The Washington times., 1923-03-25
<rnREPOSTEROUS pifle !"
exclaimed Sir Jasper Sea-

regarding his nephew sternly.
you've been talking for fifteen
minutes, Valentine, and every
thing you have said has, to man
of the world like myself, been al
most painful to listen to. Your
suggestion, in brief, is that l, as
senior trustee of your late fathers
estate, should agree to your draw
ing another $500 a year of the
money he left in trust for you in
order that you may marry a revue
girl, and then, at the age of thirty,
retire with her to cottage in the
country. Retire, indeedl Why,
you have never done a days work
since you left school some twelve
years ago."
That's hardly my fault, UNCLE"
replied Valentine soothingly. mo
body ever offered me any work
except yourself, and that was only
to go into your iron foundry. It
sounds such a silly occupation to
be a founder-or finder, l don't
know which you call it-of iron.
Besides. one can't give ones
friends a lump of iron as a Christ
mas present. Now if you'd only
offered me a post in a distilleryv
cit may surprise you to learn
that one doesn't go into business
in order to give ones friends
Christmas presents of the COM
modify one produces" replied Sir
Jasper severely. "What one does
is to try to sell it."
"But surely whiskey is easier to
sell than iron, uncle?" inquired
Valentine meekly.
Sir Jasper snorted. 'There are
times when l feel very thankful
that you didn't accept my offer,"
he said. ''This discussion of your
misspent career is most distasteful
: to me. Your father was a fine
man and a pillar of commerce; it
is perhaps as well that he didn't
live to see his sen grow up. Where
you inherit your love of low
society and total lack of ambition
from is a mystery"
81 hate to hear you talk like
that, uncle; and, besides, it isn't
true. / belong to two of the best
clubs in Soho, and have spent the
whole afternoon telling you that
/ have a great ambition-namely,
to get you to let me have another
$500 a year of what, after all, is
my own money, so that | can
marry Billie and settle down in the
country. Where every prospect
pleases and only work is vile,' as
Heber puts it. Will you think it
over. uncle?"
Certainly not. / wonder you
are not too proud to ask me. A
man with no sons of his own wants
to see his only nephew do some
thing in the world-be somebody.
You take no pride in anything. I
wonder" he went on, glancing at
the Old Harrovian tie Valentine
was wearing, "that you are even
proud Of having been to Harrow"
'I'm not. The only reason /
wear the colors is to prove to the
world that l wasn't at Eton."
Sir Jasper rose to his feet in
disgust. II think we will call this
interview at an end" he said.
"Your aunt will expect you at our
hotel for dinner at seven-thirty. l
sha'n't be back till half-past eleven
or so nyself-these city banquets
are long affairs, you know. You
might take your aunt to the Folly;
they generally have something
amusing on there.
He drew a five-pound note from
his case with a show of affability.
II suppose you could get a couple
of good seats with this?"
II think l can, uncle" replied
Valentine, pocketing the flyer, and
recollecting that the show at the
Folly was a failure and the bust
ness manager an old and obliging
friend.
"Well, good-by, my boy; l am
sorry l can't accede to your re-
quest. The best advice / can give
you is to work and make sufficient
money for your needs; then you
can buy your cottage in the coun-
try and lie about and do nothing
to your hearts content, though
why a healthy young man of your
age should want to lead the life of
a glow-worm is beyond me-"
Gwen glow-worms have a good
time according to their lights,
uncle" murmured Valentine.
Having arranged with his friend
the manager at the Folly for two
complimentary seats, and feeling
the need of some congenial society
prior to what promised to be sim
gularly tame evening, Valentine
decided to call upon Olive Beres-
ford, whom he had known in the
days when she was in the beauty
chorus. She was still beautiful,