The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-06-13
LlITll SPIT HIRE
By Jean Randall

ing felt hat down over her curls
and caught up a light coat. She
liked Ned's single-mindedness. He
wanted what he wanted when he
wanted i'll She found herself hop
ing that In spite Of the mysterious
girl with her child and her ap-
parent claim on the young mil
lionaire, he would win Alaine
Abernathy.
He barely gave her time to get
settled beside him before he be-
gan.
well? How dc matters stand
with Alaine?"
She was not to be outdone In
forthrightness.
''Ned, who was the girl you met
in a downtown drugstore and paid
money to? A girl with a baby
named for you"
What" he shouted. "Who the
devil has been telling you -"
ITS true them" she questioned
sorrowfully.
'Of course it's true. But how
anyone found out, or what bust
ness it is of theirs -"
'Tt might be Abs business,
don't you think? And Alaine's?"
He stared at her with puzzled
eyes which slowly cleared into
angry comprehension.
"SoI That's what they think, Is
it-Ab and Alaine?"
"Alaine doesn't know a thing
in the world about it."
He sighed with relief. well,
thank heaven for that don't
think I could have borne it if
Alaine had so miSjudged me-"
She seized gladly on the last
two words. 'Misjudged you? Hal
I thought SO. Suppose you tell me
all about it. Ned"
Suppose I don't" His lips set
in stubborn line. ITS nobody's
business but mine and-the girls.
I'm not under obligation to 60
around explaining every foul idea
some evil-minded idiot has about
me-"
Don't be so wholesale about il,
Ned" she babe him. ''It'S only one
idea-hardly that. Put yourself in
well, in the place of anyone who
is a friend of Alaine's. If you
were witness to the sort of scene
we're talking of, wouldn't you
feel justified in requiring an ex-
PLANTATION from the hero of it-or
the villain. as the case might be?
At least before you advised Alaine
to elope with you'll mean with
the villain?"
Half-Sister
LIE TURNED the car around in
L L the middle of the block, caus-
ing a traffic officer to blow a
warning whistle after him.
Ned! Where are you going?"
ITO lick the tar out of Alb Aber-
nathy"
Il would" she ieered. at will
make Alaine welcome you with
open arms, and promote a nice
family feeling all around. Ned
Barrow, you behave yourself if
you want me to help you! I've no
time to waste on ridiculous boys"
He simmered for five blocks,
then unwillingly slowed down.
"All right. What d'you want to
know?"
"Who that girl in the drugstore
was, Ned"
you consider that's a fair
question? One I ought to an
swer?"
Most certainly do" And then
as he seemed unable to break his
sulky silence, she said despair
ingly: "Oh, why will men act like
such idiotSI Here / am, leaving my
work in the middle of the after
noon. doing my very best to fur
Their your cause with Alaine, and
do you help me the. least bit in the
world? You do not. You brace
your forefeet and roll your eyes
and heehaw to the setting sun.
All right, my dear. all right! It's
nothing to me whether you ever
see Alaine again or not. She's
nothing to me; you're nothing to
me. I'm sorry ever interested
myself in the affair. Take me
AOAi4Os p4CdSCs u Ike 10 IIl1SQ a
chapter before dinnertime."
He smiled at her crookedly,
You win! Gosh, what a hard
boiled little tartar you are. Bren-
dal sure pity Macl"
She stiffened in the seat beside
him. @Will you kindly explain
that last remark. Ned Barrow?"
No offenSe-golly to Moses.
Brenda, no offenSe at ALL It was
merely a passing thought. It has
passed"
1T had better pass" she in
formed him sternly. NOW if you
can keep your mind on your
own affairs long enough to ex-
plain -"
The girl is my half sister," he
said briefly.
What But Why -? Does
Alaine -"
mo. Nobody knows. MY father
was married twice. His first wife
ran of, taking Cynthia-the girl
in the drugStore-with her. There
was a divorce. When Dad mar
ried my mother he came to live In
this part Of town. I suppose not
even Alb would expect him to get
out engraved announcements to
say that he had been married be-