The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-11-21

! seat beside MN.
gether they would repair to a
speakeasy and get outside some
alcohol. Sonner or later Hera
would track them down, shoe off
Cleo and haul Charlie home,
Sometimes Charlie was a little
unmanageable, and then Hera
would sport miscellaneous bruis-
es, scratches, weals, WeltS and
dark spots on her neck.
One night he nearly killed Hera
| in one of his more recalcitrant
moments, and she was hospital
lied for week. An angry muir
muir went up among Hera's
friends. Charles life wasn't
worth a plugged nickel. In all
fairness to him, or as nearly fair
as anyone could feel toward the
dirty dog, it must be admitted
that it was a blow to Charlie
when he sobered up enough to
learn what had TRANSFERRED. SUI
ficient of blow, at least, to keep
him sober for two solid weeks.
He even offered to marry Hera,
and further announced his inten-
ton of bracing up, becoming a
new man, getting rid of Cleo for
good, and completing the book.
Having made these high re-
solves he took a drink to toast his
reformation, another drink to
seal it, several more because he
wanted them, and in two hours
was plastered to the eyeballs,
Cleo, as usual, performing her
duty nobly by squirting him on
to even more frantic efforts to
drink the country dry
1t took Hera five days to steam
him out this time, handicapped
as she was with broken arm and
jaw. His paper had meanwhile
fired him. Name Cunningham,
by her own admission reason
able woman and a tolerant one,
firm believer in the liVe-and-
let-hve creed, nevertheless felt
that fun was fun but. Her home
was Hera's home, but Charlie
was barred, henceforth and for
ever. Hera smiled gently, kissed
Name and moved into an apart
ment of her own, Juggling Charlie
and his manuscript along with
her.
He will finish his book" she
said, land then We'll have lot
of money and get married and
have children and be happy"
A beautiful thought, that, for
a while it looked like it might
come to pass. Charlie, virtually
a prisoner, watched over con-
stantly by a devoted mistress,
WaXed fat and contented. Chap
ter after chapter of the much
presaged book came into being.
And it was good. A publisher,
having mulled excerpts, was
greatly interested.
About this time Hera got a
break in the shape of an offer
from a woman's magazine to be
one of its associate editors. II
may as we'll take it," she said,
though it will only be for a little
while. Soon Charlie will have
his book finished, and he of
course will never consent to my
working after we are married"
She took the post, and kept it.
For four years. Charlie had about
twenty four lapses, all told, dur
ing these four years, each lapse
lasting about "a month. That
meant he was improving, and
staying sober approximately half
the time. He was in and out of
the Alcoholic Ward at Bellevue
Hospital so often he got so he
went there by himself from force
of habit. Hera refused to be dis
couraged. She paid the liquor
bills he ran up, fed him and
clothed him. loved him and re-
tanned her faith in him. The book
grew so slowly it was hardly
worth mentioning, but Hera did
mention it at every opportunity,
iterating and reiterating the
changes that would take place
on its completion.
She even took Charlie on two
months Mediterranean cruise,
figuring it would do him good. 1t
did. He had a golden chance to
sample foreign drinks, and on
their return the only change in
evidence was Charles new
found fondness for absinthe, de-
mandS for which he drove bar
tenders all over Manhattan fran
tic.
ITO Be Continued)