The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-21
Chapter 81
Girls And Horsewhips


age Pierre was to show him fig
gers"
Figures?" interrupted Toni.
Abe nodded. "Dotty, she'd seen
Pierre maxim a wax imprint of
your desk keys that day we had
the powwow about cuttin' down
on expenses, so she went and got
herself made one too. and as
soon's she got the keys, and you'd
gone to bed. she got your books
out and took some Of the same
kind Allen had bought for her
Then she copied them. only she
made them different.
'She sat up all night doin' Il
and her eyes sure were plumb
wore out But next day. sure
enough, you'd no more than
started to Los Angeles than Pierre
come back and slipped into your
Office. He read these book he
thought were yours, only they
were the ones Dotty had put there
when he was drivin' you to the
train. And" Abe's breath went
out in long sigh when ne
saw you were sure goin' to lose
the farm, he figured he'd 90 back
to Louisiana"
Tomi's booted foot tapped the
floor in growing anger. Dotty had
made the books show such loss
the farm could not possibly re-
veal profit at the end of the sea-
son. Wait until she got her hands
on Dotty. Lucky for her that
Gladys had broken a leg.
Then Toni sat up in sudden
shock. II the books hadn't shown
that decided loss, Pierre would
still be here. Pierre-had ne loved
her. had he meant any of the
million Of soft. sweet. sane, sure
things he had wouldn't have
cared a tinker's dam about the
farm.
Pierre had not been in love
with Toni Toland. Pierre had
been in love with Frenchi's Frog
Farm.
ABE" Tomi's voice was
stern what was in the letter
Dotty found in Pierre's trousers?"
Abe shuffied his feet. His face
turned crimson. AT last he blurt-
ed. Miss Toni, | can't tell. |
promised Allen | wouldn't never
let you know"
@Why?" demanded Toni.
Again the shutting of feet.
We'll. Allen said once he found
out a girl pretended to love him
because he was haadlin' a case
she wanted TO win. And he said
findin' that out did somethin' to
him inside that couldn't never be
made right again. And he said
you'd had enough heartbreak for
one girl and he wasn't goin' to
have you fee::a' bad over no scum
of the earth that wanted TO GET
your inheritance by marrying
you"
Allen Bartell had said that.
Allen Bartell had tried TO save
her from a heartachG that he had
suffered. And all of the time she
had blamed him for Pierre'S un-
ceremOnious departure.
Tomi's face lighted Abe" she
cried. you're the only man on
Gods green earth worth powder
to blow him up No In. not nlm1n
to blow you any place But tell
me. how did Pierre know about
my inheritance?"
Abe grInned happily. each and
every one of Doctor Smiths teeth
in full display. "Oh. he read about
II IN the newspaper He was al
ready figurin on comm out here
when he saw that ad you put in
the New Orleans paper"
TOml's anger Softened a little
as she remembered Pierre's insls-
tence that they were French.
Well. the French were like the
Scotch and the Irish and the Ger
mans and all of the rest of the
races. They had their thrifty
people and their niggardly Cnes
Only. sometimes thrift was mis-
taken for something else and
Pierre had convinced himself that
he was being thrifty when he con-
sidered Tomfs farm as her dot
Not Cupid
MISS Toni" Abe paused at
w the kitchen door, think
Aliens hopin' you'll lose the
farm"
"Oh. Abe" cried Toni. "don'l
tell me that. After the way he's
acted?"
Her sarcasm passed serenely
over Abe's head. Il sure do" he
continued. "Pierre's actin that
way made him scared to PROPOSE
ton marriage to you for fear
you'd figure he was after the farm
instead of YOU"
Toni shook her head. mo, Abe,
you're not built on cupid lines.
Aside from that. you're crazy as
a loon"
mo. | amt" countered Abe.
"Allen said the only girl he'd
marry was one who needed good
horse-whippin' 10 make her stand
without hitchin'. and you're the
only girl Allen knows who needs
q horse whip took to her"
Abe disappeared through the
door just as a coffee cup crashed
against il.
He didn't come in for lunch.
Toni spent the afternoon pack
ing. She supposed she should call
Bartell, but decided to let him
do the calling this time.
There wasn't much TO pack;
most everything had been pur-
chased with Toland money. She