The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-04

0AA4 q WYNN O4 SOAn4Cbos =
from Dottie. The Morrises had re-
membered the date with box OF
her favorite chocolates; the Office
with books, candy and handker-
chiefs.
She unwrapped one Chicago
postmarked package carefully.
Mrs. Dougherty took one look.
"Oh, MY beg your pardon" she
gasped, as Toni disclosed a pair of
knit wool bed-slippers, then put
her head down on them and wept.
'Here, here, none of that"
stormed the housekeeper. They're
not worth crying over"
"B-but, I'm c-crying because
I'm happy" shifted Toni. NO
body but Great-aunt Hannah could
make anything as ugly. And she
knows I always have cold feet
in Chicago"
you're in California now,"
snapped Mrs. Dougherty.
Toni shook her head. "She
thought of me" she tried TO ex-
plain. One
Mrs. Dougherty sat down, heavi-
ly. Those Tolands," she sighed,
they cut your throat with one
hand and knit you sleepers with
the other. They're worth a cool
million and they send you a pair
of knitted things you could buy
for ninety-eight cents"
Toni waved her hands helpless
~. One had to be a Toland to I'm
derStand. She could picture Great
aunt Hannah, wearing out her eve
Sight-She refused to wear glasses
over these slippers. There she
would sit, straight as ramrod,
fingers, needles and tongue, all fly
ing.
Maybe the Major hadn't been ly-
ing. Maybe they thought they were
saving her heritage by contesting
the will which would give every
thing to Allen if she failed.
She burrowed around in the box
for a card. There it was in the very
bottom, the handwriting Stilted.
Hope you have sense enough to
wear these, and remember, kero-
sene and lard for your chest when
you take cold. You're given to
colds"
Toni giggled. Blessed Aunt Han
nahl These SleeperS warmed her
heart instead of her toes.
'T'm going to get up now and
celebrate" she announced.
Wonderful Husband
"OH, no you're not" countered
" Dotty. Your temperature is
up point. You'll celebrate in bed
with tray.
by the way" she tried to ap-
pear nonchalant-"there's another
gift downstairs. 1t was too heavy
to carry UP. It's a typewriter"
Tomi'S face lighted. How she had
wanted typewriter.
Here's the card that came on il"
offered Dotty. "It's pretty, red and
ivory-the machine, I mean"
Toni took the gay birthday card.
Across it was written: ITO keep
you in practice, Allen
At first she thought, how con-
siderate, then her eyes narrowed.
To keep her in practice. Then he
thought she'd be looking for an
other stenographic job when the
frog season was over.
I'LL show him." she promised
herself, land I'll use the typewriter
to help me-"
Toni was allowed to look at
the birthday cake. Huge, piled
with butter-cream roses and well
wishes. She was allowed to listen
to Dotty repeat the menu. And
then she was given a poached egg
and tall glass of hot milk.
She didn't mind her isolation,
particularly. She wasn't yet ready
to face Pierre. She must think of
him first, think of him now as a
prospective husband, not as a
ranaculturiSt.
For moment she sat drowsily
listening to the waves crash on the
beach, the quick rush of shower
on the roof, the splash Of raindrops
on the windowpane. Rnxs
The storm outside made the
comfort inside more vivid by COM
pariSon. The walls of this, her very
own room with the furniture
placed where she wanted it, were
like the arms of those friends
downstairs.
Carefully she reached down to
slip the knitted Sleepers over her
toes.
And now to Pierre. Pierre loved
her. That was a heart warming
thought. Pierre was handsome,
all of the girls in Aliens crowd
thought so. He wasn't dashing and
thrilling, but he was so sane and
sure. That is what one needed In
a lifetime partner.
There are two kinds of love. she
reasoned. One was the heady, reck-
less kind that lifted you to the
skies, then cast you down, broken.
The other was a calm. growing
emotion, based on companionship
and mutual respect. It endured
forever.
Pierre would make a wonderful
husband for her. He seemed as pas
Sionately fond of the farm as she
was. Together they would make
it thrive.
We'll turn it into a tiny farm
like my grandmother had" she
whispered. 'SThe kind of a farm
Julie told me about, with chickens.
pig. a cow, vegetables and.
of course, here Wen have frogs"
Pierre could look after the farm.
and she'd look after the house.
Pierre and Abe-and Dotty, of
course.
Pierre :. in blue smock and
beret," she murmured sleepily.
She could visualize him hoeing
rows of green things.