The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-12
Chapter 81
Your Fight

below the managers house, and
for a moment she looked out on
the ocean and up at the sky, both
dark blue, one ghostly with foam,
the other with stars.
Pedro" she said. what
wouldn't give for a father like
yours"
"Pm glad you see him as he isl
Pedro answered grayely. "And
he's yours too. any time you want
him."
She had known from the mo-
ment she had seen him on the
depot platform that this would
have to happen. It was inevitable
1t had something to do with the
stars stopping in their trek across
the sky, the waves waiting,
poised, before crashing to the
cliffs.
"Oh, Pedro" she cried, her face
muffied in his coat, after the
breathless eternity of that first
moment in his arms. Il have you
and Ell Cabrillo so mixed UP ]
can't tell which is which,.
Pedro's laugh rang out in the
frosty air. "You have us both,
Michael"
"No," she pushed away from
him. mo haven't. Pedro. Neither
of you. are mine. / hargained. I'm
a shrewd bargainer, you remem-
ber.aI laid everything on the next
three years. If fail ! lose
everything"
And she thought of John
Raskthorne and his shrewdness.
He couldn't lose. unless she won.
He'd protected both his money
and his right to her. Wise John
Raskthorne, She hadn't. until this
moment. realized the enormity of
the stakes with which she had
played.
What do you meanP" Pedro
asked after few moments.
II can't explain. it's Just that
] have to VIM
"You don't have to explain,
Michael" he sootned. his voice
tender. 'This is your fight.
stayed on to help you. I won't
interfere. Three years is a long
time. but we'll pull through"
"But no more Of this. Pedro"
fright. Michael. no more of
this after tonight" he quail
fed. and gathered her into his
arms again.
Saying good night to him at the
patio gate, one, two or three
hours later. she had lost track of
time. she thought. "It's as though
one of us were going on long
journey"
Gliding softly through the
patio. where the fountain was
silent and only the wind in the
leafiess willows whispered of life,
she thought: Il didn't feel this
way when / left John"
Dolores sat, asleep. before a
dying fire. She jerked to atten-
ton and piled fresh logs on the
Goals. and when thew blazed up
she looked at her sefiorita wise
ly. Only one thing could bring
such radiance to the face of girl.
and Dolores. unconscious of the
memories Ii would evoke, sang
softly the song Little Joe had
sung at the out-riders post. Pc
dro's favorite.
Constance hummed the song
after Dolores had left There was
no steam heat in the ranch house,
but there were living fires in each
room that was occupied Con-
stance curled up on the fur rug
before the one in hers and looked
into the heart Of the fire.
Tonight she would push
thoughts away. as the freight
was pushing shadows, She would
sit and dream, dream back from
the moment she reached Beach
port until now. then span the
three years. and bring new
dreams for the years beyond that,
Tomorrow reason would reign
and she would remember John
and feel bitter sorrow for that
patient. waiting man. And she
would remember her obligations,
Soldering Factors
MOST Of all she would remem-
IsA ber and did when she awak-
enad. that Pedro had established
Johns prophecy as fact. He
would marry Fl Cabrillo." AND
what had John said Of FL Ca
brillo?
She remembered particularly
"a veritahle Don Juan" Il Sob
cred her. vet even that couldn''
entirely dim her memory 81
those starlit hours.
There were other SOLDERING fac
tors. Juliano had not approved o.
the pedersens. and Juliano wa.
majordomo OF the ranch. Con
stance had to remind herself tina
this was her home and not his
when she told him 10 prepar.
rooms for the dairyman and fam
ily. who would stay there unit
a cottage was built for them.
"A Cabrillo.s he announced
loftily. would nevair entertain
under their roof meek man.
An older. wiser Constance
would have hundred the oil
man. but Constance was still
chatting under Der tamily's dis
pleasure.
"Juliano. would you like Il
milk cowsF II not. take my or,
ders and carry them out.
And Sullenly Juliaua obeyed
The Pedersens arrived and hi
ranch house was filed will
laughter, shrieks and cries Mes
putting into the patio. stumhleS
over q train. a kiddy car. pill
Of blocks and a tea table. doll sire
"Aren't they driving you crazy
petg" she asked.
Constance was perched on
stone bench--"I like il" she an
swered. hugging her knees. "It'
like home arain What's IN var