The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-06-28
Chapter 81
Poor. Worried Mac


EVERYTHING Eric had said
about Mac was true: about his
seeing that she had her favorite
chair and passing her the cream at
breakfast when Adelaide gazed
dreamily out of the window !.
suddenly she knew that Mac was,
as Eric had said, never unaware of
her His reserve might be a re-
Election of her own.
"I'm not-foT one!"
Would those words never cease
ringing in her ears? They had
been spoken. not angrily but sad
ly: fact which made it the more
difficult for Brenda to dismiss
them.
But he was anxious about AIDE
laide then" she tried TO comfort
herself. He blamed me for caus-
ing her illness and of course | de-
served TO be blamed. Everybody
says things they don't mean after
ward. Perhaps :" A look of
deep thought darkened her eyes.
That night she discarded her Icy
reserve toward Mac. She chatted
with him gaily, and gradually
won him from his aloOfness. AIDE
ladies obvious delight at the
change was proof she had not
been as unobservant as her
boarde-S thought her.
Macs behavior for the next
week CT two puzzled Brenda
greatly. In the, very midst of some
warmly friendly talk with her. he
would suddenly pause. his jaw
hardening and MS eyes growing
cold. Twice he stalked out of the
room without explanation or
apology.
Don't mind him." advised the
watchful Eric. Il think he's
bothered about his job"
His job? Why should he be
bothered about it,"
'Fraid of losing it, maybe"
said the well-inf0rmed MIR. Mason.
ITS like this. Brenda. His boss
the president of the company. you
know-has nephew who's been
studying advertising. Graduated
last June and has been trying his
hand in a small concern some
where in Ohio. I've heard it ru-
mored that the old man thinks
he's about ripe for Macs position
by this time"
But that's ridiculousl" Brenda
burst out. "a boy with only a few
months experience to do Macs
work. Why, Macs a geniusi
could tell his dunder-headed ooss
he'll lose a lot of money if he
lets Mac 60" Her cheeks were
scarlet and she pushed back her
curls with a reckless hand. Eric
suppressed a grin.
Right. my grill But you can
see what makes Mac bit upset
just now"
Brenda did not write at all the
next morning. She sat before the
window gazing sternly into The
0L4 GCk CD bnO4Sn sic GAPGCISQ
Macs misguided employer to ap-
pear any moment. In truth she
saw nothing-no one; not Miss
Ormond, coming across for her
early call on Adelaide; not the
Wicks, in handsome new coats,
setting forth upon the half-lane.'
half-alley which gave egress to
The Street.
Sweetness PersOnified
THE girl was examining and dis
l. carding in quick succession a
number Of ways she hoped might
help Mac. She thought of getting
everybody on The Street to write
warmly commendatory letters to
Macs employer about the excel
1ence of his advertising work.
But if they all come from one
street. it will look like a con-
spiracy," she decided.
She considered talking to Mac
himself. advising him to lay down
the law to the short-sighted per-
son who thought of dispensing
with his valuable services. It was
a distinct recollection of how
Macs law looked when he was
displeased which put a stop to
that train of thought.
In the end she had to give I'D
the problem, contented herself by
resolving to be as sweet to poor,
worried Mac as it lay in her power
to be.
Brenda, being sweet to a man,
was-or so thought the amused
Eric-infnitely more Of a menace
than the loss of a job.
Gosh, I'm glad she's never I'M
dertaken to mother mel When she
turns those eyes on a guy, trots
out those dimp1es of hers, puts
a distinct note Of tenderness IN