The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-21

on her. Hadn't you known be-
fore that you were a goddess"
She laughed lightly. "Pve a
good opinion Of myself at times,
but I'll confess I've never gone
that far"
The car nosed its way through
a herd of sheep.
You'll soon get used to the
Idea"
He spoke in so matter-of -fact
way that she gave him a side
long glance. He was staring at the
road ahead of them, his face ex-
pressionless, the scar on his
cheek towards her darker in COM
parison with the smooth brown of
the rest of his skin.
If he were a vain man, she
thought, he would have taken her
side of the seat and given her his,
for she sensed that despite his
high-handed banditry in carrying
her off he wished to stand well in
her eyes. Yet, she admitted, as
she had the first time she saw
him, that the scar did not dis
figure him. She wondered how he
had acquired it-a birthmark or a
duelling reminder-or was it the
imprint of a small horseshoe?
A muscle twitched along the
lean line of his jaw. "a mule
kicked me when I was a kid" he
said.
Lynn started. The remark left
her confused and speeches.. He
had read her mind so aptly. When
she saw he had no comment to
add, she thought all around the
subject and presently observed:
"Dick thinks / have some of the
attributes of mule"
A smile elevated the corners Of
his mouth. $50 I surmised."
'If you'd like to send me back
at once, I promise to make no
trouble with my government for
you or for your Prince"
The eyes he turned on her were
bright with amusement-or some
thing else, perhaps appreciation.
perhaps touch of mockery. She
could not tell.
'Iu take my chances" he said.
Another Clue
| THEY were climbing gradually
L to higher attitudes. The traffic
on the road had become sparse.
Temu ordered the car stopped,
and with a pair of field-glasses.
stepped out and looked back at
his caravan. Lynn picked up the
kitten and followed him.
| When he said nothing she
crossed the road and walked away
little distance to the ruin of an
ancient stone wall. A feeling pos
seSsed her that she would be
stabbed at any moment by a
sharp command to halt. When she
put the kitten down it stretched
and arched and Strengthened out
again and then stiffened, looking
brightly around for a possible
enemy.
An emigrant family came
toiling up the road. Lynn put the
kitten on top Of the wall where it
would be safe from their dog that
ran ahead of the ragged children
who were pulling another dog
along by the hair.
The father led a donkey draw
ing a car heaped high with the
family'S household goods. On top
of the load rode the mother.
heavy with child and carrying a
baby pig in her arms.
Another child followed behind
her. bowling at the top of his
lungs. Lynn was glad to hear him
yelling so Justify; it indicated that
nothing much was the matter.
Temu stepped forward and
spoke to the man who stopped
and bowed respectfully. The chill
dren clustered round and
stream of sing-song talk began tc
flow. Temu's gestures and fea-
lures became purely Oriental,
Lynn observed. He's being truly
himself now, she thought, he's
shed his Western veneer.
| With hands that shook she took
out of her purse the envelope she
had prepared for just such an OPP
portunity and slipped it into the
pocket Of her coat. Picking up
! the kitten she strolled over to the
group. The mother slid down
from her perch on the car and re-
leased the little black pig. which
went off stretching its short hind
legs.
Lynn held out the kitten for one
of the children to pet. He struck it
instead. The mother cuffed him
and smiled alphabetically at the
girl.
Lynn waited until Temu's back
was turned as he conversed with
the man. Then she pressed the
envelope into the woman's hands,
making signs for secrecy.
The pig came shifting round
their feet. Temu stepped back and
spoke to Lynn about the animal.
ats face is cleaner than that
of any of the children" he said.
| She agreed. Would it do any
good to give them soap?"
They'd eat it" He took silver
coins from his pocket and tossed
them to the youngsters before he
spoke again.
Come, Lynn. we must be 60
ing"
His calm appropriation of her
given name both startled and an
gered her. But she went with him
silently, exultant that she had
passed on the letter.
The rest of the caravan was
close behind. They passed through
several sQualid villages and final
| ly handed their papers to border
patrol, which evidently bore dis
turbing news for them. Temu be-
came more alert. scanned the
horizon frequently with his