San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
CHAPTER XVI.
.HE rest of the household had
retired for the night; Stuart
= Cartorot wasn't lnnkinr for

ICot VI viz $780,
retired for the night; Stuart
Carteret wasn't looking for
ward to this interview; but he
knew there was no escape from it.
Humphrey had met him half way
in his reluctance. by agreeing to
walk across when the house was
quiet.
Frankly. Carteret was keenly
disappointed in his son-in-law, for
he was not nearly so well-to-do as
he had believed him to be, and had
even gone the length of suggesting
that Carteret might help him out
a mess by repaying a little OF
what he had borrowed of late.
Carteret received him with a nod
and indicated a chair near the fire.
He began:-
"Tina tells me she is leaving for
Portugal tomorrow.
"We've just been discussing it."
said Humphrey. "She's been to
town to-day to complete her shop
ping"
Hope you impressed on her that
money is fairly tight just now.
Tina is rather Indifferent when it
comes to talking about expenses,
but, then, she's young" (Hum-
phrey frightened his lips. He didn't
like the thrust about his age.)
every young" said Carteret, as
though he were annoyed that the
thrust hadn't struck deeper. He
wanted to impress Humphrey with
the magnitude of the gift that had
been bestowed when Tina became
his wife.
"T'm going out to the States"
said Humphrey, abruptly. almost
at once-as soon as Tina has left"
Really! How are things there?"
Bad" said Humphrey, laconi-
cally. 81 may be able to pull them
together, but I'm rather handi-
capped. Must have some capital.
The lawyers are fighting, but they
don't fight for nothing. You'll un-
derstafd that"
"Quite," said Carteret. "Are you
certain things are as bad as you
fear?"
They're worse, I'm afraid. The
agent is not a pessimist, but he
has lost his. courage over this deal.
! was wondering how you were
fixed"
"Too bad, too bad," said Car
teret, helping himself to a whisky.
"Wish could help you, Humphrey, =
but Pm absolutely tied up"
Humphreys lips twitched slight
vi fuilg ne was ''''ns his man care
81 gathered from you that you
might not require that twenty
thousand let you have-that is,
you might not need it longer than
asmonth."
Carteret frowned dismally.
What bad form for a son-in-law to
refer to these matters!
my dear fellow, don't embar-
rass me-" he said. 81 know it isn't
your intention, but the very men,
ton Of these things sets me all on
edge. Wish hadn't put you on
those Brazilians. Feel awfully
guilty"
"Oh, | don't reproach you, Car
teret," said Humphrey. "They cost (
me ten thousand, but / ought to
have used my own discretion.
Perhaps ! was careless. I've struck
them off as a dead loss"
I'm afraid that's the wisest
thing to do in the circumstances"
said Carteret.
-, And that.Property deal in the
"Ah" Carteret sighed. "The
rogue Of an agent let me in for
that, else | might not have been
driven to asking you for the twen-
~ thousand. What does
Tina say about things?"
Good heavens, haven't said a
WIN W tiiS emu dDouL my DuSl-
ness affairs"
Perhaps it's as WE'LL" said Car
teret, in a sing-song voice. "She
wouldn't understand, anyway, and
It would be rather unfair to bur.
den her young mind with business
worries"
Exactly" said Humphrey,
reaching down 70 pat the head of
his terrier which had settled a his
feet. 81 wanted 10 talk TO YOU
about Tina-that was the chief
reason why | came across to-
night"
Carteret nodded. Then. al am
strongly of the opinion that YOU
won't find things in the States half
as bad as you fear. You're lust
The man "a null -. -. a - |