The Key West citizen., 1940-02-12

genitally incapable OF doing today
what he could possibly postpone
until next week, next month
| Trained by her father to courte.
Gus punctuality on all occasions
she chafed at Bob'S ignoring Of the
clock.
Almost fanatically clean about
himself. order did not exist fol-
him. His bathroom was a welter Of
soapsuds, wet towels, discarded
garments and capless toothpaste
when he had finished with il. He
would stand in front of her dress
ing table, absently lingering heI
toilet articles, and five minutes
later she would gaze ruefully al
the wreck he had made Of her
brushes and bottles and silver jars,
He spent money too freely, too,
she considered. His tips left a wake
of smiling good humor behind him,
but Sue thought they were out Of
all proportion to the services rem
dered.
She spoke to him gently about
this, about his other faults, and he
looked positively frightened.
"Are you developing into nag
ger, Sue?"
That brought her up standing.
Heavens. I hope notI" she replied
devoutly. She rubbed her cheek
remorsefully against his arm. "Pm
truly sorry, Bobl I'll not say an
other word. not if you make me
lose ten upstairs maids, and tip
your caddy enough to buy himself
a carl"
She kept that promise, consoling
herself that Bob's faults were all
surface ones, masculine ones
which woman who loved him
which the woman who loved him,
she corrected herself-found it
easy to forgive.
As for Bob, he was still teased
by the belief that there were
depths and heights in Sue which
he had never glimpsed. Despite
her tenderness, her real concern
for him, he believed her still to be
an emotionally unawakened girl.
What haunted him was the idea,
growing stronger and stronger as
the summer neared its close, was
that the day might come when Sue
would meet the man who held the
key to her locked heart.
He knew she was faithful to him
with every breath she drew; he
even believed that if such a man
should come Sue would resist him
with every fibre Of her being; but
more than anything in the world
he longed to be that man himself:
to enter into the Splendor and the
glory of knowing his wife's pas
sionate and entire devotionl
Hospital
"CUEl Sweet Sue, wake upl"
~ It was not yet midnight, and
Sue had barely dozed off when
Bob's voice. and his gentle hand
on her shoulder. awakened her.
'Tt's Allen, darling. calling from
the hospital"
She sat up in bed and pushed
the dark curls from her forehead.
'Patsyl"
He nodded. "Allen says If you
will, he'd like you to come. You do
want to 60. sweet?"
"Of coursel" She flung back the
light cover and began taking cloth
ing from drawer and closet.
you're all dressed, Bob. Haven't
you been to bed at alp"
II was Just going when the tele-
phone rang. I'll have the car
around by the time you're dressed.
No need to hurry so. / suppose.
Pats'll be lucky if her party IS over
by morning. Allen says"
Nevertheless he drove in to the
hospital at smart clip. Allen was
in a waiting room, pale and ner.
vous. He greeted his sister unsmil-
ingIy.
Baker knows enough to handle a
case like this. I've a mind to ask
Van Ness to come"
Sue slipped her hand through
mis- arm. "You can't do that, Al
len. After all, Laif Baker has been
practicing for several years. Does
he think Pats is-that her case Is
unusual?"
"He wouldn't say so If he didl"
Aliens voice rasped with anxiety.
"You know how they all talk:
Everything going along nicely,
nothing whatever to worry about
Just as though / hadn't the brains
God gave turkeyl"
In spite of herself Sue smiled.
Buddy, what would you want
him to say? That everything is 60.
ing wrong-no matter If Pats is
right as rain? Sit down. Door old
boy. It will probably be hours and
hours yet before we have any
news"
Eyes, that's what he said" Al
len admitted. He relaxed some-
what under her coaxing; permit
ted her to guide him to a chair.
She hasn't taken any care Of her
self: she hasn't walked, she's
smoked too many cigarettes. had
too many cocktails"
Il expect she'll come out all
right" Bob assured him. ''Most
women do nowadays"
That was the beginning Of a
vigil which lasted all night and
most Of the next day. Patsy was
far from doing all right It ap-
peared. The idle life she had led
for months exacted its reckoning
now. and when instruments had
TO be reSorted to at FIVE in the
afternoon, Aliens son was still.
born.