The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-03-18
Chapter IA
Joe Hulse


you tell me-" Roger used 9
flippant phrase, but he was
in deadly earnest.
"You don't love her surely?"
"Then what do you think I've
got her up here for?" Roger
famed. The strain was telling on
him. He'd always been accus-
toned to frank, open dealing,
Secrecy annoyed him.
well, you don't have to love
a high ball to enjoy it." Hugh
said slowly.
at isn't that sort Of thing"
Roger replied YEARLY.
thought"
"Its as bad as it could be-"
Hugh considered him for 8
space.
81 had some wild idea might
help. wanted to after that dirty
trick last night. 1t made me un-
comfortable. / like the girl too.
So I thought maybe il it was just
one Of those things, you know, a
swell set of ankles and you just
got in too deep, could try to take
her off your hands. She's sold on
you but l just thought I might.
And it wouldn't be all charity-it
might become a labor of love. The
kids got something. Her face re-
minds me of botany-not geology.
You know-like those big creamy
hibiscuSes you see in Mexico.
IF she just hadn't gotten out
into the open like this" Hugh
said. 'Then you could have-well
-" Roger understood the gesture
and the unfinished sentence.
II couldn't do that" he said
quickly. mot to Lovely"
"But can't you see this is going
to hurt Emily terribly? Even If
you do 60 through with the we'd
ding"
Probably" Roger was speak.
ing slowly. "But someone's got to
be hurt. I don't see why the
Emilys should always be protec-
ted at the expense of the Lovelys."
Hugh stared at him thought
fully.
you've got something there"
he said finally. "And I wouldn't
know the answer. I don't know
much anyhow. Not with things as
haywire as they are nowadays"
Haywire. Haywire was right.
When he looked up Hugh was
gone. He'd moved quietly away,
probably because there was moth
Ing more he could say that would
make sense.
Misunderstood
/ Up AT Granny Hale's cottage
~ Lovely had been sitting on
the steps that looked toward the
Hudson, staring at the river. She
continued to stare straight ahead
though she no longer saw the
river. The tears which had started
so slowly at first had blinded her
TO the beauty before her.
Emily and Roger, But she
couldn't cry. She wouldn't.
They belonged together. Roger
so sleek and smooth. Emily so
pretty and finely chiseled. If only
she hadn't seen them together.
She supposed the thing she should
do was 60 back to New York. To
what? To anything. It didn't mat
ter so long as she got out Of
Emily's and Rogers way.
Suddenly Lovely was afraid of
the future with Roger. Seeing
Emily had done that. She was the
sort he was used to. Probably his
mother was like that. Lovely
knew she never could be. She
couldn't exactly give the differ
ence a name but she felt it def
nitely. She could walk down the
hill to the railroad station. She
realized she had no
She'd have to thumb her
way to the city.
Well. she could do that. She
could, she supposed, but she
didn't want to. She'd thought she
was through with all that sort OF
thing.
But she'd have TO get away. She
was the one who didn't belong in
the picture. She'd been wrong to
stay on after she knew OF Emily.
II was breaking Emily's heart
Her thought was interrupted by
the sound Of car arriving at the
front gate with great deal Of
commotion. The peaceful pattern
OF the afternoon was broken.
Lovely wiped her eyes care
fully. walked In through the
house, paused a moment at a mir
ror to assure herself she had done
the best she could with her eyes
and then went 10 the door.
Il might have knowni" she
said then. Il might have known.
There isn't another car in the
world that's its own loud
speakerl" And there was a glad
note in her voice.
Lovely" Joe Hulse's big voice
was tense. He lowered grotesque-
ly IN the quaint little door a mo-
ment and then would have gath
cred her in hungry arms.
Wait minutel Wait 4 minute!
Restrain yourSelfl" Lovely was
stepping back and laughing at
him q little
Lovely, I've come 20 take you
back" S,Ill with that tense note.
How do you know you have?"