The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-22

arose in astonished indignation,
waved his forefeet at Pedro's
mount and returned to the pave
ment.
The depot was ahead. A train
was coming down the grade. A
mantilla-covered head was thrust
out of the engineers window;
Donna, gloriously=beautifuE in her
moment of triumph.
Pancho didn't like trains0 He'd
heard few of them while he was
browsing on his golden acres.
He'd probably hoped that some
day he could show them exactly
what he thought of them.
Pancho chose this moment for
his demonstration.
Constance was securely seated
in the saddle one minute, the
next she thought surely she had
been transferred to Pegasus. This
horse had wings. He also had
heels. He showed his heels to the
approaching engine. and then he
put his wings into play.
Constance, hitting the saddle
at intervals, went down the track
of the Longshore Pacific. When
Pancho thought he had proven
his contempt he stopped. But
then thought Constance hysteri-
cally. he was on the edge of the
pier and nothing but the blue
Pacific lay beyond. Behind lay
nothing but space; empty space,
two miles of it, and one lone rider
with a mount carefully picking
his way across the ties,
Pedro! ..~~
Constance looked again. Be-
hind Pedro came an ehtourage.
The parade, she thought, had
come down to the sea on horses.
t. Pancho was willing to return.
Constance met Pedro half way
to the mainland. Pedro'S eye
brows were inquisitive scimitars,
his mouth perfectly controlled.
Didn't care for the parade?"
he asked, as the plump major
domo rode madly up to them.
"Pancho," returned Constance
evenly, knows he is owned by a
Mahoney. The parade was purely
Cabrillo."
Pay-Off
CONSTANCE found her car
- packed with Beachport guests.
She managed to squeeze behind
the wheel and made the drive
with mad laughter in her ears.
Ell Cabrillo was alive again.
There was to be a ball; it would
last until dawn.
Half-hearing, she answered
questions, then realized her
young self-invited guests re-
quired no answers, and concen-
trated on the road. She saw Don's
car flash past hers, filled to the
running boards. She saw other
cars, and when she reached the
terminal of Ell Cabrillo Real she
found them disgorging.
Constance slipped through the
crowd damned at the front doors,
and went to her room to change.
She stepped inside and faced
black-laced fury: Donna, cheeks
scarlet, eyes flashing with anger.
That was a nice trick for one
sister to play on another" she
ragged. "And believe me, those
lumbermen are furious. They
plan everything, have motion pic
ture cameras, newspaper men and
photographers up from San Fran
cisco; everything staged for my
entrance into Beachport to meet
the parade; and what happenS?"
Constance looked at her in mute
CONSERVATION
"I'll tell you what; you. my
very own sister. who is so jealous
of cow-hand that she can't see
straight, puts on such show
that the parade turns and follows
her clear out to a pier a mile
away. and there | am in my
engine e., with with no
! paraue.
Donna" Constance wondered
whether she should laugh or cry.
Il couldn't help that. Pancho has
never had TO face an engine be-
fore. If you couldn't ride him
across a mud-hole. you can mag
inc what it was like trying to
keep him in line with the crowd
shouting, bands playing, and that
engine roaring down the grade"
"Oh. no." Donna wiped her
eyes, "you don't get out of it that
easily. Pedro told maj that you
handle a horse bettsuRrHn any
woman he'd ever seen and better
than most men. You did that de-
liberately. 1t was your pay-off
for not being chosen to bring the
train into town.
Now it's my turn. and I'm 60
ing to pay you off if it's the last
thing do"
The heavy door slammed be-
hind her. Constance would have
liked TO sit down and digest what
Donna had said. but there wasn't
time. One glance out OF her win
dow proved that every hand on
FL Cabrillo was in costume and
serving the guests in one capac-
ity or another
a sweat shirt and blue jeans.
heavy Sportshoes, and a 'kerch!ef
tied under her chin. and Con-
stance slipped out through the
kitchen to race up TO the barns.
II was dark when she returned.
She had barely seen Pedro. He'd
worked IN another barn. but he'd
shouted across that hea3wnad
Pancfo rubbea 43wn ana 60
keted in Beachport and tsat. az
was now safely home.
Reaching her rosns Constance
found It filed with girls, two &C.
cupytglg her bed So AsYeSs drew
g0sSafner stockings over slim