The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-03-28
CHAPTER %
''I'm No Lady"

"I thought you'd be asleep" she
said.
with you galivanting around
the country with lot of liquored
gabboons?"
But Lovely chose to ignore that.
"Oh. I've had so much fun! We
tried to think of another place to
go and couldn't. We closed every
joint on the road. The last one
Win paid to keep open a while
longer. | don't know how many
doorbells we rang. | didn't keep
count"
"Win paid" Roger repeated
quietly. Then after little space:
Lovely. / wish you wouldn't hang
around so much with Win"
"All right darling, but he's such
fun" she said good naturally.
That was the trouble with
Lovely. She never argued any
thing with you. She agreed with
you completely, yet did exactly as
she pleased. Not that she ever in
tentionally displeased Roger. 1t
was always something impulsive-
ly done at the flag end of a party
that had outlasted its natural
gayety.
Joe was along. Like old times. y
Lovely said sleepily from her pill
low. Her clothes had been dis
carded in a disorderly trail as
she moved toward her bed. won
der how he and Mari'll make out?
Kind of nice-his meeting her"
mot at ALL" Rogers words
were clipped. "They won't make
out at all. Mari's bad medicine
for him. It's plain tragedy they
met"
He lay there wide awake think
ink blackly long after Lovely was
breathing deeply in sleep. Strange
how the threads Of their lives had
interviewer since that day he had
walked down to the group of pic
nickers. His, Lovely's. Emily's
Joe's. Mari's And who could
know how many others?
"Your hands are filthy. And
don't YOU ever wash the lipStick
off," Roger asked in the morning
when Lovely opened her eyes to
look I'D at him as he sat on the
edge of her bed.
Lovely lifted her hands and in
spected them.
II had fun" she said simply
"Thev are pretty dirty, aren't
they"
every for a lady"
"rm no lady. Roger" She
erinned at him. Il never will be
Emily is a lady. And look what
it got her. 1t lost her you to me
She pulled him down to her and
KISSED MN vigorously.
at wasn't that-her being {
lady It was your being such 6
siren. darling" Affection for hel
was flowing through his veins like
molten lava warm. vital.
81 guess | am kind Of fire
siren. aren't r."
you guess right"
"Well. never have to draft
my men, anyhow! They're al
voluntcerS.'
And then. with her ever present
bouyancv. she pushed him aside
threw off the covers and was or
her feet running to her bath
shouting rs she ran: Got date
lambie pie. Some of the kids the
rest was lost in a splashing of wa
ter.
Roger stood at the window
looking out over the wide lawn
until Lovely returned. fresh
damp. smiling, a pale robe drawn
around her He caught her hands
and held her so she faced him.
'Beautflhl" he marveled at her
freshness. And then on a more
serious note: Lovely. when are
we going to begin living?"
Living"
Il mean really. you and me.
mean having a life together. Not
just ride on a merry go-round
Lovely let's go up TO Granny
Hale'S cottage and start house
keeping"
Lovely paused to look at him
Doesn't your mother want us
here"
COT course"
Then why should we leave?
like il"
Because I want my wife and
my home and our life 20 be some
thing for just ourselves For q
little while anyhow. honey
haven't ever felt you're really
mine. except for the few moments
at the PLAY or when were
strolling down nv the liver OF
something like that"
SILLY. OF course I'm youSl
Forever and always" And sbC
was in his arms elinging to ha~
with sort az fury Il love ydls
E Oh, Roger love you"
"Will you so up 30 GRANNY
Hale's with me. them" Gently
"I've got a vision Of you ND there
keeping house for me. It's very
sweet"
oh, Roger" still clinging Il
him. Il like il here 50 It's SO swell
and all. And I'm having such {
good time Up there in the wood:
In that little house"
Her voice trailed into silence
Rogers arms frightened arouuc
her. and she knew she had won
Ard So il went or. Lovely with
no. n bouquet CT EardeniAs---etI
whole panel % them on hs1
dress Or jacket practically mad,
Of orchids. She loved fine livin
and took On its nsanreriSuls an