The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-02
az MARGARET WlnnEk1ER

going to stay IN New York" 70
hadn't gonef At least her pride
was saved.
Molly, leaving the lady for a
minute, said, "All right, Ris. don't
you bother. 1t was just az well,
and better"
Just then another customer en-
tered. Eileen, In gratitude, took
her over. For the next hour, one
OF those sudden swirls of activity
known as ut never rains but It
pours struck the modest little
flower shop.
Eileen, glad Of something 70
distract her mind from the shock
OF what she had been through,
tied up sprays Of gardenias and
put violets into boxes and tele-
graphed flowers to peoples rela-
tiyes with swift capacity. Pres.
emily the tide died down.
Gosh! A good evening. You
bring us luck, Eileen Ris said,
smiling at her. "You work well
! am very glad you stay"
She stood still in the doorway.
For the moment the shop was
empty except for the two girls
and Ris. Through the door that
communicated with Nick's deli
categsen, she could see Nick, with
his friendly, professional smile.
busily tying up a package OF gro
ceries. He beckoned Molly, ges-
turing to the cashiers cage, Mol
ly, with q desperate, cooked eye
brow, laughed and started TO 60.
wait O minute Eileen said.
Molly, didn't you say Ris want
ed another helper, only he
couldn't afford to pay for the kind
he wanted?" "Why--why. sure ]
did" Molly said, startled.
"Ris," Eileen said earnestly,
turning TO him. win you take
me on, for what you can pay7 BY
the time I can find something
else probably you'd be able TO
pay somebody else more.
"Ycu would? You would7D Ris
cried. "Oh, swell, Molly, would Il
not be swell?" His face bright
ened. 1T suits perfectly. And I
give you time to hunt work, when
things are slack, and this poor
MclIy's feet get rested. What you
say, Molly?"
"Why, II looks as IL IL might
work" Molly said slowly. She
went to answer Nick's frenzied
gesture. And just then some more
helated customers came into the
flower shop, and Eileen fell to
work with no more words said.
Don't you like the idea, Mol
ly2" she asked, when the two
girls were alone together in their
room, that night.
TITS all right Molly said slow
~. Wen see how 1t works"
Proposal
EILEEN went on hunting for
~ work. She went on faithful
iy, through the rain and snow Of
that January, with the monde
script job at Kiss flower shop.
She tried to be cheerful, to keep
on having hope, to feel that son1e-
where, somehow, there Yves q fu-
tllre for her; that there was
something better, here In New
York, for that Eileen Gardner,
who had been going to be so won-
derful, than wearing out shoe
leather trying to find work that
couldn't be found.
She was sitting at the back OF
the little shop. rapidly making up
punches Of violets, wrapping
them with black thread, tin foil,
adding. false shiny leaves.
She had time to think, more
than she wished. She preferred
the work of actual selling, or
keeping the books, 1t occupied
her mind. Things were odd with
Molly, too, lately. Molly was kept
more and more occupied with
Nick's end Of things. Molly had
been 90 good to her, always. that
Eileen tried especially hard TO do
all the fiower-shop work she
could.
But lately Molly had been
queer; depressed, even snappy
sometimes Which made things
harder still for q girl going
through one of those times IN life
when everything Is hard. Martin
Martin. If she could only stop
thinking and dreaming about
him: q man she had seen oslfy
once. kissed only once. heard
from only once more. bn
The vioiets were done. Eileen's
mouth set. She walked across 70
the high desk, and deliberately
picked up the wire cutters that
lay there, 10 twist Martins gold
ski off her bracelet and stop be-
ing . little fool. "A hand on her
shoulder stopped her.
She turned. Ii was only Aris-
tides. The shop was empty, this
day Of cold downpour.
Aristides looked at her with
those doglike brown eyes of his.
He said 70 her, Eileen, / have
tried to show you. Eileen. have
fallen for you hard. ! am in love
with YOU"
She pulled away. She said
sharply. "But good gracious, Ris,
you're going to marry Molly
FlAnaganl~
Ris said. with that dissrming
gentleness Of his. Il have always
liked Molly. do not wish 10 Ia
rude with Molly. But Eileen. you
must know how II was. Nick and
Molly, they always both tell me
what 10 do. Tell me to wake I'D.
be a sport Nick pushes me, Molly
pushes me. and presently I find
that everybody Ia sure I win
marry Molly
He had taken his hand OF her
shoulder. He did net trx % touch
her, he only stood. looking al her.
- a