The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-19

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gain prices already affixed to
Christmas goods. wsboys
jostled her, bawling unintelligible
news.
But suddenly out of their high
keyed yelping a name began to
recur insistently: TreGdon, Tread
on! She listened closely and was
able to identify another: fdilurei
She seized a paper from startled
lad, pressing into his hand the
first coin she found in her purse.
GREAT SHOE FIRM INTO
III d. BANKRUPTCY
The noon edition had little news
that was spectacular to add to its
mornings output. 1t played up
this one item to the limit. Bob's
handsome face handsome even
in the blurred reproduction --
peered out at her. A mere para
graph sufficed to hold the kernel
of the message, but a garbled his
tory of the mushroom growth of
the company had been added: the
elder Trenton's humble beginning,
the typically American rise to
popularity of the Tre1don prod
uctS, the succession to power of
the son, and his-as it now proved
fatal decision to move the head
quarters of the business from
New York to the Middlewest
town. Or so one of the directors
was quoted as saying. The Kansas
City paper took his statement for
a text on which to preach of East
ern arrogance and lack of vision.
"The true reason for the failure"
wrote a glib reporter, may be
said to lie rather in the fact that
young Trenton insisted on run
ming a one-man show"
n1Ef n.: ...
THERE was more of it.: refer
L ence to his marriage to a st.
Joseph girl, "the charming Sue
Davenport who is well-known to
Kansas City hosts; reference to
the Trenton home, built for a
famous young aviator who met a
tragic death . was it an omen
of the ill-fortune soon to befall
its present owner?" but Sue read
no more than that first brutal
paragraph.
Bob was ruined. The business
he gloried in, to which he had de-
voted more and more time after
his marriage, was gone.
Suddenly incidents were white
ly illumined for her now: Bob's
pre-occupation, his growing dis
taste for social life, his hours
alone in his study while she
talked with Eric, or later sat
dreaming of him before the fire.
He had seen this coming, poor
Bob, and had fought his fight
alone =. without his wife'S SYM
pathy or support.
But there had been Pats
standing still on the crowded
sidewalk, Sue struck one hand
smartly against the paper. What
an idiot she had been! Pats, with
her business training, had known
Bob's desperate straits. That scene
on Christmas Eve - it all came
back to Sue now. It had not been
a man in the throes OF an Illicit
love who sat there, gripping his
head in his hands. Pats embrace
had been one of comfort, surpris-
ing enough in Pats but neverthe-
less unmistakable now to her sis
ter-in-law.
What >. what was Bob doing
now? Had he returned from the
Office, leaving the wreck Of his
hopes behind him forever? Had
he sought his wife, his home only
to discover that family hooking
letter which awaited him?
Sues rigidity left her instantly.
She was roweled into action by
the thought of her own written
words. The bus? She couldn't wait
for a bus! She stopped a yellow
cab. Could she be taken to st. Jo-
seph? She would pay =.
Urged equally by his paSsen-
gers reckleSSnesS and her promise
of a generous tip, the driver COW
cred the distance between the two
cities in a little more than an
hour. Mercifully no state patrol
man saw that insanely driven car.
To Sue, it seemed to crawl.
She did not think of Eric, she
made no plan beyond reaching
her own home, snatching that let
ter before Bob's weary eyes fell
on it.
She was thankful for her fat
roll of bills when the taxi stopped
before the gate. She looked about
her anxiouSly. Bob'S car was not
in sight; but then he might have
put it away in the garage.
She had left her latchkey beside
the letter so she was compelled to
ring. The maids surprised face
awakened her to a need for eau
ton.
Il changed my mind about
going, you see, Nellie" she said,
Mr.. Trenton has had bad news.
Is he here?"
mo, Mrs. Trenton"
Hasn't been?" she asked fear
fully.
"No, Mrs. Trenton"
God be thanked for that! Sue
fairly ran up the steps, into her
sitting room where she snatched
the letter, standing accuSingly
against its bowl of flowers, and
tore it into bits. Not content with
this form of destruction, she made
pile of the tiny pieces on the
hearth and lighted them. Only
when the light ashes fioated up
the chimney did she rise to her
feet and drew long breath. Now
she must plan-act.
Continued tomorrow