The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-12-18
by George
Harmon
Coke

weight, well distributed along his
f1at-muscled body, gave al I'M
preston of poIse and physical fit
ness. and there was nice taper
from shoulders to hips. His brows
were bent now and the pipe
clamped firmly IN his wide mouth
warped the solid angular Jaw
Presently ne removed the pipe
shook out some ashes and came
over to the chalse1lqngqqQY va
2 How was the playE. .5b4w 81
u Very good" joyce said fits
shame you couldn't make II"
YES" Murdoch, said absently.
You must have been awfully'
busy" 97iA5.- T". z
"Yes-I was " --.-~-- 1870
Joyce turned slightly, crossing
her knees. Sne picked up an
orange stick and idly fooled with
her nails, keeping one eye on ne-
husbands face. She saw the froWn
bite deeper His gaze travelled all
over the room - taking are 70
miss her-and ne tapped the pipe
stem against MS teeth. Whatever
it was that bothered 1lm was
coming to the surface. and she
began to hum softly until she
heard him clear his throat,
"HeStor's in town"
"Who?"
"Hestor. You know"
"Oh yes. | knew she was"
He looked at ner Sharply
knew she was what?"
'Why-that she was in town
We met husband number two II
Hugo's."
f. "Oh." MdrddcE said, Andloohed
vaguely troubled as he 1ffsttred
to his Wife's ace Observation-Disclosures
ing a a = - q = A =. a AAAAA
Joyce kept busy with her
orange stick after she had fin
ished ShGlIknewu theTAYR,as lraRgF;
to come sHassWaS fidgeting now
but she did not help Aim out and
presently he spoke again, his eyes
still avoiding her.
"She called me up"
Did she? Wasn't that nice OF
herr"
He looked up quickly. dark
eyes suspicious, but Joyce Wa.
busy with her nails.
Il had a drink with her" n
said abruptly. and rose and wen
to the other side of the fooni
where he began TO undrcSS
Joyce put down the orange
stick.
rs that why you couldn't NEE
us after the show?"
"She kept after me-" Murdock
said. She called me up and saIc
she understood | was dong some
portrait work now and hoW abou'
doing some of her | told her ia
think it over"
But why?" Joyce was smiling
Apparently she can pay abou,
any price voL want to ask and"
Difficult Story
NOV wait minute. Murdoch
~ said. Let me tell 1t, will
your" He stopped to look at her
a grin at the corners of MS mouth
and embarrassment IN his eyes
She called me- up. She saldsshe
wanted to see me and / said
well. you know now it is"
"Of course do" said joyce
sWeetly
Will you stop that?" Murdoch
groWled; then. good natured3y: Il
said I'd like y see her out that
was busy. and she said all right.
then she'd come to the office
Well, that wouldn't nave been so
good. would it? So said okay
I'd have a drink with her later"
He looked around to see if
She was believing him and She
nodded and said: "And what was
she liRe?"
He told her with a masculine
lack of detail and she sat there
watching him and thinking of
many things. She was grateful for
his honesty, but, looking back.
she realized that it had always
been this way. Even from the first
she had known that this man
would be completely honest with
himself and, because of this.
honest with her.
He was Just a newspaper pho
tOSrapner then-he still was. al
though ne now was picture chief
for the Courier Herald and had
more time for, outside interests
but even SOC he measured up Ito
the man she'd had In the back
of her. mind. since girlhood
4 She realzeda he had Gnisb ea
He bad slipAed intoYhis n EtmAs
Ays9syeas ktaaaSn al thark$ IA hsrAe