Lights. strung from the
house above the carpeted side
walk, bloomed pale amber against
the still light sky. Around us peo-
pie milled and ehattered.
DO you suppose we ought to
60 in and dance?" Gerald asked
anxiously, Il mean to say, either
we're all frightfully early. or
they're late"
Il think we were asked early
on purpose" said Felicia sooth-
ingly. This arrival is part of the
show. They're being very myste-
riouS. / offered to help Sandra
dress, but she wasn't having any.
She had already showed JEFF out
he was in the billiard room, all
gloriously dress sed. practicing
shots. when we left. KAY here
probably knows what it's all
about"
Nothing of the kind. I haven't
seen Sandra since breakfast She
said she was going to rest and
have her lunch sent in"
We'll anyway. eight o'clock is
an unearthly hour for a recep-
ton" Felicia pursued. There
must be something behind it"
Wedding March
THERE was. The orchestra
L paused suddenly. then struck
up the wedding march and far
down the road in front of officers
quarters We spied an approaching
cavalcade.
Julia was at my elbow.
Isn't it swell?" she asked en-
Enthusiastically. I'VE were keeping
II for the wedding-one of the
bachelors found it in an old
livery stable and bought it for a
song, and Headquarters troop
JefFS troop, you know - have
been busy for a month recondi-
tioning and painting it."
think it would be called a
barouche. although my knowl-
edge Of such things is hazy. Low
swung. tOpleSs. with elegantly
uniformed young officers sitting,
arms folded. on the boxes front
and rear A gaUdy yellow equip
age-cavalry yellow - with the
regimental insignia emblazoned
on its sides. and drawn by six
white horses that shone as if their
sides had been waxed. horses that
tossed gold and blue plumes as
they shook their proud heads.
A shout Of welcome and ap-
proval went up from the ve-
randa as the turnout stopped with
a flourish at the curb. The young
officers were handing Sandra out.
Sandra in hoop-skirted gown
OF gold taffeta TO match the yell
low equipage. TO match the gold
braid on the uniform Of her tall
young husband.
She had a scarf around her
head. scarf of gold cloth tied
peasant fashion so that il shaded
the upper part Of hel face As she
came up the carpeted sidewalk
on JeffS arm, into the shower Of
rice that caScaded from the We
randa. as she passed under the
arch of sabers trat tne elegant
young officers had formed for her
passage. she threw hack the scarf
and turned her face D for US all
to see.
A silence like the suspension Of
all breath in the face of a catas-
trOphe swept the veran0a. The
soft string orchestra sounded loud
and Grass. like a brass banl. in
that sudden awful hush. JEFF
paused, as if that silence were a
strong wind which threw him
back. / saw him turn and look
at the girl upon his arm, saw the
shocked breath he drew and the
wild color that famed in his face.
And suddenly everyone began
to talk at once, 10 laugh loudly
and unnaturally and shout con-
gratulations in a hysterical at
tempt to pretend that everything
was lovely. that nobody had seen
what We had all seen as the bride
and groom approached under the
arch of sabers.
That the bride had a black eve.
Il could kill herl" Julia told
me violently. later in the evening.
She had drawn me upstairs to
her room on the plea that she
needed a shoulder strap pinned.
actually. I knew. so that she
could relieve her pent-up feel
ingS. "She tells everyone that she
ran into door. but the way she
says If makes them all think jeff
beats her. I've been working my
head off all evening TO keep him
from being stuck in a corner.
tell you. people are giving him
the cold shoulder. and its a damn
shamel"
What does he say?"
Nothing. But don't you see. he
wouldn't He's so sensitive
You can bet your life he knows
what they're thinking"
Maybe she did run into a
door"
Maybe she did-on purpose"
"Julia-I haven't said anything
about this because-well. just be-
cause. But Sandra told me she
was afraid of jeff"
told her then about the
sleeping arrangement. about her
coming to my room Sunday night.
about the red mark on her shouI-
der and the bruise she had shown
me the following day. And that
CnrH-n hnL rLl - -o--.