The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-25
MEMORY OF THE moon
|. BY Jeanne Bowman .

WdSIIOOIll, HSE 1dCS Justly ClGdIl.
"Now go wash yours" she adj
vised him in his own tone, and
whisked into the barn.
Pedro, Donna and Meg depart
ed for San Francisco. Constance
and John watch ed them off,
waved to them as they went down
Ell Canine Real. Meg's plumed
hat bobbing. Meg sat in the rear;
good Meg. even Donna couldn't
work fast with the stout Irishwo-
man watching her.
Despite Juliano's black looks
and the sadness of Dolores, Con-
stance was happy. With new men
to handle the work, she would be
relieved and could give more
time to figuring ways and means
of stretching the money to meet
the costs.
''If I can get through this first
year" she reasoned, 1.-The others
will be easy"
She was already half way
through. The herds had adapted
themselves to the ranch with pa
tient gratitude for good food, care
and comfortable quarters. They
were repaying with rich milk.
Ell Cabrillo, stirred from GEN.
turtles of slumber, was producing
food for both the cattle and the
people.
The Cabrillos were already
heavily in debt, but that wasn't
Constance's concern. When Beach,
port realized that John Rask-
thorne only paid grocery and gas
oline bills, they'd be more care
full of the credit it gave.
Constance watched the sunset
of that third day" Pedro was
due in soon. Tomorrow the hay
would be cut. Tomorrow night
when she looked down, that gold
en- field would be silver stubble;
and there would be shocks picked
up by the cleaner, and me feed
barn and silo would have the first
of their homegrown fodder.
Serves You Right
John was standing by as he had
y promised. She felt his presence
like shadow cast across her sun.
He had refused to listen to her
when she had tried to tell him
she would never marry him. Now
she tried again.
mo, Chita, don't say it. You
will, in time. l know it. One
doesn't wait this long without
winning out. Go on with your
ranch; I'll help you win it. If you
run short of money. you know
where you can find more"
But Constance shook her head.
She would borrow no more from
John. For some time a plan had
been forming in her mind. First.
she must have these three years
to prove Ell Cabrillo could be run
as dairy farm at profit. and
then she would go to the moneyed
men of Beachport and borrow the
money to repay John.
After that? She wouldn't think
beyond that. Somehow she would
make enough to pay off the prin-
cipal of the new loan.
Pedro drove in at dusk. Con-
stance heard him talking to
Petersen. The men would be
housed at different places that
first night; the discharged Ell Cab
rillo men were to be driven to
3eachport the next morning.
She slept contented. With Dom
ia in San Francisco. and Nadine
and Don visiting neighboring
ranch for a few days, the house
was quiet.
1t was the quietness that awak-
cned her; a queer stiffness like
the weight of dead air. She lay
still for a moment. and then she
heard shouts
Constance scrambled into her
clothes and ran outdoors, the sky
to the north was dull red. She
ran up the hill and stopped short.
That great field of golden grain
was scarlet. Rimmed with fire.
eating steadily toward it's heart.
| Constance went back to the
house. Juliano was at the patio
door, half clothed. a candle in his
hand. his eyes in the Pickering
light black discs of fanatical tri-
umph.
Constance passed him, then
turned. who set that fire, Juli-
ano?" she demanded.
"Senorita.n he returned. "El
Cabrillo was ordained a cattle
ranch. The spirit of thees first
Don Cabrillo, he have return to
show bees displeasure."
| Constance started to say more:
to force him TO tell what he
| knew; but it was useless. She
went to her office and crossed of
the four figured black total she
had that day placed against the
debit column.
| The next morning she went TO
Peter Taylor and demanded JUL
ano be fred. Taylor. tired. his leg
aching. his eyebrows scorched.
| shook his head Il can't. Michael.
Juliano is part of the ranch: like
| myself. hes another of your IA
theirs bright ideas. You'll have TO
sell the place 20 get rid OF him.
and that that would be cruel.
He loves it as we do"
| Constance turned 10 see Pedro
! coming from the barns. and Don.
I back from his visit, racing up the
hill.
Don was excited. Boy. that
was some conflagratlon." he said.
We heard about 1t on the radio:
call for help BY the FIRE warden
Sure buried up the old hay.
didn't il? Well Sis. that's what
you get. Serves you right for Try
. ing TO be the Almighty
Pedro stood tense. silent. Peter
Taylor hunched his shoulders ard