San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-27

ed from what she conceived to be
her duty. That's enough for me. "
She saw Charlton for ten mln-
utes that evening, but in the
winter garden of the hotel. Lady
Pinter was not with him and Huns
phrey had gone to the managers
office to get trunk telephone call
to London.
Charlton was feverish in his ner-
vousness, but he lied to her about
the real cause-his wife. He want
ed a loan of 500 pounds to help
back one of the greatest plays
since Wilde's day, he said. 1t must
be loaned secretly. She must trust
him regarding the money as the
greatest possible contribution to
true art. The play was bound to
be a terrific success-he himself
was part author. And when sue
cess was assured he would blazen
it forth that but for her belief in
art the work might never have
been given to the world. He talk
ed as only Charlton could talk.
"But how am / to find 500"
asked Tina, trembling with the ex-
citement of it all. 'I'd love to do
it-but-"
"Surely, surely, he would not
begrudge you a loan," said Charl-
ton, and there wa a half sneer on
his face.
an do my best" she said, hes
itatingly, although think i ought
to tell him the purpose"
"Then forget that ] asked you
for it." he said CURLY. mo doubt
shall get it from some one else,
but l was hoping the idea would
appeal to you"
'1t does" she said. 'Iet me
think it over"
"Till tomorrow night" said
Charlton. .
She asked Humphrey for the
money that night. She fibbed.- 1t
was the first time she had made a
request for money, but there was
something she particularly wished
to get for Dennis to commemo-
rate his appointment to the gov
ernorship.
Humphrey said: 81 don't like
the idea of your having to ask me
for money, Tina; it isn't fair to
your dignity. I'll open an account
for you when we get back to town.
Suppose we start with 2,000?"
"You dearw she exclaimed; "but
suppoSing | wanted-wanted some
thing here ?"
"I'll fix you up an account here
tomorrow" he said, magnani-
mously, "and you can transfer
when we return"
Charlton received the money and
went off to Lady Pinter with the
arrogant mien of a Londoner who
could had he wished, buy one of
the boulevards. They toasted Tina
that night and wondered aloud
how they should approach her for
a larger sum when the monkey"
was burned" Play? There was
no play, save the satire Which their
own ideas of morality provided.
John Humphrey learned of the
loan a few days later, but he said
nothing about it to Tina. He
hoped that she would breach the
subject, but he was determined not
to bruise her by taking the lead. He
would watch Charlton, he said,
but he wouldn't allow jealousy to
disturb his sleep. Not yet.
The night before he and Tina
left Paris they went to the Odeon
and laughed immoderately at a
farce in which a rich old husband
was made to pay for the extrava-
gances of his young wife and her
youthful lover. Andin her laugh
ter Tina said: "Well, what could
he expect?"
1t was an innocuous remark so
far as she was concerned, but it
cut with the keenness of an Arctic
wind. Yet he was not more than
forty and was more virile than a
score of Charltons combined.
They returned to Wingrove, and
Tina settled down to the life be-
fore her with the calculated me-
thodicalness of a gambler. 1t was
as though she took it for granted
that he had seen the absurdity of
sentiment. They were man and
wife, but she had lifted him out
of the foolish fallacy that marriage
was a union: they must live sepa-
rate lives, have different ideals,
perhaps, yet regard each other as
a sort of partner. She must teach
him to appreciate the modern and
the right conception of marriage.
She filled the house with her
friends; Charlton, who had maneu-
vred the play story to America,
"where it must be presented before
the critics of London had a chance
to kick at it," was seldom of the
parties; but Lady Pinter, Sarling,
Belilah and the rest of the Lam
caster Gate brood gathered around
with a vengeance.
They turned night into day
danced and ragged and vomited+
their artistic rites" on the slight
x-4 y.n,oo.+snr Tho ~,y,yino 1aI