The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-08-15
HI = It'd e
3, Frances els.s.l.|

uncertain young girl IN artists
! Smock, she greeted a tousle-head-
ed, female urchin dressed in bare
foot sandals, blue denim jeans
and loud checked shirt.
will the costume do?" Jan IN
quired innocently. These are my
working clothes"
SO picturesque, purred Le-
more. DO come in and meet my
guests"
Jan showed small, trembling
hands into trouser pockets and
staggered. ever so little. The
long. narrow drawing room. done
in gray and silver, was filed by
groups of women in silks, laeeS.
tweeds. furs and jewels. A few
men were scattered among them.
They all stopped chattering TO
stare at IGNORES latest arrival,
wondering who on earth she
could be. Jan felt guilty only the
moment she met DeFek'S mother.
brittle. nervouSiy pretty woman
with dyed red hair. whose face
looked as if all human express
sion had been lifted out of it by
plastic surgery. But she, or her
name, meant nothing to the
Countess Won LurwitZ, and Lea
would have been only annoyed if
she were aware that this ineredi-
BILE young person in pants pitied
her and pitied her son more.
Lenore trilled for silence, an
nounced Jan as a clever young
artist from Olvera Street, Los
Angeles. who would sketch a few
portraits to samuse them.
JAM inwardlv praying for
Derek's arrival. took a few pen
ellis from the pocket Of her Jeans
and sat down to the table and pa
per Lenore provided However,
as she sketched, her imagination
got to operating and her small,
pink tongue. literally and figur-
atively. lodged against her left
cheek. and when Lenore sat for
her, the pencil simply refused TO
behave.
The finished sketch resembled
Lenore, but not in the way that
young woman wished to be re-
Sembled.
One of her friends spoke the
consensus of opinion. "Darlingi"
she Uttered, you look like q
Siamese cati"
T ENORE grasped JAMS arm
firmly and piloted her into an
ivory and lavender bedroom. She
closed the door.
I'll never forgive you for this
abuse of my generosity" she
grated Il only asked you here
because of RickyI He's absurdIy
determined to repay you for
something or other. He feels
sorry for you because you're so
young and so poor and so OBJ
viouSly and idiotically in love
with him Or is it his money!"
Jan gasped. Never in her life
had she so wanted to commit
grave bodily harm. Her hand
ached to slap that furious, super
ciliouS look off IGNORES face.
Il don't love himl" she
snapped, tears of rage fast clos
ing her throat "And don't need
anybody to be sorry for met Be-
sides. he's more mine than yours.
He's SalVage-my salVage-and /
could claim him if / wanted tot"
Derek stepped into the room.
They told me I'd find you here,
Lennie-" His mouth dropped
open. Jan" he calculated in
what she imagined to be horror
stricken tones. Jan, what in
heavens name are you doing in
that outft?''
I've been Summing" she
shouted.
Lenore ran to Derek. She's
quite mad, Ricky. She says she
could claim you as salUagei She
says you belong TO her"
He scowled terrifyingly. "Oh,
she does, Ell? Well, I've a few
things to tell heri" He started for
Jan. who. thoroughly frightened
by her own behavior. sprang past
him and ran out q the apart
ment to the elevator
ant A4&C AO&N1t SIZE
ordered the grinning colored op-
orator.
Derek tried to catch her before
| the door closed. but could not. He
whirled and tore madly down
eight flights Of steps to the lobby.
She was gone. Suddenly he threw
back his head and roared with
laughter The clerk and the door
man stared at him in trepidation
as he went out mumbling: SAL
wage. Ell? I'm hers. all right"
Nevertheless. II soon became
evident she had no intention OF
claiming him. He could not find
| her He took to hanging about
the hospital, hoping for sight of
her. unaware that she saw him
and deliberately avoided him.
| slipping out another entrance.
lodging around corners and
through corridors when his pur-
/ suit grew too hot. He argued and
threatened and stormed at doctors
and nurses TO no avail They
would net permit Lance any viSi-
tors and they would not catch Jan
and lock her up for him.
And then one day when he in
Quired If Lance was well enough
vet TO see him he was told that
Mr. Merriner and MS sister had
returned to the c1est-
Derek stared blankly at the
head nurse
Its quite true" the nurse in
sisted in the firm. reasonable tone
one employs on children and lu-
natics- Doctor Murray went with
them. having finished his work
here. Mr. Merriner was unhappy.
and eager 70 return home. so Doe
tor had him moved by Stretcher.
Their train left early this morn
inc I bpIiove