The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-16
5 8 slel5 Z lie s 81
"a kfARCARET AxlnnEkfER

What's all this about violetta?
All, my little secret. On informa-
ton received. Reconsider it, will
you, Lewis? =. Nonsense. If we
can keep a man like Goldstone,
/ who's. as red as a rose, we can
stand Violetta Lee. Rats, I'll
take the risk of wrecking the
foundation. !. I'll go to the mat
with, the board. personally, IL you
like. !. No. Her usefulness is
not losts.. Oh, you can sell them
anything. You were mistaken
rash act, justice must be main
tanned I'll trust your dramatic
golden tongue. Definitely.
Right over your head like a
trained leopard. !" His voice.
which had been easy and f7ippant,
hardened. mo. I am not giving
you any more reasons. Just a
tplayboy's whim-backed by con-
troll of the sinews of war, old
keed. Do I? Thanks, Grand
father wasn't a bad old wolf, at
least he always meant what he
said. I'm just like him there.
Put it through in forty eight
hours, Delevan. Call an
emergency board meeting, then.
Goodbye"
| He clicked back the receiver
and stood up. His face and whole
bearing had that look of brilliant
Weakening to enjoyment and ex-
citement she remembered seeing
twice before. When she had risked
her life to save Robin. And when
he had, for amusement, risked his,
in that terrible Hawaiian surf.
For the moment he was the
Martin Dane she had thought him
when she first saw him.
She said. ooh Martin, I can't
| tell you how grateful"
ITS the other way about. told
you I'd known Violetta since
was a kid. Come along"
She followed him downstairs.
He got her coat from the cloak
room and held it for her, and
dropped her handbag into deep
pocket of his own.
He started the car again, in the
same direction.
"Have we time to go farther?"
she asked.
Lots. You've nothing to do
with the afternoon, have you?
Let's make a day of it. I'll buy
you ticket down from anywhere
you like"
Dream Drive
THERE was no good reason
= against it. It was colder this
far upstate. but spring was in the
bright sharp air. She'd never get
a chance to do this any more. She
drove on with him in a dream.
They talked a little or were silent,
about anything or nothing. They
had always been easy with each
other. 1t had not changed.
I've made good time" Martin
said. and turned the car into a
drive between high rough barked
gatepoSts. Up between green
lawns, where snow patches still
fingered. 1t was dark, but she
could see a wide porch, and lights
inside a stretch of living-room
windows.
Why! this isn't an inn"
Don't you know the lodge? OF
course. though. it looks different.
All showed in when we left it"
He bent and turned his latchkey,
and drew her into the long. firelit
pine-paneled room she remem-
bered. She heard Ike's voice,
talking to Mary in the kitchen.
She stopped, her eyes on the big
clock over the fireplace. Seven
twenty.
Il telephoned Mary to have
some stuff cooked" he said. "Come
over to the fire. Eileen"
Il can't stop. / must get a
train"
Don't be foolish. Here's the
timetable if you won't take my
word for it. Two sleeper-ex-
presses. a nine twenty and eleven
something. Plenty of time to settle
down and rest. and have some
thing to eat. You remember it
only takes Ike an hour in the
station wagon. wild as we seem
Grandfather used to own rail-
way. SO he just stuck in a curve
and a station"
Again, why not7
She went. when she had
warmed herself. up TO the room
she had occupied before. II has.
a fire. there were fresh towels and
a freshly set-out dressing table.
as always. she supposed. She
came down, to find Martin. neatly
brushed and rather quiet. waiting
for her by little table draw.
near the hearth.
likes Mary, upright and pleas
ant and why. came in and greeted
them as she set dishes on the
table. Ike's Mary by this time
would be past being surprised at
anything Martin might do. Of
course.
Martin. across from her. did not
seem very hungry. He was talk
ing more steadily than usual. If IL
had not been Martin. she would
have said he was nervous. The
odd alivencSs had not left him.
Finally he called Mary Impatient
w to clear and push back the
table. He put Eileen on cush-
toned couch alongside the fire and
stood by her and said. @And
now.
The end Of his sentence was
drowned by q laundering knock
on the outside door. Before Mary
could come back from the kitchen
60 open ID. il was flung open.
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