The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-17

| he was NOT the UuQUSTO mere, ne
twas the equal of Don or John.
IShe glanced at John to see him
Istudying Pedro, aloof, the social
ismile on his lips not reaching his
leyes.
"Here comes my GIRL" doomed
"a great voice and Peter Taylor,
senior, lifted himself, adjusted
his crutch and came hobbling
across the room to meet her.
"Well, Michael, you're a sight
for tired mans eyes,"
Constance fitted her hand to the
hard muscle of his forearm and
matched her step to his. She
talked with him, laughed with
him, yet all of the time she was
conscious of the little drama on
the stage ahead. Of Pedro watch
ing John, of Donna looking quick
ly from Pedro to her; of John
coming towards her, possessive-
ness in every line of his face:
in every movement he made.
He was on the other side now,
and Constance, longing to pull
her arm from his, and hating her
self for her revolt against this
friend of friends, looking ahead
to Pedro. pleaded with him in
that glance for understanding.
For one unguarded moment
she thought she saw what she
wanted to see. She wondered If
Donna had seen it. too, but then
it was gone and the sardonic ex-
preston she remembered from
that first night had replaced it.
"Stage entrance?" asked Donna
f1ippantly, Eve are starved; aren't
we. Mr.. Taylor"
The Jailer
CONSTANCE would remember
~ that dinner as a ghasty Sc
quence of courses, of Cabrillo
servants out-doing themselves to
show the Cabrillos that Juliano
had trained them as he and his
forefatherS had been trained.
She knew if Peter Taylor hadn't
drawn her into the conversation,
drawn out her knowledge of the
ranch, she would have remained
mute.
John, never talkative, was un-
usually silent, but at the other
end of the table. Donna and Mrs.
Cabrillo focused their attention
on Pedro, and Constance. remem-
bering his virulent-"damn civili-
zation"-of that afternoon. WON
dered where he had acquired such
civilized social charm.
mo electric lights, no radio; no
dance" cried Donna. as they re-
turned to the great room. what
a place! Mother. we must have
lights installed Immediately"
'If it please the Sefiorita."
purred Juliano, music, of its
kind, can be provided"
"Any kind" urged Donna.
And Constance sat in wonder.
Juliano, purring.
But she dreaded the music. In
the hour it took Juliano to round
UP the musicians, get them into
their velvet bolero suits, she won
dered if she could plead weari-
ness, headache, anything.
Both pleas would have been
true. She sat by the fire with
John, pleasantly quiet beside her.
John. the faithful, and yet now he
seemed to be taller who was
keeping her apart from the others.
They didn't seem to miss her.
even Peter Taylor had succumbed
to the beauty of Nadine.
And then came the music. Dom
ma was in Pedro's arms almost
before the first guitar was
strummed. and John was standing
before her, waiting.
"Why did you run out on me
this afternoon" he murmured in
her ear.
81 didn't run out on you," she
corrected. tive never been fond
of family pickering"
They circled the room-"Sur-
prised to find me here?" he asked.
Constance wished he wouldn't
hold her so tightly. Had he
changed, grown more possessive.
or was she merely aware of it for
the first time because of a change
IN nerSeliI 5Ht
Amazed" she confessed. 10
PLEASED that came west Just
ITO see your" %
i Constance looked up--"Yes.
john" She was. 1t gave her the
opportunity of telling him what
she had found too difficult to
write. e,1...
"orange blossoms are sweetest
in June. SIS" offered Donna,
whirling past in Pedro's arms.
| Startled she looked at Donna.
to find her position reversed and
seeing Pedro's face; white. set,
contemptuous. She wondered
what else Donna had said in her
gay, free voice which didn't re-
veal the studied pertinence Of her
remarks.
Donna seems to have fallen for
young Taylor" John remarked in
an amused voice. att won't last
long. He's too easy for Donna,
she tires OF men who crash at the
first lift of her eyebrow"
Constance knew jealousy:
/. blazing soaring emotion which
burned the words on her lips.
Donna intended to take Pedro as
she had taken the Cabrillo role
that afternoon, lightly. as her just
due.
II occurred 10 her that John
RaSkthorne was the only person
or possession Donna hadn't been
|; able to claim.
Il apologized For my mistake.
; this afternoon" John went on.
Told him that when a fellow
crosses the continent to see the
one girl in his life. he doesn't pay
much attention 10 anyone else"