The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-27
MEMORY OF THE moon
by jeanne Bowman

VIC AO%A 4AQA 0CC11 I'LL 4lCA Oll lAAA1As
and even then he'd hope his luck
would turn at the zero hour.
Constance, leading Pancho to
his new quarters and coaxing him
to eat, felt she was in the Bass
tile; the key had turned, but she
had no hope. There simply wasn't
any way out. .e
DR.. Wings farm lay on the OPP
posite side of Beaehport. Reaeh-
ing town again. Constance re-
membered she had had no lunch.
She didn't feel like dining with
either the family or Peter Taylor,
but where in Beachport could she
60 looking as she did? The little
waterfront cafe!
1t was early. She went through
to the last booth and drew the
curtains of dull green baize, She
had just given her order when
she felt the shock of someone
sitting down in the opposite
booth; heavy, tired body.
And then she heard voices, and
from her weary, defeated pose,
sat up alert. Pedro and John
Raskthorne were in the next
booth.
At the sound of Pedre's voice,
Constance found her unruly heart
picking UP its beat. Pedro, in
Beachport, She hadn't known
where he was. BY mutual agree
ment, his name hadn't been men,
toned to her at the Taylors'.
And now he was here in the
booth next to her: only a thin
sheet of Illuminated ood3between
them. But he was with John
Raskthorne.
"All right, Raskthorne," Pc
dro's voice was incisive, "Why do
you want the ranch to faiif"
John laughed easily. ut isn't
the ranch want to fail, Taylor.
But, man to man, would you want
to marry a girl who was more
interested in the percentage OF
butter fat in milk than she was in
your"
II wouldn't marry a girl who
loved land better than me-"
snapped Pedro.
II waited for Constance for six
years" Raskthorne went on. "At
first / thought it was the ranch
that lay between us; a psyche
logical rival, somet thing she
couldn't understand. And then
quite by accident. she let me
know she looked upon the ranch
as q means of keeping her FAM
lily in funds so they wouldn't be
dependent upon the man she mar
ried; namely. myself.
That's why backed her; gave
her a chance 10 put Ii over.
"Of course" he m 1t q.
laughing, I'D made a pretty
thorough investigation of it be-
fore | turned the money over,
I'm not in the habit of backing
the losing horse" sass..> - --ts'es
II see"
Stick To Business
CONSTANCE wondered exactly
~ what Pedro saw that made his
voice so crisp, so :. so contempt
uous? She wondered that she
could sit there listening. when
she felt as she felt. or was II that
the day had given her so many
shocks she was numb?
You found" Pedro went ON.
shat Miss Cahrillo's interest In
success had passed the point of
providing for her family, and
that II she succeeded you would
never be able to separate her
from the ranch"
Something like that" John
conceded. 7 felt if | could get her
away, knowing she couldn't run
the place herself, she'd be a lit-
tie less independent"
"And So" suggested Pedro.
you stirred up an instruction
among the loyal Cabrillo en-
ployees; the men who were
stepped in Cabrillo tradition.
children who liked to lay in the
sun and let the Cabrillos provide
their food and shelter and oc-
casional wine"
& John Raskthorne's answer came
IN voice like a silver Of ice. 81
have done nothing of the kind"
] Didn't YOU" pursued Pedro.
when you knew the intersa fral-
ing over the discharge or the first
employees, say in the presence of
Juliarlo that the loss of that hay
would cripple Miss Cabrillo?
Didn't you say 10 was lucky there
were no electric storms here to
set fire to It?
And haven't you right along
suggested everything that has
happened. even to telling, last
Sunday, about ranch that was
forced TO close down because
t Il b CIRCULAR cows were found
among the herds?"
You have an excellent imag-
ination, Mr.. Taylor. Are you sure
that you were not the one 10
make these suggestions?"
Quite sure" retorted Pedro.
because I have the word OF
some present on each occasion.
that YOU spoke as said"
Constance chung TO the edge of
the bench. John had wanted her
to lose. John who had first pro-
tected his investment so that he
couldn't lose. And he wanted her
to marry him. expected her to.
Il didn't know you had been
seeing Mlss Donna right aloRg.#
offered Raskthorne geniaIly.
Midnight rendezvous"
Constance didn't hear pedro's
reply because because she
knew. suddenly. that Donna had
been seeing Pedro: Donna. ex-
cited, mysterious. had been slip
ping out OF the house at night
And that was that
Personalities will net help us
Pedro was saving. "strno0se We