The Key West citizen. [volume], March 28, 1939, Page PAGE FOUR, Image 4

About The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current

Image provided by: University of Florida

                
PAGE FOUR
DANGEROUS SERVICE
_____
The Characters
Peter Mallone: Adventurous
journalist.
Petronella: His sister.
James Randall: Their childhood
friend.
Yesterday: Feeling she could
never stand life with Tony, Petrel
returns to England.
Chapter 33
James
'T'HE bell on the bright red door
1 of the shop rang for the hun
dredth time this afternoon. James
entered, and stood on the thresh
old of the warm, bright, steamy in
terior, looking with satisfaction
at the gay decorations, the hang
ing lines of calendars, the shelves
of quaint gifts and toys. Outside,
it was dark, damp and foggy. But
here, the Christmas rush of Ball
field shoppers defied depression.
It was three days before Christ
mas, and this frail business, at
whose birth he had assisted, with
so much misgiving, showed every
indication of growing, lustily.
Four country women, with arms
full of parcels, and bulging bas
kets, were engaged in choosing
toys, under gray-haired Moro
vitch’s guidance, or were turning
over Christmas cards.
Tamara, wearing the outlandish,
gaily embroidered Russian coat in
which she worked in winter time,
left her customers, and stood with
her back to him at the foot of the
stairs.
“Petrel!” she called, in that
high, fresh voice of hers, which
had lost little of its accent “Pe
trel! Will you bring down three
dozen Herald Angels, please!”
James stepped up behind her.
He could never resist teasing Ta
mara. Everything she did seemed
to invite it. His face took on an ex
pression of deep gravity.
“I’d no idea. I hadn’t heard. So
young!”
“Heard what?”
‘That poor Petrel had joined the
celestial choir!”
‘Stupid! She is up in the stock
room, bringing me more Christ
mas cards, because they are all
selling out. Hardly any of my mod
ern cards. In Ballfield they are
like men, they prefer angels. I can
not talk to you now. Go away!
Help, Petrel ”
“With the angels? Certainly!”
He pretended he had not under
stood her jealous little thrust. He
W’ent up the murky, narrow stairs,
that led to the three-room flat
where Tamara and her father
lived. Petrel had been home all the
week, helping them. She and Colo
nel Mallone were going to be at
the Cottage for Christmas. Peter,
so far as James knew, was still in
Rifssia. Petrel was worried be
cause he was still with Lance. He
did not blame her What she had
seen of his work had not been re
assuring. He could not help being
glad of her new abhorrence. But
he must make the most of his op
portunity of seeing her. Petrel
was, for some reason, unapproach
able these days. She was self-as
sured. yet shy. friendlv. yet eva
sive. She was tricky. With Tamara
busy in the shop downstairs, she
should not make any excuse, this
time, to leave him with his ques
tions unanswered.
He found h n r packing a tray to
take down to Tamara.
“Tamara is having a boom!” her
voice was impersonal. She looked
away, refusing to meet his eyes,
and picked up her tray. But he
was not going to let her bolt, this
time. James blocked the doorway,
and took it from her. He felt awk
ward, but determined. Petrel
could not have changed not
reallv.
“That is too heavy for you. and
it’s top heavy, because you’re in
too much of a hurry.” He adjusted
the boxes of colored notepaper. He
sot a round-eyed doll on the top of
the pile.
“She reminds me of you, these
days—that glassy stare.”
‘We Have Changed’
TTE MADE a move towards her,
FT but Petronella evaded his
arm.
“It isn’t Christmas yet.”
“And that isn’t a promise,” he
challenged. “Look here. Petrel,
when you suddenly came home,
and explained why. I thought a lot
of apparently foolish things. I’m
going to confess them. I thought,
‘At last the girl has come to ner
senses. She appreciates me as I de
serve. She has come home to me!’ ”
“It was my fault you felt that—
at first,” she admitted.
“It is the way fools jump to con
clusions.”
“No, I saw it like that, too; on
the rebound. Now, I see it more
clearly. We have both changed,
James.”
“You mean something happened
to make you change your mind.”
“In a way.”
“Petrel,” he besought her, “soon
after you came home, I went for a
walk, and looked at that house
they are building, on the Ridge. I
sold out my risky investments, and
bought gilt-edged. I refused to join
a party for winter sports. Was I
really mad?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’ve
been trying to avoid having this
out Because I don’t know the an
swer. And I want to be honest
“Instead of behaving to my
schedule, you spent most of your
MANY ORDERS
MINNEAPOLIS—PoIice of this
city turned over to a psychiatrist
a 15-year-old bedridden boy who
had become bored and ordered
the following unwanted items
for a neighbor: 75 bottles of
liquor, 6 orders of chow mein, 35
deliveries of coal, 10 grocery or
ders, 3 radio repair trucks and a
tow car.
by GRACE ELLIOTT TAYLOB*
time in London. Who have you
been seeing, there? Colin?”
“Yes. He is engaged to Jean
Grant. They’re very happy. And
I’ve been seeing father, Marigold,
Martin Rowdon, Molly and her
husband; isn’t he awful? Several
people who are home on leave. All
my old friends, in fact. I meant to
visit Clare Horton. She was sept
home, ill. She’s in a nursing home.
But I doubted whether she’d re
member me, and I simply didn’t
find time.”
‘Then that doesn’t answer the
question. There is no one special?”
“No, James.”
“You could have invited them
all to the cottage, in turn, and rung
the News, at all hours, about Peter,
without leaving Ballfield. Why
didn’t you stay, and try to get to
know me again?”
“Because I saw you had been
getting on very well without me,
while I was away. I didn’t want to
spoil anything,” she said briskly.
“I felt what I suppose I am—an
outsider.” He flushed. “If you
mean Tamara, you’re being ab
surd. There has never been a
thing Of course, I’m very fond of
her I’ve tried to instil some or
ganization into this business. That
is all.” He was speaking the truth,
James told himself thankfully.
Not that it had been easy. Tamara
was attractive. He had necessarily
seen a good deal of her. But he had
realized that once started, there
would be no going back. If he
made love to her cousin, he would
lose Petrel. That fellow Lance had
let her down, just as he had ex
pected that he would.
“I knew you’d come back,” he
said. He had always run a strong
second. Now, the favorite had fall
en. But because of one or two
scenes he remembered playing
with Tamara, which she might
have misconstrued, he asked her.
Kisses
“IT WASN’T anything Tamara
* said, which made you go
away?”
“No, nothing anybody said. Just
the general feeling. You’ve been
so good to her; you kid her, in a
way that shows how well you un
derstand her.”
“Yes, it’s a funny thing, that I
should understand a foreigner, but
I think I do.”
“Are you sure she doesn’t de
pend on you more than you imag
ine?”
“To ask a counter question, has
Petronella Mallone anyone to de
pend on, at present?” He was close
to her. She let his arm encircle
her shoulders.
‘That isn’t a fair question. But
I’m doubtful, James. Although,
for the moment, I feel this under
mining urge to be looked after, I
may be quite wrong. Up till now.
I’ve been independent Probably I
shan’t feel submissive, for long.
Perhaps I’ve wandered too long to
settle.”
James stooped and kissed her
forehead gently. “So long as this
mood lasts, why worry? Poor
sweet life isn’t altogether kind,
is it?”
“Not altogether, James.” The
next moment she was holding
him, and he was kissing her. But
there was no passion, only com
fort in their kisses. He thought,
“She has been gone for a long
time. We shall grow together. She
is still the Petrel I knew as a child.
But she is older in experience than
I am. Those experiences will fade.”
He remembered the pile of her let
ters, which he had kept He re
membered that she had seen
shooting and revolution. In Spain,
she had seen massacre and hang
ings. Petrel knew the face of
cruelty, disease, famine, human
suffering. Yet, although he had
known none of these things, and
was a little timid of his own igno
rance, he believed that he and
Petrel could find happiness to
gether. So long as her fear of her
own restlessness was mistaken. So
long as, within her new, evolved
personality, there was still her old
simplicity. So long as life had not
given her a craving for excite
ment, which their home would not
satisfy.
They heard footsteps on the
landing. Tamara stood in the door
way, staring at them with her dark
eyes.
“Hello, there! I see you are very
busy, doing much good hard
work!” She did not look at Petron
ella, but at James. Although her
lips smiled, he felt uneasy because
of what he read in her eyes.
“You have always loved Petrel,
haven’t you?” she asked bluntly.
“Yes, I think I have. You know
how often I’ve talked to you about
her." Tamara strolled into the
room. She shrugged her shoulders.
She answered with flippant, out
spoken hardiness.
“Oh, yes! You told me often
enough. But in Russia, when a
man tells a girl how miserable he
is, for love of someone else, who
is an angel, she knows he is not far
off consoling himself. But in Eng
land, I suppose it is different You
are dull, cold blooded and faithful!
Don’t you think I care!” she shout
ed. For a moment her face was dis
torted. An after thought smoothed
it “There are other men; yes, even
in Ballfield. And I do not feel
about men as Petrel does, about
her Tony Lance. No, thank you! It
is not happy to love like that That
is why I am glad. Petrel, if you are
now sensible.”
fCopyright. 1939. Grace KUiott Taylor)
Tamarraw: An enticement is sn
nounced.
ONLY RED PAINT
‘ BUFFALO, N. Y.—Firemen of
this city rushed their colleague,
William Denney, to a doctor
shouting that he was bleeding to
death from injuries received
fighting a fire. The doctor wiped
his face and dismissed him. A
can of red paint had burst in his
face. |
NEW MURAL FOR FLORIDA EXHIBIT
AT THE NEW; YORK WORLDS FAfit
..ji | Jig •
’ 8 ’ ** Vm®# 3Kp|f
“The evolution of transportation” will be the title of anew moral painted by Byron Stevens,
chief of the art department of Florida National Exhibits, which will adorn one of the walls of
the main Florida building at the New York World’s fair daring the coming summer. Every known
means of transport from the caravels and ox carts of the time of Ponce de Leon, the discoverer,
down to the present stream lined age with its fast trains, steamships, automobiles and airplanes,
will be shown.
KEY WEST IN DAYS GONE BY
Happenings Here Jnst Ten Years Ago Today As Taken
From The Files Of The Citixen
A legislative measure, which
would permit the catching of
crawfish during the open season
and placing them in cold storage
to supply the trade during the,
closed months or prohibitive pe
riod, was the object of a confer-;
: ence between the Monroe coun- j
ty representatives to the legisla
ture and Paul Petrich of the
Coronado Fish Cos., at Islamorada.
Fla. Mr. Petrich shows that
! every state has a law similar to
that suggested except Florida and
believes that it would be of great
benefit to the state if the legisla
ture should pass one, and should
also bring great benefits to those
who are in the crawfish industry.
The representatives told Mr. Pet- ; j
, rich they were very much im
pressed by his suggestion and
that they believed that there was
a probability of such a measure
being put through at the coming
session of the legislature. He was 1
assured of their interest, aid and
cooperation in the movement. !
That the fame and worth of The j
Citizen is not confined to its own \
particular territory is shown by
a letter received in this office re
cently from London, England.
The letter was from the Cosmo-.
politan Features, Ltd., of that;
city, advertising agents, who evi
dently have the idea in mind of
placing advertising copy in this
section. The information request- j
ed has been forwarded to Lon-*
don.
The New York State $12,000
monument to be erected in Key •
West will soon be completed and
-be shipped promptly to this
port. The monument is to be
erected to the memory of the
New York soldiers, who died in
Key West at the army post dur
ing the civil war.
Thirteen fine tarpon ranging in
weight from 30 to 80 pounds were ’
captured by Colonel Robert
Thompson’s guests aboard his
houseboat Everglades yesterday. ■
The catch was made about 12
miles from Key West. In the
, party were Charles Thom, Gen- ■
eral Harry C. Hale, Miss Hilda
Sykes and Colonel Thompson. I
At a recent meeting of the
board of directors of the Key
i West Woman’s Club, it was de
cided that the regular meeting of
OIEIIII ROUTE IIORTH
from a ★ ★ ★
MIAMI INllllllin En i°y a pleasure trip North.
; Good meats and regular
/ stateroom accommodations
• f are included in these low,
/ to BALTIMORE . . $0750
W V avary Sunday, 3P. M. w •
t° PHILADELPHIA . SJASO
,'^\A avary Wadnasday, 3P. M. aV
to BOSTON SJ.QSO
' direct Norfolk connection
/ every Sunday, 3 P. M.
to NORFOLK $7050
, x avary Sunday, 3 P. M.
Through fares to aH northern cities.
7<3lr£>ivS-3£.*** Alto, sailings from Jacksonville.
' \ f AUTOS CARRIED AT LOW EXTRA COST j
Apply Price Tour and Travel Service, 505 Duval
Stract, Kay Watt (TaL 124); or Merchants It
V Minors Lina, 211 S. L First Street, Miami.
mN MERCHANTS &
MINERS LINE
' THE KEY WEST CITIZEN
the club will be held on Tuesday,'
April 9, instead of April 2. The
change was made because of the
fact that the Firemen’s Conven
tion will be in session on the sec
ond and the women *have been
asked to assist in entertaining the
guests.
Flames discovered about 7
o’clock this morning completed
the destruction of the Ruy Lopez
factory, cne-half of which was
destroyed yesterday. It was at
first thought that the flames re
sulted from smouldering embers
from yesterday’s fire, but resi
dents of the community said that
the fumes of gasoline were strong
all about the place.
Editorial Comment: The board
of public works is being .highly
praised for building that fine,
piece of roadway connecting the
south end of the city boulevard
with White street. Those who
wonder why it was not done be
fore are no less delighted with
the knowledge that the long de
layed convenience is finally pro
vided.
Mr. and Mrs. Armando Perez,
711 Caroline street, report the ar
rival of a daughter, bom to their
home today. The newcomer has
, been given the name Elbia. _
FKYoY
iT
IN KEY WEST |
Wednesday
Sale Day at Municipal Sponge
Dock.
Special meeting of City Coun- j
cil to consider Zoning Enabling
Act. 8 p. m. City Hall.
Friday
Key West Boat Club meeting,
open to visitors. 8 p. m. Light
house Building Three.
Sale Day of Sponge fishermen
at Municipal Sponge Dock, cor
ner of Grinnell and Caroline
Streets. 9:30 a. m.
Subscribe to The Citizen —20c
weekly.
The Favorite In Key West
THY IT TODAY
STAR * BRAND i
CUBAN COFFEE
CN SALE AT ALL GROCERS
Annual Electric Range Sale!
A set of electric Cooking Utensils will be given away with each
model General Electric Range sold and installed during this sale. Al
so—a liberal allowance will be made for your old stove.
at A New Lower Cost
J ——you can now enjoy the cleanliness, cool kitdea cam
foPu, the speed and economy, and the better result*
of modern electric cookery. All these are yours
with the new General Electric —plus added advant
-1 ages no other range can offer.
TERMS $069 r
* ?•:“ f As low as ™
•*f : s r f f-: if’, c- ■ .
"SPEEDSTER"—G-55 j
4 4 4 Ml j |H I B
S /or*
Hi
PnftKPDY
£• ■ MUitll
B J < B ——--
B. ■ ■
B B jB n
\/ c.&piQ'
• "COMET--G J 2 FREE—ELECTRIC COOKING UTENSILS!
The Key West Electric Company
v * *.
ANSWERS TO TEN
TEST QUESTIONS
Below ere the tMwm to teat
questions printed on Page 2
1. West Virginia.
2. Saloon.
3. Central America.
4. J. Edgar Hoover.
5. John Adams and "John
Quincy Adams. .
6. A meld consisting of four !
* Kings arid four Queens. •
7. Arizona, f
8. Li-thog’-ra-fer; not lith’-o
graf-er.
9. Once.
10. An institution for the care of !
children that have been :
. abandoned by their par
ents.
AAA SALVE
h hn
UUU COLDS
Liquid-Tablets nriee
Silver-Nose
Drops 10c & 2oC
Let Us Estimate
on YOUR Printing
POSTERS
BOOKLETS
STATIONERY
OFFICE FORMS
at Reasonable Prices
PHONE
51
THE ARTMAN PRESS
THE CITIZEN BLDG.
JUodtetlfm* KEY WEST fe*
P & O Steamship CUBA
""CWat, S;3o* m SOU©
At. Hjvma, 3:00p.m. same afternoon \ / flew TRIP
Lv. Havana, feOOaun. Tuesdayv-Fndaya \ / •*-- zmto
Af. Key West, 3:15 p.m. amc ahemoon |
* CUtAN TOUMST TAX Mt 1 OAT LIMIT
To PORT TAMPA, Tuesdays end Fridays, Spa
The PENINSULAR A OCCIDENTAL S S. COMPANY
J. H COSTA*. A yam
OVERSEAS
TRANSPORTATION CO., INC.
Fast, Dependable Freight and Express Service
—between—
MIAMI and KEY WEST
Also Serving All Points oa Florida Keys hMwnum
MIAMI AND KEY WEST
O
TWO ROUND TRIPS DAILY
(Except Sunday)
utrect Between Miami and Key West.
DIRECT EXPRESS:
Leaves Miami 2:00 o'clock A. M_ arriving Key
West 7:00 o’clock A. M.
Leaves Key West 0:00 o'clock A. M., amv.ng
Miami 2:00 o’clock P. M.
LOCAL: (serving all intermediate poamts)
Leaves Miami 9:00 o'clock A. M-, arriving Key
West 4:00 o’clock P. M.
Leaves Key West 8:00 o'clock A. ML. amvuag
Miami 3:00 o'clock P. M.
-
Free Pick-Up and Delivery Service
Full Cargo insurance
Office: 813 Caroline SL Telephones 92 mnd B
Warehouse—Corner Eaton and Francis Streets
TUESDAY. MARCH 2?.