San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-27
Chapter LVI.
By CAROLYN BEECIlER


After dinner was over Mr.. Conway
led the way to the library. He told
Bruce and Muriel what he had done,
the amount he had given Bruce out
right.
Il want you to enjoy it while ]
live" he said quietly, mot to wait
until 1 am dead. You have proved
yourself a full-sized man, son. and
can be trusted, deserve trust. j hope
it will make you and Mural happy
and give you as much pleasure in the
spending as it has me in the earning.
i have worked always for you, son,
and made the work constant de-
light.
Bruce's face showed his emotion.
Rising, he threw his arm over his
fathers shoulder and kissed him as
he had when he was a little boy.
Muriel sat silent, her face expression
less.
II don't deserve so much kindness.
father" His voice broke. Il haven't
always made you happy" Both knew
he referred to his leaving college to
marry Muriel.
MY disappointment was only tenn
n~sRsF. You have made me forget
it By the way you have carried your
self since"
Still Muriel had not spoken. al
though Mr.. Conway had looked at her
expectantly several times and Bruce
had flushed, embarrassed at her atti-
tude. Now he said:
You haven't thanked father yet,
Muriel."
What will all this money mean
to meT She spoke to Bruce. will
it make you do what i want you to-
give up your office work and devote
your time to me? If so, l shall be
grateful to Mr.. Conway" She never
yet had addressed him in any other
way. If not it means absolutely
nothing to me-
Mr.. Conway looked from one to the
other. He was puzzled. What did
she mean. More embarrassed than
ever. Bruce answered the question in
his fathers face.
"Muriel has a silly notion that when
a man has money enough to live on
he shouldn't work. he explained
lamely.
what others do doesn't interest me
in the least. What you. do, does.
What 1 want to know is, will you
do it?'
surely you uOH medH, udusht'r'
that you would have a young man
quit working because he has a COM
petence? Why, it would almost make
me want to be an Injun giyer and
take my gift back il i thought it
would lead TO such a thing. Men
were made to work, not rust; work
was made for men. When Bruce is
as old as 1 am then perhaps it might
be feasible. Yet j will keep my hands
on the reins and look after all my in
vestments. No. daughter, work is a
mans salvation"
I'm sorry we can't agree" Muriel
replied quietly. II hold a mans duty,
Bruce's duty, is to his wife above all
else. If he is poor he has to be away
from me while he is making a living.
IL that isn't necessary he is neglect
full of his duty if he does not accede
to my request and give up work that
takes him from me-" Ht
Iu6lRr3ce shifted from one foot to the
5the.. He was embarrassed, angry.
How ungrateful Muriel was. He
noted the light of sudden comprehen-
sion in his fathers face. Muriel her
self had told him the cause of their
failure to be happy.
you really think that because you
would have money enough to live on
that Bruce, at his age, should be an
idler? You would have to live very
plainly to get along on the interest.
I haven't given him enough to play
gentleman on"
II don't care how plainly We live
80 we are together" Then she plead