The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-18
Chapter 20
DesertiOn

Chapter 90
DesertiOn
TONI was surprised to see Dotty
= Dougherty at the gate.
Il fired you, Mrs. Dougherty,"
she informed the woman, coolly.
Dotty took the handbags away
from her. You can't fire people
these days" she remarked. 81 took
II up with the N.L.R.B. and they
said to give you another chance.
If you didn't behave yourself /
could have your frogs picketed."
A wan giggle escaped Toni. and
then she remembered.
But | can't have people around
me who can't be trusted"
Il should say not" agreed Dotty
and pushed Toni onto the divan,
removed her hat, took off her high
heeled street shoes and replaced
them with house slippers. She hur-
ried into the kitchen and returned
wheeling a tea-cart.
"As soon as / received the wire"
she continued as though there had
been no time lapse, Il went into
action. You'd been betrayed some
where between the farm and Los
Angeles. l thought Allen might be
up to something, so | called his
home and the maid told me he'd
left for the South on the same train
you were on, and could be reached
at the same hotel I'd told you
about. As l hadn't told him. I
started looking around for the fell
low who had. 1t was Abe"
Abel" cried Toni. 'I'll attend
to him.
Whoa, now wait a minute"
warned Dotty. "He didn't know
you wanted it kept a secret. Allen
drove him to Alameda when his
car broke down. He was there
when he got your reservation, and
probably bought one for himself
at the same time.
Next, he drove Abe to the tele-
graph Office. All he'd have to do
there would be to listen to the op-
orator read the message back to
Abe and he'd know where Toni
was making reservations"
Toni nodded. But, Dotty, why
didn't Abe tell me he had met ALI
len and had been with him all of
that timer"
Mrs. Dougherty chuckled. ABE
said he'd rather have you think
he'd doubled-crossed you, than to
admit the ark had broken down
again. And that, my love. is what
you get for teasing him about his
tin frog"
Toni leaned back, relieved. The
light supper was delicious, The hot
tea fragrant and refreshing. She
was home. She had Dotty and Abe
-ana-
Where is Pierre?" she asked
II guess he didn't see me come in
Il guess not" agreed Dotty in q
peculiar tone. You see-well
Toni. Pierre isn't with us any
more. He's gone back to LouiSi-
ana"
Toni felt as though some foun-
dation upon which she was de-
pending had given way. Had
Pierre been called home by illness
DOtty wouldn't have spoken in
that peculiar tone.
But for Pierre to leave without
waiting 10 see her, to leave while
she was out of town?
Didn't find a note pinned to his
pillow. did you?" she asked flip
PANTY.
Mrs. Dougherty shook her head
mo, he didn't take a chance of its
being unpinned. He mailed letter
to you via Uncle Sam" She hand
ed Toni thin envelope, and bus.
tied out of the room with the
dishes.
Toni opered the letter slowly
A glance at the message told her il
was not love letter. It had beer
prepared by public Stenographer
Puzzled. she read:
Dear Miss Toldnd:-
am sorry to leaUe durino
pour absence. but mn father
IS anxious to haze me return
TO NeID Orleans immediately.
hare enjoyed n1u brief
stGy at the farm.
80 If you are eUer in NetC Or
leans, and are still interested
in ranGculture. you might
drop me a line and tUill haze
someone call for you and take
you on a tour of our hold
ingS.
Very truly yours.
Pierre Prudhomne.
Just You And r
TONI read the letter three times
Il then wondered why she felt 81
i'll. II must have been the salad
Pierre had gone away and dared Il
l-...o Al. -AilAna r,cs4a. Dinr.ra .r.k