The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-11-08
Chapter 80
The Lie

49, > AAA%F
~You'n forgive me- ] h5o;r5 he
girl said. ABut I just fad IS c1rue
u and look At this trse 1.ig IRE
most beautiful thing I've ever
s1en"
Pam smiled aMost people down
here call Il the orchid tree" she
said sWeetly. - and then Pam
paused Something was coming
70 ner with chill sense Of appre-
hensicn. Something familiar about
the girl that in some vague way
was alarming. Suddenly Pam
Knew. 4 was the girl Of the beach.
NE girl Who had waited for
Jerry and had walked away with
him. II swept over Pam IN a chill
wave that since that hour Jerry
had been different Not his usual
ingiy.
You were going to say some
thing May Fris1ee prompted.
Was II" Pam was confused. Il
was difficult for her 70 pretend.
Yes, you were telling be about
this tree" May looked around.
She couldn't let the CONVERSE
ton end there. sAnd that vlne
with those lopely fiame-colored
fiowersln @sV
That's what its called" Pam
said quietly Flame vine. Or,
botanicaIly-beronia. And then:
Wont you sit down." She indi-
Gated the chair beside her, Just
vacated By Vim.
Thanks" May dropped into X.
She breathed a little sigh and
turned 20 Pam AsYou know. this
Is the first kindness I've had since
arriving in this little hamlet. Il
almost brings tears, If you know
what / mean
Surely you haven't found Us
SO unfriendlyz@ Pam asked gently.
She was trying TO think, trying TO
connect the girl with Jerry. OBJ
viously she wasn't Of his set She
couldn't be relative. Il might
have been a chance meeting. Oc-
casionally you did walk along
with people who stopped you to
ask directions, especially IN a II
winter vacation place where liv-
ing was isurely.
"Oh, perhaps May was eager
70 talk-.'I'n1 being unfair IN judg-
ing the whole town by one man.
Ny flance that was. Had me come
down here, and then handed me
as swell a bunch Of air as any
balloonist could use"
Il don't understand
Turned me down fiat, If you
need plain English" May said
with an excellent imitation Of
concealed hurt what l really
suspect is that he's got someone !
else. But ~ should have thought
Of that before he asked me 70
come down"
1t would seem you've had a
raw deal" Pam answered polite
~. 1T hasn't been fair, surely"
'Fair2 Pm beginning to think
men don't know there is such
world"
I'm sorry" Pam said softly.
"ADd il hurts. tell you it hurts
TO have a thing like that handed
to you after you've believed in
a man" They sat in silence for
a while. A mocking bird in the
Australian pine looked at them
pertly, trying with his own chirp.
ings 10 urge them to conversation
TO which he might add his anus
ing accompaniment. May turned
to Pam suddenly and shrugged.
"But why ! should be telling you
my trouble? You seemed sweet
and sympathetic. though"
Hard Luck Story
~CCMETIMES It helps 70 talk"
- Pam said gently. I'm sorry
you should come here to unhappf-
ness. / always like to think Of
this island as the place wnere
everyone finds happiness"
''Mayhe most people do May
said as she rose. Maybe I'm just
the girl holding the unlacky num-
ber!"
Pam made no effort TO detain
her. She wondered wsIysne should
be glad when the girl left. but
she did have a definite sense Of
relief.
Il was a few days later that
Pam met Lenore uptewn select
ing post cars at a drug store. Pam
considered a moment and then
felt she must speak. This was a
sort Of Proyldence-giyen oppOr-
tunity.
Would you mind if I talked /
to you a minute7 she asked of
Lenore, VINO stared az her as if |
she didn't recognize her, and then
said almost insultingly:
ooh, the little Conchi Did you
mean you had something 10 say /
to me?s
Yes PANS voice was low
with indignation. But LeHore vas
Jerry's sister. She must do what
she could. ats about jim Perry"
Ignore continued looking at
cards for only a moment, then
turned swiftly away.
SO that, thought Pam as she
walked slowly along Duval Street,
was as far as she'd get trying 70
say anything 10 Lenore.5 EoT z1sIs
Meantime Jerry had been drop
ping in every day Or ths SUR
face, things seemed 70 he gong
as usual, but Pam seAsed some
thing wasn't right. There was a
peculiar tenseness about jerry,
! inoodiness that was new and
different.
And then one afternoon when
pam had felt unreaSonably rest
les and unable to work, she rode
cul ise Boulevard. Parked there,
overlooking the water sac Kecog-
nsxed Jerry's car and had stopped
NO KICK ON BOOTS