The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-07-05

a tousled, riotous mass on her
shoulders; her goiden-skinned
face, innocent Of any nnake-up,
was certainly net even pretty,
There were paint smears On her
shapeless white sweat-snirt and
she'd torn a hole in the knee OF
her Stacks hauling him into hmr
boat.
Johnny :
NEVERTHELESS" she COM
~ forted her image, you have
gorgeous eyes, my sweet, and you
may defy him to say otherwise
They're large and blue and exot-
ically lashed, so therei And your
teeth are above reproach. But
outside Of that you are a fright
full messl"
Blowing a kiss to her refiec.
ton, she skipped out of the room,
stimulated by excitement out Of
fatigue. On the stairway, she
nearly collided with Johnny Ben
ton, her other roomer.
H'lo," he said. Whats the
hurry"
I'm the cook, didn't you know"
"You don't look Like a cook"
Il look like a beachcomber and
l don't care, so you needn't start
your usual haFangue about You
owe it to yourself to make the
most of what nature gave you
Go find glamour girl at your
old beach club and leave me in
peace, Johnny"
at isn't my beach club" he
argued in an aggrieved tone. -"I
wish it was"
Were" she corrected matter
of-factly.
There you go again, jumping
on my grammar, but you have a
fit if l criticize your clothesi Any
how / wish l tDere the band lead
er instead of the trumpet blower.
I get tired of blowing my lungs
out on a piece of brass for tired
executives trying to do the
Indy"
Jan laughed and he glowered
at her. "All right, / suppose it's
funny for a musician to be am
bilious. Well, it's no funnier than
it is for you to want to be a lady
Rembrandt"
Johnny, for goodness sake.
let's declare a truce. How about
it?" Her eyes were friendly on
the solid young man with the
sleek black hair and natty sport
suit. You blow a swell trumpet,
dear boy. and I paint beautiful
baskets of fruit"
Sure, Jan, but you could be a
Knockout with the right sort of
get-upS"
"And who will provide them?"
she demanded. MY taxes are due
on this big red elephant and
can't make both ends meet now"
If I had any money" he be-
gan.
"Oh, skip it. wouldn't talk to
you this way if you didn't seem
like one of the family, me lad.
Guess I'll advertise for another
roomer. Shall ! ask for a glamor-
Gus lady with a past?"
TRY and get one" he scoffed.
IF you do you can raise my rent"
"And that's a promise ] won't
overlook" She slid past him and
made for the kitchen.
Norma, Swathed in a great
white dishtowel, was frying
chicken under the cautions oil
Frank and Lance. Jan took over.
fretting with impotence to finish
the cooking and rush a tray Of
food upstairs. "Woman's hateful
curiosity" she thought wryly.
Yet, a bit later, when she did
take him food, he was deeply and
soundly asleep and she hadn't the
heart to wake him. Passing a mo-
ment before dimming the light
and switching on a tiny night
lamp, she noticed his hands on
top of the patchwork quilt. She
tiptoed close.
They were unusual hands
Long and narrow with strong
sensitive fingers ending in nails
so well kept, so immaculate that
her own, in instructive compari-
son, were grubby. His skin was
flushed now and his expression.
IN sleep, was calm and boyish.
To be continued.