San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23

IlIust'd by Jefferson Machaner

solutely! I owe you a roll. I'll siga
a check for it. Oh, about this sportS-
man, Salvatore. Well, it's like this, you
know: He and 1 are great pals. Lu
was suggesting that seek him out in
his lair and ensnare him with my Dip
lomatic manner and superior BRAIN
power and what-not."
1T was your idea, precious" said
Lucille.
Mr.. Brewster was silent Much a. Il
went against the grain to have to adj
NIT it. there seemed To be something
in this.
What do you propose to do?'
Act as good old agent. How
much did you offer the chappie?"
sThree thousand dollars. Twice a.
much as the place is worth. He's hold
ing out on me for revenge" :.
"Ah, but how did you offer it to him
what? l mean to say. 1 bet you got
your lawyer to write him q letter full
Of whereases, peradventures and par
ties of the first part and 50 forth. No
good, old companion"
aDon't call me old companion.'
~All wrong, ladies Nothing like it,
dear heart! No good at all, friend
Of my youth! Take it from your
uncle Archibald! What you ought to
do is to let me 60 and see him, taking
the stuff in cracking bills. I'll roll
them about on the table in front Of
him. Ill tell you what to do: Give me
three thousand of the best and crispest.
and I'll undertake to buy that shop.
1t can't fail, laddie.-
Don't call me 'laddie.'- Mr.. Brew
ster pondered. VERY well,- he said at
last. Il didn't know you had so much
sense" he added grudgingly.
"Oh. positively" said Archie. Be
meath rugged exterior hide brain
ike a buzz-saw. Sense? / exude it,
laddie: drip with it."
There were moments during the en-.
suing days when Mr.. Brewster permit
ted himself to hope, but more frequent
were the moments when he told him
self that pronounced chump like his
son-in-law could not fail somehow to
make a mess of the negotiations. His
relief. therefore, when Archie curveted
into his private room and announced
that he had succeeded was great.
You really managed to make that
fellow sell out?"
Archie brushed some papers off the
desk with careless gesture and seated
himself on the vacant spot.
Absolutely spoke to him as one
old friend TO another, sprayed the bills
all over the place, and he sang few
bars from 'Rigoletto' and signed on the
dotted line
|. You're not such a fool as you
look" owned Mr.. Brewster,
Archie scratched a match on the
desk and lighted cigarette.
ats jolly little shop" he said. ."I
took quite a fancy to it. Full of news
papers, don't you know and some
weird-looking sort of chocolate, and
cigars. think I'll make u success Of
it. It's bang in the middle of dashed
good neighborhood. One of these days,
somebody will be building big hotel
round about there, and that'll help
trade lot. look forward to ending
counter with full set of white whisk-
body. Everybody'll say: oh. you must
Brighter. He's quite a character.
Mr.. Brewster's air Of grim satisfac-
ton had given way to q look of dis
comfort, almost Of alarm. He presumed
his son-in-law was merely INDUCING
in badinage, but. even so, his words
were not soothing.
"Well, I'm much obliged he said.
Now can start building right
away
Archie raised his eyebrows.
But, my dear old top, I'm sorry to :
spoil your day-drea-Ss and stop you
chasing rainbows and all that. but
aren't you forgetting that the shop be-
longs to me? don't know that want
to SELL"
Il gave you the money 10 buy that
shop!"
"And dashed generous Of you it was,
too :" admitted Archie unreservedly.
Some day, when I'm the newspaper
and tobacco shop king, I'll tell the
world all about it in my autobio-
graphy.'
Mr.. Brewster rose dangerously from
his seat.
"Dou you think you can hold me up,
you-you angleworm?"
well. said Archie, ~the way look
at it is this Ever since we met, you've
been after me 10 become one of the
worlds workers and earn living for
myself and what-not, and now l see
way to repay you for your confidence
and encouragement. You'll look me up
sometimes at the good old shop, won't
you?" He slid off the table and moved
toward the door. There won't be any
formalities where you are concerned.
You can sign checks for any reasonable
amount any time you want cigar or
stick of chocolate. Well, toodle-oo.'
"Stop.S
"Now what?-
"How much do you want for that
shop?'
Il don't want any money. want
job. If you are going to take my life
work away from me, 70 uought to give
me something else TO do"
"What job
You suggested it yourself the other
day. | want to manage your new
aotel.-
Don't be a fool! What do you
know about managing a hotel!r
Nothing. IL will be your pleasing
task to teach me the business while
the shanty is being run up
There was pause while Mr.. Bre--
,tcr chewed three inches off PEN
holder.
"very WELL" be said at last.
Topping" said Archie. Il knew
rou'd see il. I'll study your methods
what? Adding some of my own. OF
curse. You know, I've thought OF one
improvement on the Cosnopolis al
-cady."
q Improvement on the Cosmop-
lis - cried Mr.. Brewster, gashed In
lis finest feelings.
YES. There's one point where the
Id Cosmopolis slips M badly. and I'm
.oing to see that it's corrected ut nv
title shack. Customers will be entreat-
4 10 leave their boots outside their