The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-29
CHAPTER 10
Sister Versus Wife


THERE'S your money. Your
share of the sale of your ia
theirs house" Patsy said inn
patiently. Il suppose you know
Allen invested that money for
you?"
Yes, believe So"
We'll! Sue, for heavens sake
wake up and try to realize the
situation. Aliens a family man
now. His first duty is to me, not
to you. If you are going on living
with US"
A cold hand closed on Sues
heart. that heart which had
seemed to its owner to have been
bruised into insensibility long be-
fore this. 1t was no longer Sue
and Allen Davenport; it was Mr..
and Mrs. Allen Davenport. with
superfiuous unmarried sister on
their hands! She said chokingly:
"But I'm not! I'm moving at,
once, Patsy. I'll take an apart
ment Somewhere-furnish it"
"And bring down Aliens wrath
on my headl I'm married to him,
Sue. whether you like it or not,
whether you like me or not. Do
you want to make trouble be-
tween US the very first thing?"
1T needn't make trouble" she
said miserably. II can explain to
Allen that it's crowded here-that
/ need more room-that Maggie
wants to leave-it'll all be quite
simple. Patsy, truly it will"
The older girl shrugged and
walked away. She disdained to
give further warning. she seemed
to imply. If Sue love- her brother
then of course she wanted him to
be happy; and bringing about
difference of opinion with his wife
was the surest way of troubling
him.
Sue was mindful of this when
she preached the subject of a
change that evening. For a won-
der the three Davenports were
alone, Marie's party keeping her
sisters at home, Bob out of town
for the weekend.
Allen. finishing his paper, laid
it down with a smile of pleasure.
"Nice-being by ourselves like
this, isn't it? My wife and my sis
teri We're getting to be real
family. Sue!"
II was not an suspicious begin
ming for what she had to say but
such as it was, the girl seized it
eagerly.
perhaps one too many for this
small apartment, though, Buddy!
I've been thinking. You know
when we moved here. we regard
ed il as more or less temporary.
How-how would it be if I-if /
took a little place of my own?
With Maggie, | mean" she added
hurriedly. seeing Aliens quick
frown. mot even you could
worry about me if had Maggie"
He rose from his chair and
stood before the fire. staring
down at her sharply.
What's all this, Sue? Do you
tAAAilA 81 ulO(Ii Tie ClfdIlSE vi
room? It's really pleasanter one
than your old one; you've always
said So Is ii too small for you?
You're not such a large person
that"
''The room is we'll enough"
She spoke with unusual ShortneSs
"Its-well. Allen, it's the whole
arrangement. Think" she went on
reasonably. Were Just this one
place to sit in, to entertain our
friends If people drop in to see
me, you and Patsy are at a loss.
If you want your friends for
bridge. say. | must"
MY friends and your friends!
Sue. you must be crazyi Since
when have we made difference
between them? We both know the
same people. We've managed all
right up to now. Why"
But. Allen, it isn't the same!
You were a bachelor, you went
out even more than l did. Now
-. you and Patsy will be enter
tanning. having her friends as well
as yours and mine. It's her
home. too. you know. We must
both remember that"
In Earnest
THE man glanced perp1exedly
L from one girl to the other.
Patsy sat relaxed in a blue velvet
chair, a family indoleht smile on
her lips. Sue, Scarlet-cheeked and
breathing a little rapidly. was
bolt upright in her favorite corner
of the couch.
pats, what do you think about
all this?" he appealed to his wife
81 think we should take a
hc"se." she replied promptly. "It's
n onsense-three people all
damned up in a small place like
this. Sue is talking sense. There's
perfectly dandy place on Ash
land"
The stucco house II know.
But that's out, Pats dear. told
you so when you first spoke of it.
It's too far from the Office. the
rents too high. it would cost a
lot to furnish it, I'm sorry, dar-
ling, but can't afford it just now.
I explained all that to you when
before we were married"
ST know" she murmured. 81 do
understand, truly, Allen. But
after all, if Sue is to make her
home with US. it's only fair that
abe share exDenSPS isn't it7 She