The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-12-06

constant Dame
BY
NINA LESLIE CALLEJA
CONCLUSION
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Hera meanwhile was gettins
up IN the world. Without Charlie
as a constant drag and source q,
worry she couldn't have beer
stopped, AS it was, she had !
daily syndicated article, her mag
azine duties and frequent special
feature stories. Coming money
the girl was, and Charlie spend
ing 1t like quartet of drunken
sailors. The golden age, indeed.
Harvey Ingram was going
places, too. He had worked him
self up to managing editor on a
small rag and as the phrase went
IN those days, was sitting pretty.
he hadn't married. Still brood
ing about Hera. Once in a while
they'd meet and you could see
the old love-light flare up in his
eyes and the usual huskineSS de-
noting emotion make itself heard
IN his voice. Hera sometimes en-
listed his aid in Strengthening
Charlie out of the bends. She and
Harvey, posse of two, would
scour the speaks and tow the
victim of rum home to his bed.
Such is the blindness of women
that it never even occurred to
Hera how cruel all this was to
Harvey, uncomplainingly and UNI
flinchingly as he stood it.
The book? Hera still had faith
in it, too, surprisingly enough. A
martyr to a lost cause, and every
body knew it except the martyr,
which is usually the case.
Things took a. slight turn when
Hera had to go to Chicago for a
week. Charlie, put on his honor,
bore up WE'LL He virtuously
eschewed drinks and actually
wrote little on the book. And
then, the night before Hera's re-
turn, up pops Cleo.
That was night. Cleo and
Charlie, primed, wound up about
eleven o'clock the next morning
in Hera's apartment, where they
barricaded themselves with thir-
teen bottles of Scotch and pre-
pared to make up for their six
years separation.
Harvey found out they were
there and sent out riot call to
the rest of the gang. Don't let
Hera go home. Keep her away
until 1 can get Cleo out and
Charlie at least half-sober. This
will kill Hera if she finds out
A noble soul, Harvey. Every
body rallied around just as nobly,
and a delegation of five met
Hera at the station with pro-
posal of lunch. They were even
prepared to spend money to keep
her happy, SO you can see they
were in earnest. Hera, pleased,
nevertheless, refused. She want
ed to get home and see Charlie.
Short of carrying her off by
force, there wasn't anything any
body could do except take her
home. Harvey and two police
men were getting ready to batter
the door down when they ar
rived. Hera promptly went to
pieces. Something has happen
ed to Charlie!" she screamed.
Let me in!"
Something had happened to
Charlie, all right. He was drunk
as a hoot-owl, and so was Cleo.
Hera took one look at them, and
for the first time in her life JUS
titled her Greek-goddess name.
I'll swear she grew a foot IN
height before our eyes.
II will handle this" she told
the policemen steadily, and they,
accustomed to domestic scenes,
beat a haSty retreat. u
Now" saiH Hera.
First she broke up the eleven
remaining bottles of Scotch, and
the two empties: six full and one
empty on Cleo's head, five full
and one empty on Charles. Then
she broke up three chairs, two
occasional tables, six mirrors,
four vases, two ashtrays, a clock
and three framed pictures. Then
she sat down in an overstuttea
chair that was too heavy to lit
and break and gave the two cul-
prits a memorable and praise
worthy talking-to. We all 1eI'
keenly what a pity it was they
we're unconscious and missed IT,
Then she began to cry, and when
Harvey put his arms around nel
she leaned on his shoulder IKE
n child, or like the old, helpless
Hera as we knew her first. we
tintoed away to call an amou-
lance for Cleo and Charie:
The approaching nuptials OF
uora and Harvey restored oni
faith in humanity somewhat Two
GOOD people, we felt, were al
last coming into their own i've
had people had got theirs nav
O"N ,1;cobaroad from. the
hos hospital, Cleo and Charlie dis
anneared. Several searching ex-