San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-05

pehitentiary instead of fine. Ned,
If you had killed the girl it would
have been fully right and just for
you. to spend a good many of the
best years of your life behind prison
walls. / ask myself whether or not
would bring my influence to bear,
in that case to keep you fronp going
there. I'm ashamed to say that /
would.
You may wonder about that.
would know, in my heart, that YOU
should 20 there. l cant excuse you
without also accusing myself. There
fore, l would try to keep you out OF
prison. In doing that, l would see
IN myself further proof of my old
weakness-a weak desire TO spare
you when the prison might make a
man of YOU" .
Ned rccoiled at the words, bat his
father threw him Il quick smile.
Your mother and L have a lot to
answer for. Both OF us were busy.
L with my business, she with her
household cares and social duties,
and it was easier to. give you what
you wanted than to refuse you
things for your own good. 1t was
easier to let you go soft than to pro-
vide hardship for you. 1t was pleas
anter to give in tnan TO hold out
and we loved you too much to put
you through what we should have
PUT you through.
This thing we've talked over be-
fore. I've never been firm. I've let
you grow to mans years-20, l be-
iicve-and still be child in expert
ence. The work you do around my
business could be done by a 11-year1
old boy. Ned, / want TO make man
OF YOU" ..-
he paused again, and their eyes
met over the table. All too plainly
the elder Cornet saw that his appeal
mad failed to go home. His son was
smiling grimly, his eyes sardonic, I'M
mistakable contempt in the curl Of
his lips.
Ned bitter smile had seemingly
passed to his own lips. Il suppose
there's no use of going. on" he said.
by all means so OH, since you are
so warmed up to your subject" Ned
answered colby. Il wouldn't like to
deprive you OF the pleasure. You had
something OH your mind; what is it::'
Its SIMPLY this his father went
on. To-day | met Leo Schaffner at
lunch, and in our talk he gave me
what | consider "a real business in
SEPARATION. He tells me, in his various
jobbing hoises, he has several thou
sand silk and velvet GOWNS and
coats and wraps left on his hands in
the financial depression that imme-
diately followed the war. He was
cussing his luck because he didn't
know what to do with them. OF
course they were part of the surplus
that helped glut the, markets when
hard times made people stop buy
ing-stock that was manufactured
during the booming days of the war.
He told me that this finery was made
of the most beautiful silks and vel
velts, but all of it was good three
seasons out of style. He Offered me
the lot of two thousands for--I'm
ashamed to tell you how much"
almost nothing" his son prompt
ed him.
"Yes. Almost nothing. And ]
took him up"
His son ,caned back, keenly inter
| ested for the first time Good Lord
why? You can't go into business
selling out-of-date women's clothes !.
Cant, Ell? Son, while he was
talking TO me. it occurred TO me al
at once that the least of those gowns
the poorest one in the lot was wortl
at least a marten skin! Think of it
4 marten skin, from Nor .hern Cana
da and Alaska. returned the trappel
around $50 in 1920. Now let me &c
down to brass tacks.
Its true / don't intend to sell an!
of those hairy old white trarpers any
women's silk gowns. But this wa
what 1 was going to hive sou do
First you were to hire a good auxili
airy schooner strong. sturdy, sea
worthy >two-masted craft such as j
used in northern trading. You'd ii
that craft out with few weeks sun
plies and fill the hold with coupl