The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-03-13
Chapter Ten
The Comb

HOGER IuFHeu 10 Lullly LTel.
IN He searched her face. She
was smiling family. Was she
pale?
But Emily never had much color
She was definitely pastel. 1t was
probably only the contrast be-
tween Lovely's vividness and
Emily's pastel tones which made
him imagine for an instant she
was more pale than usual. She
was smiling. Everything must be
all right. Girls didn't smile when
their love affairs were upset.
But for all that Roger knew a
raw sense of amputation. 1t was
as if sudden certain knowledge
had been given him that some
thing had passed quite beyond his
hands. 1t confused him.
A waiter passed with cocktails.
He was saying something to
Roger.
81 thought you might be here,
sir. Your lady friend dropped this
the other day, sir"
Roger stared at the man stupid
1y. He was about to say: you
must be mistaken"
Then he looked at the thing the
man had thrust into his hand. A
cheap comb. Obviously not the
kind Emily would have if she
used such ornaments. It was
Lovely'S. The man must have
served at their table at Tumble
Inn that morning. Why hadn't he
noticed and avoided the fellow?
Yet how could he have? He
wouldn't have known him. He
had the feeling employing the
man had been one of Mari'S dia-
bolical tricks. Yet it couldn't have
been. She couldn't possibly have
known one of those silly little
combs had slipped out of Lovely's
hair.
Emily was smiling at him still,
that queer set smile.
"a comb" she said. "The sort
girls do up their curls with"
ayes, silly things! How he ever
happened to hand it to met"
Roger looked at it again and then
with a sudden gesture hurled it
out into the darkness.
The party was moving in little
eddies about them. Picking them
up in the web of its gayety and
carrying them along.
Ursula-Sully TO her intimates
BLAIR arrived; swept in on. a
cloud of expensive scent, the pale
chiffon of her unusually long
skirt trailing the polished floor.
"Sully's gone grand on us!"
someone greeted her, which was
tn signal for Sully to kick up her
heels with the flippancy which
only Sully had.
Emily laughed. Roger swung
her into the mad dance that
whirled about them. Her laughter
brought back his poise. The eve
ming moved on in the usual lively
pattern of such evenings.
Once when Roger was seeking
Emily after dancing with Sully,
Emily's cousin stopped him.
They were standing back of the
big wing chair in the apparently
deserted library.
misunderstanding
I'LL, Rogerl" John Carr was to
II be one of his ushers at his
and Emily's wedding. Hear
you've picked a peach for the
we'll known old last fling"
What do you mean, John?"
Rogers voice was a trace sharp,
"Mean?" John had been accept
ing more of Mari's cocktails than
he needed for proper party gai-
ETY. Why the beauty you've got
up there at Granny Hale's of
course. The sN ell set of ankles
you've picked yourself. Come on!
You're not kidding anyone"
I'm not trying TO, John" Rog-
er's voice was stern.
you might have had better
taste anyhow than to bring her
right here under Emily's nose"
The liquor in John was getting
nasty.
"You're in no condition to talk,
John Forget it,"
No condition to talk Well, I'm
talking anyhow, There are things
! want to say TO you. After all.
Emliy's my cousin and | want 10
see her treated right Ii you want
10 have a last fling why don't you
keep your girl down in Hell'S
Kitchen where she belongs A
man ought 10 have some respect
for the girl he's going 10 marry
shut up. John! You're talking
about something you don't know
anything about" Rogers voice
was sharp and was accompanied
by the sound of a smart slap. In
voluntarily he'd swung at John.
connecting with his face.
John leaned heavily against the
wood work Of the door. holding
his face.
Wait till ! see YOU tomorrow"
thlckly But Roger was moving
on.
Il was q few seconds before
Emily caught up with him.
Roger Roger. where are you
gclng7 4 mutcd breathless0eSS
Was ~ her voice.
Il was looking for You" He
stopped abruptly and turned %
her Where had she been? She
had come from the direction in
which ae had had that unpleasant
encounter with john Carr Taa,
h'Gh backed Wing chair mes been