The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-08-12
HI II I'D E
By Frances Hanna

waiting. Hurry, viii your"
Jams round chin came up Stub
bornly. as that the girl you told
me Of. Derek?"
Tenore? Yes, Jan. Meeting her
again was the best thing that ever
happened to meL'
Jan smothered a heartbroken
wall, for Lenore, furred and per-
fumed and not too subtly posses
sive, was upon them. Jan caught
a reflection Of herself and Lenore
IN great pier glass and the COM
parison numbed her. Words from
long ago flashed across her mind
You look like a sweet girl
graduated"
Lenore tugged at Derek with
her pretty hands, pulling him
toward laughing group of young
people. It was lust too marvel.
Gus and too terribly exciting, she
said. None of them had under
stood or appreciated his great
gift. but now they were waiting,
anxious to WORSHIP at his shrine
and willing to offer libations of
champagne.
Hold on, Lennie." he halted
her. Il want you to meet a very
special friend Of mine. Jan Mer-
riner."
IGNORES long violet eyes took
swift Shrewd measurement of the
other girl from under dusky satin
lids. $50 NICE" she murmured.
where have you been keeping
her. Ricky?"
%She just arrived from the
Coast" he explained. "She's a
friend from my bus-driving days.
also she's an up and coming
young artist who just recently
won recognition in a national
magazine for her superb draw
ings of cats"
@CatsI" Lenore shuddered. 81
can't bear the Sinking. furry
thingsl Oh. do come along. Ricky.
everyone is waiting. You must
lunch with me one day. Miss-oh,
dear, I'm just no good at namesI"
"Goodby." Jan said quickly.
seeing Doctor Murray coming
toward her. concern SOLDERING his
merry smile as he quickly esti-
mated the situation. Before Derek
could restrain her, she slipped
away and hurried the little doc
tor to the waiting limousine.
Il" insisted the good doctor
after glimpsing her hurt forlorn
eyes. want to make a night of
IL as you say in America. The
gayest Of night clubs and" he
chuckled. "the hottest of hot
spotsi"
Cocktail ingredients
TEMPORARILY distracted, Jan
l. dined and danced and enjoyed
her sortie into New York's night
life with the exuberant doctor.
The clock in the hotel lobby said
three when she went up TO her
room in the hotel, anticipating
good. long. uninterrupted cry. She
closed and locked the door and
leaned against it.
'Rickyl" she exploded. "Len-
ME! They sound ike cocktail in
gredientsl Take a jigger of Ricky
and two dashes of Lennie, some
cracked ice and you have "a
headacheI"
She pulled off her dress,
jumped into the riddle of the bed
and buried her head in the mid
die of fat white pillow and
angrily sobbed all the nonsense
out of her head, but no out of
her heart if it was nonsense.
and she hoped it was, that her
heart whispered. For it told her.
despite all conclusions and COM
mon sensibilities. that she loved
Derek Knowles. had loved him
since the first time he kissed her,
and whether or no. she would
keep right on loving him because
she was that kind of person and
there was nothing she could dc
about it.
There isl" she denied holly. -
can refuse to see him again. !
can go home the minute Lance is
able to travel and be an old maid
and putter with my paints and
nv cat-but ! don't iCant tol"
The telephone rang at ten the
next morning. "Why did YOU run
out on me last night?" Derek de-
handed Grossly. "And without
telling me where you were stop
ping. why you were here. and So
on and so or"
. If you had been at all inter
ested you could have written long
agol" she snapped. and immedi-
ately wished she could call back
the words.
you know why l didn't write
he howled. "You told me | was
no good. You said | was shiftlesF
and cowardly and limping around
with wounded egol You bawleo
the devil out Of me and told me
didn't fit into your world and now
you ask why | didn't writel II
women aren't the most inconsis-
tent! For goodness sake tell me
why you're here before I star
frothing at the mouth"
why should | satisfy any Gu
rioSity of yours?" she demanded
Did you ever tell me anything
Mo- | had to learn who you were
and everything else from Rose
and Johnnyl But I won't be as
mean as you were. / brought
Lance here TO Doctor Murray anc
he's going to operate tomorrow
Rose married Johnny. but she's
still making trouble for Lance
and Norma-and I don't want &c
see you or your gooey. gushy old
Lenniel If she's the best thing
that ever happened TO you. you'd
better hang on to her." She
banged up the receiver and glared
at picture of Notre Dame Ca
thedral on the wall.
1 Ten SaCorI- IoEor &be %b1ra