The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-14

nave grow IN LneeS MEEK ana
thees butter fat. Manuelo. he who
hath thos Dotch Belted. he has
not soch butter fat" And his
brown face beamed with pride
above the starched white collar of
his uniform.
Now it remained only for the
railroad to be completed So that
they could bring in the rest Of
the herds and start Ell Cabrillo
Rancho on its road to security
Meanwhile Constance and Pc
dro rode. The hills were no longer
scar brown but the tender young
green of new grass. and the can
yons were filed with mauve
mists. Purple rain clouds capped
the peaks to shed silver streaks
on the lowlands.
The peoples came like golden
coins scattered by the careless
hands of a Cabrillo, or heaped in
mounds fianked by purple lupin.
Constance. watching the dark
quiet man who rode beside her,
found her own likeness to this
land. Something new, tender and
selfless was growing in her heart.
yelled from maturing by a prom
Use given in the winter of
strange country.
"Who said the sands of time
ran swiftly" demanded Pedro, as
they sat in the shelter of a live
oak while the spring shower pep
pered their retreat. Michael,
why three years?"
Constance sprang up an d
walked to the edge Of their shell
ter, then turned back. Because I
promised, Pedro. You said, that
first day, how explain love to one
who has never loved How did I
know you couldn't bargain with
Ilove?"
III He was beside her, was holding
her arms tightly. "You made some
such bargain when you were
east" he stated. Didn't you know
them"
"Oh Pedro, how could / tell it
wasn't an infatuation, some ro-
mantle dream, propinquity
Pedro, how do I know now that
1t isn't?"
Don't you known"
Il Didn't Think
THE rain droned on the trees
L and the rocks. Constance lifted
clear eyes to Pedro's. "That night
/ came back; then when you re-
turned from your trip; those two
short times ] spent in your arms.
/ didn't think. ] didn't want to
think, it was enough to be -. to
be there with you. That's why /
asked you to promise there'd be
mo more of this"
Love a.sn't a matter of the
BRAIN" Pedro protested. Mar.
riages that are thought out are
loveless affairs. God knows, Mi
chael, didn't want to love you.
wanted Ell Cabrillo more than
anything in the world, until I met
you. and then / couldn't fight you
to take it away from you.
What / should do is lift you by
this mop of blue-black hair. drag
you to Beachport, fling you down
before the magistrate and say
come on, say the necessary. I
want this woman bound to me so
she won't be able to 60 out bar
gaining with love- And then drag
you home to our home. Mi
chael."
Constance knew in the next
m o m n L that was what she
wished he could do. All of her in
dependence fled; her desire to
prove herself to the world: her
responsibility to the family. Even
Ell Cabrillo was no longer home.
Anyplace with Pedro would be
home.
He rel leased her suddenly.
Damn civilization" he snapped.
mounted, and waited for her.
She saw then 1t was no longer
raining.
They rode silently down 10 the
ranch, their horses lifting mine
ing feet from the puddles: the
puddles giving the gold of the
sun back with doubled radiance.
Constance was thinking. it's too
late now. | can't sell out. I can't
do anything. I'm tied for the three
years. | owe that to everyone.
""Pedro," she rode close to him,
please try 70 understand.
Some of the sadness she had
seentin his eyes. that first evening
at tMarias was there, ,disappoint-
rnent? 3aGalH13
II am trying, Michael" he an
swered. ~ have been, right along.
| can't understand tphg, il you
love me. you don't trust me
enough to tell me everything.
Il won't ask you further. As I
said. it's your battle. But from
now on it's up to YOU" He
leaned forward to look down into
the valley. Whats going on
down there /. at the ranch?"
Through a break in the willows
Constance saw the sun glinting
down on the wet hood of a car.
Don's car. Behind il was her own
little coupe.
''Oh dear" she breathed. at
il looks as though the family
had arrived. Oh dear" she said
again. and rode forward. leaving
completely puzzled Pedro. fol-
lowing.
The Family had arrived. Con-
stance knew IL the moment she
saw Juliano's face. II was radiant
He bestowed upon her a most SUI
perior lifting Of eyebrows as he
made the announcement
The Cahrillos," he said. luftiiy,
have come 10 their hnme TO
live"
To live the Cahrillos.
Constance"
John Raskthorne stepped out OF