The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-27


TocGted and is insaneIy jealous.
Chapter IS
Bundle Of Contradictions
JEFF grew quite attached to
- both Dan and me-" Mimi went
on. "He idolizes Dan. His own
father turned against him toward
the last blame Sandra for
that, too-and JEFF had to trans
fer his affections. And because
was Dams wife, / came in for my
share. He WASH: in love with
me-thats just silly. If I'd even
thought of such thing I'd never
have let him take me out when
Julia was away at school. But ]
can see now what construction
Sandra's evil little mind probably
put on it at once. She was like
that, Kay. was long time find
ing it out; but I'm telling you
now what know to be the truth.
Late that summer, about the
last week of her visit, there was
a hop. JEFF got a date for San
dra, and he was taking Julia. But
at the last minute Julia went to
bed with a headache, so JEFF per-
suaded me to 60 in her place.
Eve went in our car, the four
Of us, but after the hop Sandra
and her Kaydet decided to walk
home. thought they wanted to
do little necking. So jeff and !
drove home alone, and as it was
only a short walk back to bar
racks, and he had plenty of time,
suggested that he come in and
wait until :hey arrived so he
could walk back with his friend.
Dan had not waited up, and
the fact that he hadn't made me
feel pretty low in my mind. l was
always expecting him to treat me
like a bride, and being diSap-
pointed when he didn't. This par
ticular night I was feeling de-
pressed anyway. ! didn't really
have much fun at those kid
parties, and ! would far rather
have stayed at horRe with Dan, If
he hadn't urged me to 60.
Jeff was always SO sweet and
understanding, and su d denly,
without intending to, I was tell
ing him my troubles, just as il he
were my kid brother. He put his
arm around me and told me he
was sure Dan was crazy about me
that sort of thing, trying to
comfort me.
81 was crying on his shoulder
when Sandra came in. She was
always a pussyfoot. I didn't hear
sound, just looked up and saw
her standing in the archway from
the hall, looking at US"
Mimi got up and began to walk
around the room again. Her hands
were clenched and her face was
cold and angry. I waited. and
after moment she vert Oh.
"She didn't say much, but e
was perfectly plain what she was
thinking. The naStiest expression
came into her ewes. an expression
of satisfaction, like a cat that has
just finished mouse. don't sup
pose JEFF got it, but did. She was
pleased, Kay. She had something
on US. I realized, with an awful
sinking Sc Sation, tn a t she
wouldn't hesitate to use it.
"Her Kaydet had left her at the
door and gone back to barracks.
JEFF. followed as quickly as he
could. started to explain to San
dra, knowing it was useless, and
she interrupted me.
SO Upright
"VOU don't need to think up a
l. story for me- she said with
nasty little smile. I probably
won't tell DAM And then. hum
ming insoleEtly to herself. she
went up to her room"
What did you do?"
what could I do? I've wished
a thousand times that / had gone
straight to Dan with it. But, Kay,
I'm an awful coward where he's
concerned. Suppose he hadn't be-
: lieved me? Suppose he had
listened to Sandra instead? I tell
you, he would never hear a word
against that girl. She could be so
plausible; and she could wind
men around her finger hke-like
worms
81 can see that she might have
made it look pretty ugly. if she'd
wanted to-"
Ugly If Dan were even to sus-
pect me Of such a thing I don't
believe 1 could bear it. He's So
so upright. 50 honorableI Oh. !
know don't always act as though
I thought so. but in my heart ]
know. Don't you see, that's why
he never would be jealous Of me,
wouldn't tolerate my jealousy. He
was really paying me a compli-
ment I realized il when I began
thinking it over. after this came
up-
I sat there studying her, trying
to understand this bundle Of con-
tradictionS. thiS woman tortured
by a sense Of inadeouacy, rebel
ling occasionally against her own
conception OF her husband as q
sort Of God. incorruptible. imper-
vious TO human frailties. a God
who filed her life with kindness
but no warmth. And I began to
feel a faint stirring of'resentmeni
toward that upright honorable
man.
Her story grew less coherent as
she went along. She had lived al
ways. It seemed. with her fear OF
Sandra. And Sandra had held her
advantage coverfly as a threat
over Minis head. BY means Of Il