The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-08-13
HI r = ID z
b frances el.sS.l.

| knew all ABOUT MIN.
Therefore it was with mixed
feelings and something approach
ing awe that she later went alone
into the pillared colonial home on
Long Island. The luxurious rooms
were so full of resplendent people
and talking and music and glitter
that she thought i feel;as bewil-
dered as Dick Whittington's cat
visiting the royal court!'
An imposing manservant admit
ted her, a footman directed her
upstairs, and a prim English maid
took her wrap. What if, daring the
throng below. she slid down the
polished stair bannister and
winked. very drolly, at the but
Ter. This fancy provoked a giggle.
the giggle provoked the amazed
glances of several women in the
suite of rooms. and Jan retreated.
blushing, to an orchid-tiled sane
tuary which, she supposed, was a
bathroom, but which, she decided
on closer inspection. looked more
like a mausoleum. Anyhow, she
could lock herself in, and did.
There was a fioor-length glass be-
fore which she could pirouette
and observe her smooth, tanned
young arms and shoulders rising
above the bouffant swirl of Jade
green net. She'd bought the dress
only three hours ago, following a
call to the magazine editor, who
cordially invited her to luncheon
on Friday and who told her the
staff had decided just that day to
buy her, kitten sketches. There
fore she'd been extravaganza. Her
hair, once more, was piled high
on her head. "a stray curl tucked
up with small barrette fashioned
Of silver shells. and she assured
herself that she liked herself in
the hair and the dress. so there!
And she would not permit herself
to be dismayed by grandeur!
Porch Swing
DEREK had not yet arrived
II when she braved the strange
ness below. Neither, she observed
carefully, had Lenore Page. At
least. she conSoled herself, if she
knew no one, no one knew her.
And so. in .blisSful state of ano-
nymity, she wandered around the
rooms. It was beautiful, but it
was not home. How could Derek
bear all this? Or did he like it?
Perhaps he'd wondered how she
could bear the old red house with
its pictures of ships, its knick-
knackS, its faded carpets and
chairs.
Eventually she came to a door
leading out on wide veranda.
She sat down in the sort of porch
swing she'd seen in newspaper ads
and never expected to own. She
swung back and forth, gently,
loving the breeze off the Sound,
looking at the crescent moon and
idly counting stars. IF l could
only spend the evening out here"
she said. half aloud.
II wish the same" sighed tired
voice from lounge chair at the
other side of the swing
Isn't it dreadful"
Terrible" agreed the voice.
why on earth did you Gomez"
AS her eyes accustomed them
selves to the semi-gloom, she OBJ
served that her sympathizer was
a middle-aged man in dinner
clothes with a griZzled, hard-bit-
ten face and heavy jaw.
Because l was invited" she an
swered. But thank goodness ]
don't belong to the four hundred
or is it the six or eight hundred
by now?"
Then you must be a celebrity
or visiting firewoman." deduced
her porch companion. cat least
you must know that Page woman.
for this party is her doing, ] I'M
derstand. Is she a friend of
yourS?" he asked cautiously be-
fore committing himself further.
"a bloody enemy!" she de-
clared. May l ask what you are
doing here?" Jan pursued, swing
ing one foot up and the other
down in tempo with the music
drifting through the door.
Il" he said in a grumbling, ir-
ritable tone, cant help it. I'm
Gregory Knowles and ! own this
resort"
"Derek's father! Oh. dear!"
why so surprised. young wo-
man? Didn't you know he had a
father?"
Yes" she said shyly, wishing
her tongue hadn't wagged so free
ly. Doctor Birmingham spoke of
you yesterday"
And then, somehow they got to
talking about doctors and Jan
found herself telling this very nice
person about Lance and about her
self and her sketching, and Sea
Tide. When she finished he told
her about the little boy named
Derek who had grown UP all
wrong and yet turned out we'll.
amazingly enough.
He just tolerateS me-" his
father confessed sadly. Il don't
know that / blame him. He was
such thin little shaver and his
mother insisted on tutors and
nurses and later. private schools.
/ saw little of him for years and
when finally tried to be friends
with him it was too late. for he
resented my neglect and his moth
er's unwilingneSS to be burdened
with big growing son"
But the chauffeur said some
thing about a Countess" Jan fall
tered
~Yes. Derek had to meet his
mothers boat tonight. The Coun-
tess van Lurwitz is tTipping over
from Paris for a few days" He
snorted rudely Il suppose that
chinleSs husband of hers is with
her. ] never could stand him. but
then, she never approved nv