The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-04-16
"Yes?" said Polly THAT'S nice. 4

while she's here" Miss Lucy con-
tinued. "a little extra money will
help her pay for college this fall"
Are you going to let her
Gomez" Polly asked, feeling a
in her stomach.
Il think So" Miss Lucy replied.
I'm not sure yet. If I do, I'm
afraid III have to let you. CO.
after ALL" -a- ~.~sr
'You mean you-you'u give her
the job as cashier here in the
tearoom?"
eyes. Polly. It's the only job
she could manage"
Il see"
After all, she's kin to me-"
Miss Lucy said. And families
ought to stick together"
"Of course" Polly moved a
stack of lunch checks, fumbled
with some change. It'll be nice
having member of your family
with you"
Miss Lucy said nothing more.
She went on out to speak to
Martha.
Polly finished adding up a col
umn of figures. She got her hat.
But she didn't 90 out of the tea
room at once. She leaned her
elbows upon the top of the desk.
and stared unseeingly at the op-
posite wall.
Out of job again How many
times it had happened to her dur.
ing the last few years! There
were so few jobs for a girl in.
town like Ardendale.. And yet she
couldn't leave Aunt Susan. and
go off somewhere else to find
work Besides, there was David
David wanted to marry hen,
and she wanted to marry him.-+,r
But would they ever manage
it? David had debts to pay up
he also had Peter. It wouldn't be
right to saddle hin1with' a job
less wife, a girl who couldn't con-
tribute something toward taking
care of the expenses Of running
a household. David had all that
he could do to keep things going.
as it was. 1t wouldn't be right to
expect him to support not only
her but also Aunt Susan.
Sometimes" she said to her
self, as she walked to the door,
Il think life's just a mess"
Martha called to her.
"You forgot your picnic stuff"
she said.
Thank you, Martha" Polly
said. She took the package the
negro woman was holding out to
her. well think of you while
we're eating it--those two young
men and myself"
Then she went slowly out to
the street.
Somehow she was no longer
enthusiastic about having a pic
mic. The thought of Miss Lucy
giving the cashiers job to her
niece sickened her. She needed
the job so badly-she and Aunt
Susan.
She walked out to the Jenkins
cottage with heavy feet. and .
much heavier heart. =.
About Swimming
1T WAS several days after the
L picnic out at the Inn. and
David was in the lumber yard.
He had stack of invoices which
were attached to wooden clip,
and was checking shipment of
lumber that was to leave Arden
dale that evening.
But now and then his thoughts
reverted to the evening he and
Polly and Peter had sat upon the
edge of the empty swimming pool
eating the chicken and cake Polly
had brought from the tearoom,
as we'll as the sandwiches and
pickles and fruit he had brought
out from town.
Peters delight over everything
he saw about Freddy's Folly had
been amusing. Like Polly, he had
painted exciting word-pictures of
what the place could be made to
look like.
And let's put some water In
the pool!" he had said. I'VE
could swim and dive, Cousin
David-and have lots of fun. You
do swim, don't your"
Sure, l do" David had replied.
And so does Polly. She's q born
swimmer" baa ,9toa sa.
Peter had looked at Polly with
new interest L''-
Gee" he said, do your" '''.''
YES" said Polly, II took to the
water like a duck. David helped
me to learn the better strokes
when we used to have our Sum
day School picnics down at the
shore--excursions, you know"
do they still have them?"
Peter wanted to know.
Sometimes" said Polly. But
David and I seldom go now"
No, thought David, there in the
lumber yard. we seldom 60 now.
In fact, we seldom do anything
for fun. Just work and plan and
dream. Then he remembered that
Polly had looked worried. He had
tried to find out what was trout
bling her, but she had only
shaken her head. and said it
wasn't anything much.
Just another bridge I've been
trying to get across before / got
to il" she had said. But there was
one thing that helped TO cheer him
up--that was the fact that Peter
had seemed to draw closer TO
Polly. Their mutual love of the
old Inn, and their many plans for
improving the place. had Rp~
parently proved to be a sort OF
hond between thenas s.
ST You'll lend me your car.
Polly had SAID, n can come ont
in the afternoons while you're at
the lumber plant. and get TO work