The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-07-16
Chapter "a
Second Confession


THE first thing I have to tell
n you won't take long" said
Neil when they were seated. He
sprawled on the sand, his back
egainst the log. where he could
look up at Eve. above him.
MY mother wanted me to mar
~ someone rich. just what Julie
wanted for you. She said / would
have to, because l have no money
there isn't any more money In
the Bowron family
that's the first thing wanted
10 tell you. The second thing will
take longer to tell you--maybe all
my life long. But It's simple, too.
N a way. It's just this: since I've
found you, nothing else seems Inn
portant, one way or the other.
I'm sort of sorry that haven't
anything 70 offer you ! haven't
even got a jobl" He broke off, TO
laugh ruefully at himself. But
there IS enough TO carry us along
until ] can get something. I'm go
ing TO get in touch with friends
OF the family as soon as we get
of this blasted island. No / won't
call this place names-it was here
l got to know you.p
He reached for Ewes hand,
pressed il against his lean, hard
cheek. Nervously, Eve spoke after
moment.
Tell me about your mother
she's a countess, isn't she? Is she
pretty3"
Nuns? She's adorable. Titan
haired and brown-eyed, with the
prettiest little nose in the world
When / want to tease her, | kiss
her on the nose. She's really quite
tail, but she manages to look tiny
she has a way of holding her
head on one side when you're
talking TO her, and she makes lit
tie fiuitering gestures with her
hands, and somehow you get the
impression that she is helpless and
fragile.
She's neither. She has an iron
will, and she twirls the count
around her little finger IT like
thatl" Neil made wild gyratiOns
with one hand. She tried her
tricks on me, too, but Pm out Of
her sphere Of influence now. She'll
be disappointed if / don't marry
fortune but she'll get over itlp
~YoV know, Neil, there's some
thing 70 be said for your mothers
point of view" said Eve. soberly.
you've been brought up" She
hesitated, seeking the tight
phrase.
In the lap Of luxury" Neil
suggested, IN a bantering tone.
that's literally true, ] suppose.
was brought up to believe that
4 would one day have slice of
the Bowron millions. But when /
came Of age, there weren't any.
My mother has small fortune of
her own--just about enough TO en-
able her to get by. I've been coast.
ing along on the momentum the
family name has given me.
And don't want to sail under
false colors, either, Eve. Mother
always dinned it into my ears that
] would marry well and ! took it
for granted that ! would, too.
accepted the idea without tying ii
up with any specific girl. Prob
ably / should have revolted
against the very idea of marrying
with a bank account definitely in
view. But ! didn't. Don't be harsh
with me, though. ! don't believe
ever thought the thing through
You know the way you can 20 on
for years, thinking that something
Is right and just the way it should
be. and then. all of a sudden, you
know that you can't endure it an
other minute2
That's the way it's been with
rne and my outlook, you might
say, on marriage. never noticed
anything wrong with mothers
reasoning until ! met you. But
now know that marrying for
money is a cock-eyed idea and
something ! couldn't bring myself
to do IN a thousand years. I'm
mad about you, Eve"
The Truth
IN LEARED his head against
~ her knees. 1t was a disarming
gesture. Eve, looking down at him.
felt suddenly that she must not
hurt him. She put out hand and
touched his fair hair, pale in the
luminous dark. II was very fine.
silken hair, like a child's. It in
creased IN her the sense Of having
A. l. 4. Il 4. Il. = l.
him.
She felt an odd confusion rising
IN her, engulfng her. Why did
she feel that she must not hurt
Neilg Why did she feel that she
was very close to hurting him?
"JuSt think, Eve, we can 60 on
ike this all the rest of the years
---toRetner," murmured Neil.
Then, In a flash of insight so
binding that she felt herself be-