San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-21
Copyright. 1925. by XII


vealed to May Valleau that we knew
of her petty thievery and were willing
to give her a chance to do better, the
girl went around wrapped in a mantle
of silent reserve that / made no at
| tempt to break. felt she was en-
titled to work out her problem in her
own way, and il her way happened
to be that of taciturnity, no one had a
right to interfere.
May gave me my lunch every day,
staying six hours more often than the
four for which we had bargained. But
neither she nor / commented, and Jim
was far too deeply concerned with try
ing to arrange for the transfer of Car
lotta Sturges' house from Mrs. Mon
tayne to a more reliable purchaser to
pay much attention to anything at The
Birches.
Carlotta's house has caused trou-
bic in the Dalton-Sturges office from
the moment when Carlotta's husband,
Tony Norreys, fell heir to the Earldom
of Forsyte and transferred himself
and Carlotta to his ancient and barren
acres. In taking oyer the firm inter
ests from her, Pat undertook to rent
tayne, has been difficult to handle,
slow in payments and given to de.
manding things outside her contract.
Then she decided to purchase and
wanted the rent she had paid to apply
on the purchase price. Now, with her
alienation suit on her hands, sup
pose Mrs. Montayne felt that it would
not do her much good to shout "afflu-
ence" in terms of magnificent mansion.
And she was trying to renege on the
while deal.
Jim's first job as a member of the
firm of Tompkins & Dalton-which
had taken over the Dalton-Sturges
business-was to try 10 handle Mrs.
Montayne and her demands that Pat
take back the house and her lease as
we'll. 1t was confusing enough for
Jim to handle the clutter Of mort
cages, titles, contracts and payments,
but when il all got complicated by a
new customer in the offing and the
necessity of keeping this from Mrs.
Montayne until she had signed a few
papers, realized that Jim would hard.
Fly be a normal man IL he were not
jumpy and irritable and tired much
the
10 escape the dizziness Of a house
laround which May Valleau crept like
disheartened ghost and to prepare
myself for the long evening during
which Jim sat peering at papers and
documents with scarcely q word for me
between dinner and bedtime, ! de-
termined to go to the office almost
every day.
On the second day OF this new
schedule / came home to find May
| yalleau laying the dinner table, while
the smell of roast ham came appetiz.
ingly out to greet me in the living
room.
"wbat are you doing here so late?"
I asked.
81 don't take something" the girl
protested. pathetically.
81 know that, May" ! cried, i'm
patient to reassure her. "But you are
working too hard. 1t is half-past O
almost z, in fact. l pay you for
four hours and don't argue when you
insist on staying six. But a twelve
hour day is a bit too much"
II pay back" said Mary, pleading
ly. "First ] think shall tell Arlette
and make that she give back what II
is / have steal for her. Then j think
Mr.. Harrison he right, and so she
think IL / thief she be what she like
and / can say nothings. So now ]
work, two, three maybe eight hour
more days, and when / think / have
pay good, then / smile again and make
Hike / always do"
And ! had not the heart to argue
with her, but that evening, when Jim
praised the succulent ham, was glad
TO announce:
"May stayed to bake this ham. She
feels she can respect herself more IL
she works six or eight hours extra
each day and earns the things she
took"
"Hurray for herr cried jim. 81
didn't want to ask how May was com.
ing on. ] thought I'd butted in enough
on your department"
$50 that's why you didn't show any
interest" / said, half under my
breath. l..
whats that?" asked Jim. "Who
says / don't show any interestT
"You seemed so absorbed in the
Montayne house-in Carlotta's house"
said.
"Ifs an ugly Job" Jim said. at
gets uglier all the time. Today I had
a talk with Montayne himself. He
wants to get ont Of finishing the pay.
ments he promised his wife to make.
She wants to get out Of her deal be-
cause she wants TO look q pathetic fig
ure before the jury when she sues
Ruth GREGORY for alienation.
"And Miss Gregory wants to prove
that Moutayne is providing for his
wife to the tune OF a mansion on the
avenue and so show that the plaintiff
doesn't need her money. And in the