The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-10
Chapter 10
Carl Petersen

" mas. She drew a blind acros!
her memories, had breakfast SEM
in so she wouldn't see so much
reflected cheer; refused to look
out when the train stopped al
depots, so she wouldn't have tc
watch reunions.
She'd read the letters. She
opened them one by one. Peter
Taylor's decision slid out and
Constance, putting the envelope
to one side, checked her move
ment. There was another slip OF
paper in it. She pulled it out. One
line. She read and re-read it.
"I'm glad you agree that when
you are fighting for something
you love :. all is fair"
It was signed, Pedro.
Fear that was part dread, part
CONSERVATION, and part a heart
stunning confusion, filled her.
What had he meant? Was John
right? And if so, which of the two
reasons underlay the Taylors' de-
cision to remain?
"What a Christmas present"
she laughed uncertainty.
Her heart and her mind waged
a day-long battle and her mind
won. The train slid through dusky
white canyons at twilight, to
come out in the star-burst of
lights that was Ogden; and Con-
stance, walking up and down un-
der the train shed, admitted de-
feat, and wondered why she la
beled it defeat.
For il Taylor had meant to re-
main, as John had said, to marry
FL Cabrillo," it was the ranch and
not herself that he would fight
for.
Constance spent two days in
San Francisco. Carl Petersen pre-
sented himself the morning after
her arrival. When he telephoned
from the lobby she went down
with some apprehension. 1t would
be this man and herself, against
the Taylors =. and the Cabrillos.
She was placing the future of FL
Cabrillo in his hands.
She noticed these hands imme-
diately; large, strong, capable
hands. She looked up to his face
and liked what she saw, china
blue eyes, blond hair and blunt
features.
Mrs. Petersen was with him, a
large, red haired woman who
had, surprisingly. Constan
learned, majored in English and
was now an associate editor for
a western magazine. Constance
wondered what Donna. with her
smattering Of education, would
say to that. Small Pedersens
waited in a nearby hotel; they
would be met later.
"You're so young" Mrs. Peder-
sen said.
"Old enough to know I'm too
young, and that is why | need
the help of a man like your hus-
band" returned Constance, and
won the woman Immediately.
Petersen wasted no time on
niceties. He launched immediate
ly into business. 1.-THE only thing
I have against your plan, Miss
Cabrillo," he began. sis the time
limit. You have a ranch upon
which stock have graZed for two
hundred years. You expect to turn
that into a dairy ranch OF equal
proportions and show profit in
that time.
"You are not starting with slow
replacement, but complete turn
over. / can't vouch that your fields
will be fertile enough to produce
our feed the first year. Thousands
Of cattle have torn the vitality
from the soil. II will need deep
ploughing and fertilizing.
"Then we have the weather to
slider. II the elements are with us
we stand an even chance of win
ming. II we have droughts and
floods, ] don't know.
"You see ! am being frank with
you. Your proposition was a chal-
lenge to me. I'd like to have try
at it, but / don't want you to take
me on thinking / am miracle
man."
Happy New Year
"IM glad you've said that" Con-
4 stance returned thoughtfully
ut gives me even more conf
dence."
"And then" Mrs. Petersen in
truded, there is the problem of
the personnel. The people with
whom you and Carl will have to
work." she explained. Laugh If
you viii. but even a dairy farm,
or perhaps | should say, particu-
larly q dairy farm, needs har-
nony among the employees"
And blithely. unthinkingly and
with complete unawareness Con-
stance returned. you can be as
sured Of that"
They spent the rest Of the day
discussing affairs, the next day
visiting creamerieS and aSsocia-
ton headquarters, then two days
touring San Joaquin and Sacra-
mento Valley dairy farms. Then
they parted. the PederSens to ge
10 Salinas 10 pack for their move
north, and Constance to spend
the lonelieSt New Years Eve 81
her life in San Francisco.
The north coast gave her one
OF its perfect days as she started
for FL Cabrillo the next morning
Tamalpais was a clear purple
mound against a bright blue sky
and the railroad ferry waddlec
through bay waters as blue rs tht
sky.
The air was crisp. salty, invig,
Grating. The northhound traig
filed with happy people. theil
laughter playing muted accom-
paniment 20 some irrepreSslhll