The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-05
Chapter Is
Appeal To John

Appeal To John
THE French doors opened from
the solarium and John Rask-
thorne stepped out, intent upon
lighting a cigar.
"John"
Raskthorne wheeled "Con-
stance :. Conchita what are you
:. take your hands off that girl"
he snapped at the detective.
Constance. released, fled into
the security of Johns arms. will
you tell these idiots that | am
a Cabrillo? And John, make them
keep still; | don't want the folks
to know I'm home until after the
party"
The idiots didn't need to be told
anything, they had started fading
into the darkness even before
John bought their silence with
bills; and Constance leaned for a
few moments against Johns
shoulder. then Strengthened.
"I'm sorry" she apologized. II
they frightened me and I'm
tired, couldn't sleep on the
plane, and / guess / forgot to
have any dinner"
John patted her shoulder. wait
until | find my coat"
Five minutes later, Constance's
little coupe. with Raskthorne at
the wheel, swung out of the
tradesmen's entrance.
Constance sat back watching
his hands on the wheel: watching
his face. RELYING her feeling of
restful security as she leaned
against his shoulder, wondering
at her feeling for John.
I'm taking you to one of my
pet hide outs," John offered.
They'll give us a steak two
inches thick"
Constance closed her eyes to
shut out the vision of little
waterfront cafe and a dark-eyed
man threading his way between
tables, of voice saying: Hi,
Michael"
Johns pet" was unpretentious.
They went through side door
TO be conducted to private
booth where curtains were i'm
mediately drawn.
\ Nov tell me all about it," or
dered John. when the obsequiouS
waiter had disappeared.
"Oh, John it's wonderful!
Ell Cabrillo, ! mean. | can't give
ii up. It's like part of me; my
blood and my flesh and my
bones"
And then the words tumbled
out The waiter brought smoking
platters but still Constance talked,
and when John found she
wouldn't stop, he took her knife
and fork, cut small sections of
the steak and held them to her
lips.
"Oh, john" she sighed, you
are good to me. You do take care
of me-"
"Some day." he threatened.
Constance looked at him and
saw him as other women must see
him. A stalwart, handsome man,
barely thirty but seasoned by the
tragic passing Of his parents, the
worry over a madly-marrying
younger sister, and by the cares
of the vast estate he had inher-
tied and which he handled alone
and with wisdom.
John" she asked impulsively,
"what do you see in me that
makes you say some day? Why
do you waltz"
The light gray eyes in their sur
prising frame of jet lashes Wild
ened. "Conchita," he confessed,
"Ive asked myself that question
a thousand times. And then | go
back to our first meeting; do you
remember that meeting, Chita?"
She remembered. But had six
years passed since that night
when she, Awaiting the escort her
mother had arranged to accom-
pany her to the Charity Ball, had
seen her little sister in stolen
clothes fash in front of her: an
nounce that she was Miss Ca
brillo, and whisk off with the
waiting man?
Father, Brother, Counselor
CHE had "whisked" only as far
~ as the elevators. then the es-
cort had returned. Nov that the
child has retired, Miss Cabrillo.
shall we go on?" John Rask-
thorne had asked.
And to her query: How did
you know" He had replied,
"When your mother telephoned
she was too i'll to accompany you,
father told me TO look for the girl
with the most beautiful eyes in
the world"
II had been balm 70 the eight.
cen .year-old heart OF Constance,