The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-11

| WuGTG OOlOTSS, 10 WlOIll Keys IdO
been mailed, had hung her
clothes, Constance chose a long
dinner dress of garnet velvet, and
with it wore an heirloom of the
Cabrillos, a necklace of dull gold
squares inset with garnets and
seed pearls.
Dolores stood back in rapt ad-
miration. 'Eef you could bot look
like thees when you make the
speak, they would have knelt at
the feet before you," she muir
INJURED.
Constance paid little attention
to the thought beneath this, until
she was alone with Meg. Meg had
gathered her into warm arms and
Constance had found nothing in
congruous in a Cabrillo being
so greeted by a ''house-keep."
"Divil take Them" muttered
Meg, when Constance had laugh
ingly told of Dolores doubtful
compliment. Don't they know
them feudal times are dead? They
have to worship, do they? Well,
let them find out a lady's a lady
in heart and not in coverings,
these days"
Gold Locket
THE Taylors gave Constance
L the holiday she should have
had with her own family; the
welcome the people of Ell Ca
hrillo should have given her.
There was the dinner, with Meg
lowering over her, seeing she had
the best of everything, and then
the Christmas tree disgorged
gifts.
A turtle necked sweater to
match the beret, knitted by Meg.
A scarlet poncho and billed cap
from Peter Senior, and from
Pedro, a long jewelers. box:
Constance opened it slowly and
frowned a little. 1t contained an
fashioned gold chain with a
golden heart for locket.
"Open it," prompted Meg.
Constance touched the snap and
two faces were revealed, a beard
ed man and prim, rosy-cheeked
woman. The man looked like
someone she knew.
michael Mahoney and his
bride, Sary," explained old Pc
ter. "Son found it in San Fran
cisco some time back, bought 1t
thinking someone in the family
might like it."
Constance closed her eyes to
hide the tears. She was the only
one in the family who would
have looked at it second time
and she loved it. She sensed then,
what she later learned, that it
had been pawned by a Cabrillo
who had set no value on it.
eff you don't mind" she muir
INJURED, I'D like to cry -. just
little bit?"
"You do and I'll sing" threat
ened Peter Senior, and burst into
When Irish Eyes are Smiling.
He led Constance to the piano,
piled music before her, then sat
down, his injured leg out before
him, to rumble his old, favorite
songs.
An hour before the huge fire.
place followed, Constance and Pc
ter Taylor talking of the ranch.
Pedro sitting back in the shad-
ows, silent.
"Of course I'm still manager
here" Taylor warned her once,
"but / won't override you If you
| don't try to override me. l like
that Petersen. He spent few
days here looking over the place,
after you first wrote him. Well
work together.
Pedro is driving me down to
San Francisco next week. l in
tend getting top prices on the
cattle before we send them out.
That should offset the incoming
herds to a good degree"
He went on talking and Con-
stance was puzzled. The man
seemed as interested in the re-
placement and the future of the
ranch, as he would have been
had she sold to him.
''Mr. Taylor" she asked sud-
denly, "why didn't you tell us
of the proposed railroad right
of-way through the ranch?"
Peter Taylor rumbled under
his breath, then looked at his
son and sighed. We'll, Michael,
it was this way. They bargained
with me. They wanted to bring
the line in from Fuller's Junction.
That wouldn't have touched the
ranch proper and we couldn't
have used the Beachport depot.
So promised. if they'd come in
from the north instead, I'd give
them the right of way: providing,
of course, they swung the line as
far south as the proposed dairy
unit, and allowed us the use Of
the line"
oh" breathed Constance, and
thought a moment. How much
would they have paid for right
Of way from the south?"
Wouldn't run over FIVE thou
! Sand, the way the land runs, and
that wouldn't pay for the trucks
| we'd need, nor cover the extra
| handling. This way, we can shoot
/ straight into San Francisco with
! the bulk Of the goods. The cream
can so straight 70 Beachport
/ without doubling back from Full
ler's Junction
Then they hadn't been trying
10 hold out" on the CabrllloS.
Her face frightened. then cloud
cd and she went over 10 Mr.. Tay-
Tor, her hand outStretched. I'm
| sorry. felt ! was justified in
using your plans because you
were double-croSSing me about
the right Of way. Now it's too
| late"