The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-08-23
Chapter n
Henry Steps IN

n
NJ. stop trying to be epigrann-
matte. or whatever II Is Won
a 4 Marie said Grossly. Then
.sncning Henry's face. II sup
Z you'll rush down and bee
'sS,i e to come back TO you"
Why should II"
YOU'D be running true 10 form
Tvs always heard that you mer
.Nays want your wives back the
Aspment you think some other
man nnds them attractive"
oIop It, Mariel" Henry said
Goodnessl You needn't bite
ny head Off"
Sorry" Henry got hold Of
a,nseli go on, forget about me
olslng your head of, and bite that
mutton chopl"
Marie Frightened. you're
sweet Henry" she said. I'm moi
gong to lose my appetite over
losing Tommy, so don't you lose
yours because Luella's-er--gone
VIII tne wind.
Mot bad advice" said Henry.
Ill try to follow IT,"
ne turned his attention to his
own lunch, but without enthusi-
aSna. How could a man be ex-
pected 10 sit down and eat q
hearty meal when his wife had
nown, and another man had flown
after her?
Maybe 1t was true that men
often had a hearty meal just be-
lore sitting down in the electric
chair OF climbing the stairs TO
the scaffold. but he wasn't hum
cry. His confused brain was too
busy with iigsaw bits that went
70 make up memories of his life
and Luella's.
Funny little snub-nosed brat,
climbing a tree, and not being
able to get down. Don't stand
there looking, Henry i. come up
and get me-" Luella covered with
Hour as she made her first batch
Of biscuits under her Aunt Lila's
supervision, and himself standing
In the doorway rocking with
laughter. The Sunday School pic
mics. The hay-rides. The
times the old gang would gather
In The Corner Drug Store for ice
cream, and dancing to the tune OF
a mechanical piano.
~Well2" said Marie.
well, what7" Henry said
vaguely, turning back to face her.
Il must say I've had gayer
luncheon companions.
I don't doubt it, Marie. Sorry.
Forgive me-"
Marie reached over, caught one
Of his hands, squeezed 1t,
"Of course you're forgivenl"
she said. Come on, darling, let's
eat, drink, and be cheeryp
Not a bad ideal" said Henry.
But when the lunch was over,
and he had said goodbye to Marie,
Henry hurried into the nearest
telegraph Office. There he snatched
up a blank and wrote a message.
II was to Luella Pell, in Florida,
bearing the address of Tommy
McIntyre's cottage.
II said. Take no definite steps
until l see you. Am leaving
Wednesday night"
Racing The Storm
TOMMY MCINTYRE pressed his
Il toe down a bit harder on the
sccelerator, thus Tisking arrest for
speeding. But he was in a hurry
q big hurry. Four days had passed
since he had left New York. and
he should have been in Florida
before this.
And now, at last, he was on the
hnal lap Of his trip. Florida and
Luellal
A drop of rain spattered agains,
the windshield. Then another. and
another. Tommy looked up quick
". He didn't like the appearance
Of the cloud ne saw, not bit.
He then glanced at the gasoline
gauge. Getting pretty low. Better
get the car serviced at the next
filling station he saw. There was
one about two miles further on.
He pulled up in front of it.
Fiji her up, pleaseF he said to
the attendant
Yes. sirl"
Better have a look at the oil.
too. And the air"
Yes. sirl"
More rain-drops began to fall.
The wind had risen. The world
seemed 10 take on a strange and
weird aspect the sun completely
wiped cut. a greenish color
spreading over the heavens.
Looks bad" said Tommy.
Eyes, sir, Il sure does" said the
attendant. He turned from filling
the gas tank 10 have a look at the
oil. Reminds me sorter of the
way things looked just before that
storm we had q few years ago. !
reckon you read about it"
Don't talk like thatl~ said
Tommy. you give me the filters.
] want 10 make Miami before
night"
Il reckon you can do that. all
right, II you drive fast The
storms going 70 be back Of you,
and you ought to beat it to town"
Tommy paid the bill, tipped the
boy generously. and was of. driv-
inR faster than he had ever driven
before. The rain was coming down
hard now, and the wind was do
ing ali sorts Of fantastic things to
the trees and sllrubbery.
He bent low over the wheel. his
eyes n the FANS a1cd spot the
windshield wiper mace. He must
Ret 10 Luella before the storm
grew any worse These southern