The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-05-17
Chapter Four


Desperate Cry
THE crowd surged forward
L They were pressing close tc
the distinguished group as il
crossed to the door. Eileen tried
to force her way through, to gel
at least close enough to Martin tc
catch his eyes, to quickly ask his
name and shove the ski into his
hand.
But the people who had already
met the party, the very important
university and society set, the
various notabili.ies who had been
hidden to meet Miss Willesdon
and the other famous ones with
her, were a solid mass around the
parting company. Their voices
rose loud
Eileen, despairing, still tried to
force herself through. But she
was little and slender, and nota-
bihties have way of fattening in
middle age. She merely got ter
rihle look from the two nearest
dowagers.
'"This isn't a bargain sale,
young woman" the wife of the
biggest businessman in the city
Kissed at her. It was not until the
others were halfway down the
awninged pavement to their cars
that Eileen got free, even to see
them.
Martini" she called desperate
ly.
He was just helping the shiny
haired young secretary into the
Limousine. He turned at the voice;
he looked up and laughed and
waved. Then he was inside, the
door slammed. and he was gone.
The group inside the hall
loosened, fell apart into chatter
ing smaller units with a thrilled
d gratified air. Eileen heard the
scraps of talk: Isn't she wonder
ful?" .. "The dear Senator is so
simple and genuine" "They
are doing a wonderful work. :"
And a couple of gruff dissentient
male voices: Futile" ''Lot of
poppycock, these South American
missions"
Not a word about Mar Tin. /.
Martin, who had flown two thou
sand miles to say goodbye to
someone in the group. She had to
know. She would know.
She gripped the arm of the
nearest girl. A girl would know.
Annette Noyes, the daughter of a
social leader; cool, correct,
rather old young woman in eye
glasses and a red chiffon import.
Annette. Who was that blond
boy In flying clothes who came
down the stairs with the South
American party?"
She tried not to seem eager.
Annette never was.
Annette was, however-for her.
Nobody seems to know" she
answered with-for her-excite-
ment. HE dashed in Just as they
all went up to the dressing rooms
TO get their wraps and ran up
stairs. The women poured out of
the dressing rooms to make
fuss over him--everybody was
acting as if he was Clark Gable.
There wasn't time TO introduce
him to the hostess, or they didn't
want to. Somebody said he'd
flown from New York Just to say
goodbye to somebody in the
party, and was just catching a
steamer from California to some
where. He might have been en-
gagged to any of those three girls.
the way they acted"
Annette looked annoyed. She
plainly felt it was discourteous.
Then he was going to New
Zealandl"
did you know him2" Annette
demanded.
Mono" Eileen slid away, I'M
needing Annette's avid question:
ing. She tried the hostess. who
was not too pleased at being
stopped, as-she trotted to a back
room with BONE cronies for an
after-party discussion.
Il don't know" Mrs. Onder-
donk said. Really, the manners
Of the present day, my dear child.
>. He crashed the gate. as they
call II, Ran upstairs, burst into
the women's dressing room. Came
back without a word to me---to
me, the hostessl"
Possibly some important secret
message" suggested another of
the women. her prominent eyes
widened at the idea. you know,
after all. Ida, nothing is too wild
TO happen. It might have been
one Of the young Roosevelt's they
are all blond"
II know them. Il wasn't"
snapped Mrs, Onderdonk. "A
playboy, that was what he was.
What he had all the marks Of be-
ing, Flying across the continent
that crazy way for two minutes
with some chit in the group. Some
deeadent young New York vast
err"
No Luck
EILEEN let the group OF hissing
A. dowagers drop past her.
Older people were such idiots.
She walked to the back Of the
rooms and found telephone. The
airport.
The airport did not know. 1t
seemed that TO her that they al
most overdid not knowing. And
then 1t occurred to her that there
were people with private flying
fields, And that perhaps that was
where Martin had taken off. But
that was a dead end. You
couldn't find out that way.
You couldn't find out any way.
Eileen stopped herself. as she
came out OF the little telephone
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