The Key West citizen., 1940-04-20
Chapter Four
Lass Leaps To Luxury

Lass Leaps To Luxury
At LEAST, she was free from
"A the family. They'd forgive her
in time, perhaps in the morning.
Morning brought Toni a taste
of sheer joy. Jumping out of bed
to close the windows, she stood a
moment, shivering but delighting
In the view, looking out on a city
white with snow and washed with
the gold of the sun. The storm
had blown away during the night,
leaving ice-blue shadows in the
street canyons, a cerulean sky
overhead.
"And," breathed Toni, "for the
first time in twelve years I won't
have to eat oatmeal for break
fast"
She chose a table near a win
dow when she entered the hotel
coffee shop. The sunshine slanted
In on snowy linen, shining silver
and slim vase of fiuted jonquils.
Breakfast was a tall glass of or
, 3,aE1ge juice, crisp toast with, mar
malade, and a whole pot of steam
ing coffee.
1t was also Tomi's first intro
duction to the press.
The young man who seated
himself across from her with an
abrupt, $50 you're Toni Toland,"
FecenIiy. and reluctantly.
Understand you've inherited a
million dollars" he commented.
"a million what?" echoed Toni,
and while he went sleepily
through a wad of copy paper, she
escaped.
Hurrying from the lobby. she
was aware of clicking cameras
and arms that reached out to de-
tain her; voices that asked her to
wait a moment, other voices beg
ging her to pose.
She was aware of further click
ings, as she stepped into cab.
The Office provided "a Steadying
anti-climaX. MidWestern Fruits,
Incorporated, was unaware of
harboring a celebrity This gave
Toni time to orient herself.
She must first. arrange, for
someone to take her place. Per
haps A. ]. would give her leave
of absence so if she failed with
the farm she'd have a job to
which to return. Then she must
buy something new to help her
morale.
She wished she had time TO
take a course in frog raising; she
supposed agricultural colleges had
frogs in their curriculum. At least
she could purchase books. -.
At that moment A. J. Morris
burst into his private office, his
face beaming, "And you said the
old boy didn't like you," he eiacu-
lated. Have you seen the after
noon papers? Left you sole heir
to a million"
Toni arose in protest. "a j.,
please wait minute" But her
employer went on ioyously.
at gives me faith in human ma
ture to see you getting a break,
little girl. Hate like the dickens
to lose you as my secretary. but
/ won't stand in your way one
minute. Whats that girls name
who relieved you last vacation?
Call her in; break her in"
"a j., please" got no
further. Johnny had come into
the room like a young cyclone, an
afternoon tabloid in his hand.
'Looky!" he caroled. Look
what's on the front page about
Toni. Can you beat it?"
A. ]. snatched the newspaper
from his hand. and Toni. looking
over his shoulder. gasped and
LASS LEAPS TO luxury
ON FROGS LEGS
Beneath this was a Photograph
OF Tomi'S Stockinged extremGeS,
generously exposed as she stepped
into a taXicab.
French Femme
CeE ROGS legsp exploded A. ].
r. Are they intimating those
are frogs legs?"
Toni ierked her employers
sleeve. will you listen to me?"
she demanded. II did not inherit
a million dolldrS-underStand? /
did inherit million frogs"
Fortunately A. Us chair was
both handy and spacious. for he
sat in it without a backward look.
"ThoSe things don't happen" he
protested, when he could stop
laughing long enough to talk.
Don't happen to anyone but
me-" Toni corrected him.
A. ]. sobered. Tell me about
IT," he ordered.
Toni spared herself nothing.
She went into every gruesome
detail. There l went leaping into
the parlor like an inebriated Mer-
curry, to- come to a stop in the
arms"
''YeS, yes, go on" urged Morris.
But Toni couldn't go on. How
could she hope to put man like
Allen Bartell into words; how de-
scribe what he appeared to be and
wasn't?
''You can at least tell me what
he looks like" grumbled Morris.
Il suppose he's tall, dark and
handsome"
Hes tall" conceded Toni,
"but he isn't dark. He has golden
eyes-no. don't mean that-he