The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-01-29
mEmORu OF THE moon
by Jeanne Bowman

shoes and black stockings, was
subdued by the Cabrillo counte-
nance.
"Juiiano," Constance lean e d
from the drivers seat, who ham
dies the Cabrillo affairs at Beach
port?" '.-,f
III" Sehor Francks, the judge. He
is at the courthouse opposite, on
the third floor from the front door
of the building, which is with
cigar and cigaret counters occu-
pied"
Constance gasped and thanked
him. '.And no word to anyone of
where I'm going, Juliano."
She drove down Ell Canine
Real, loving each evenly spaced
tree, each foot of brown earth;
the. vista of blue sea at the end
of the avenue.
These things we're enduring.
Human. affections were not. She
had thought that in a crisis her
family would stand by; give her
some credit for business acumen.
Instead, anticipating her move.
her own brother had forewarned
she couldn't call the Taylors
enemies.
This bothered her for many
miles. The Taylors had not fol-
lowed the telegram. They had not
tried to freeze her out; instead.
they had given her a warm well
come.
Perhaps, she thought, they
sought to disarm her in this way.
Dolores, tell me something of
the Taylors. How did they happen
to come here to the ranch? Where
did they get the money they evil
IDENTIFY have?"
From Texas came the Senior
Taylor and the beautiful sonora.
who was frail. With the heart she
suffered. The doctairs, they say
for her sea air and the low alti-
tude. For a little while they visit
the resorts, but Senior Taylor he
cannot what you call twiddle the
thumb?"
Constance smiled. No, Mr.. Tay-
lor was hardly one to sit tWid-
ding thumbs.
so then" continued Dolores.
she meet with your father at
Santa Barbara at the fiesta. and
your father he tell him he has
one rancho which needs the good
cattle man. Senior Taylor he come
to the ranch and he roar, he say:
What tell, | build heem up for
you and you take heem over or
you get heem new managair.' So
your father he say No, / give to
you management so long as thees
rancho, she is in my hands,
Judge Franck
"COOO," Dolores exhaled with
y gusto, they come and soon
young Pedro he come from the
school militaire in Texas, and
very happy they are with moch
work and moch climate.
always they speak of when
they go back to thees Texas. then
the senora's heart. she quit, sud-
den, two years ago. Now. say the
senors Taylor, to Texas we 60.
Only now they have like Ell Ca
brillo better than Texas, so then
they sell the rancho what they
have in that panhandle SEN
orita Conchita, how does one have
the rancho in the panhandle?"
Constance answered vaguely.
1.-THE panhandle is section OF
Texas, so called because of the
shape of the state on the map"
She was thinking, this accounts
for their money. They've had an
income from their home ranch.
They could have bought and sold
the Cabrillos anytime.
Only why did they have to have
FL Cabrillo? There must be other
ranches in the same vicinity. Why
try to rob the CabrilloS?
Gradually she worked up an
anger at Pedro's attitude. The
tone he'd used when he suggested
she could not find money for her
very own ranch. His superior at
titude. He'd acted as though he
were the host and she a mere
guest, while in reality she' was
his employer.
Minis Tins engine boiled into
Beachport. Constance was sur
prised to find such a thriving lit
tie city. 1t sprawled out over the
sand flats to wharves and indus
tries edging the bay. then crept
back up into the hills in attrac-
tive homes.
A passing logging train blocked
their way. Constance saw nothing
in the great hewn lengths moving
past on flat cars. to point to her
future She only wished they
would move more quickly.
In town she located the court
house. and across the green found
a building and Judge Franck's Of
fee, Yes. he would see her if she
would be brief.
Constance stiffened with re-
sentiment, He'd been retained by
the Cabrillos since he was out OF
law school. No one had bothered
him since her fathers time, and
now she must be brief. She
wondered If he too had received
a telegram.
"Sit down. Miss Cabrillo." said
the secretary. after taking her
into the Judge.
Constance was conscious OF the
Judge staring at her. She stared
right back He had the appear
anco Of an ancient tree in that
rlHrpled gray suit His skin was
IKE the November leaf Of an elm,
yellow and dry. She wondered