The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-11-28

LLAG 4dSt NGSLlSG VI 4b4Id VIZ
life waS GsWebt2awaf4 She wa!
caught in "a world Of frightfu
emptiness - .
During those first horrible days
when she realized Rolly was gone
her strength and control broke
Doctor Burrows quoted her with
sedatives, from which she would
arouse into fresh paroxysms Of
grief. When approached concern.
ing details of the funeral, she
cried there would be no funeral
But your fathers neighbors
and friends. :" DR.. Burrows
argued gently.
"They killed him!" she scream
ed. 'They aren't friends. They
killed Rollyl"
Doctor Burrows said quietly
"You don't mean that, Rita"
Il dol" she blazed. &" and
her head dropped on his shoulder
in tormented sobs." No." she whis-
pered. "I-don't mean it. Oh, Doc,
how can I live without Rolly?"
It was then that Miss Thrasher
had come in. "The telegraph office
called" she said. There's wire
for you. Rita, from a Me- Pasquin
from New York. ! told them to
send it over, I didn't think you'd
want to take it over. the phone"
CLARK. :" Rita's sobs quoted,
Aher heart lifted for the first time
with something like joy. Doctor
Burrows smiled as he watched her
face. There's still friends - and
love in the world, Rita girl" he
said gently.
When the telegraph boys BIZ
#cycle stopped at the front gate
yand he started across the lawn,
Rita was on the porch to meet
him. Doctor Burrows silently
blessed this Clark fellow as he
tipped the boy and took the tele-
gram. A faint flush was on Rita's
white cheeks, a light of anticipa-
ton in her eyes. She ripped open
the envelope and read the mes
sage.
'Well?" Doctor Burrows prod
ded with jovial curiosity. ITS he
comm to see us?"
Rita looked up, and Doctor Bur-
rows felt suddenly sick. The color
had drained out of her cheeks
again, her eyes were dull as paste.
NO." she said in a monotone.
II think I'll lie down." She
turned and left without a word.
The telegram fluttered to the
porch unnoticed. -.
Doctor Burrows With a NUT
tered oath picked it up and read
it without conjunction. It said:
Deepest sympathy. Hope to see
you when you are in New York
again. Clark Pasquin."
'The damned jackanapes!" the
Doctor exploded. $50 that's the
skunk that got her into all this
mess!" To relieve his feelings he
stomped across the lawn and
down through the orange grove.
The End For ROlly
- TIA did not cry again. She
N went through the prepara-
tions for the funeral with a
strange, quiet detachment that
tore at the Doctors heart.
Tom Ralston was buried on the
hillside beside his wife at three
in the afternoon after a simple
ceremony in the village church.
Flowers poured In from every
corner of the countryside, and
every rancher was there. No mat
ter how they felt about the fac
tory, Tom RalSton was their
neighbor, their friend. They paid
him the last homage.
Rita hardly knew they were
there. She did not hear the minis
ter'S short, sincere eulogy. She~sa4,
with her gaze on the flower
decked altar just above the silver
casket, a blank, patient expression
on her face. : - -, ,..,,
Doctor Burrows was Worried,
When Sam Arlen approached him
out at the cemetery and asked
him if it would be all right for
a committee to call on Rita the