San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-20
(Continued from Page 81

The two brothers were dressing
for dinner when a man servant
brought word that John Humphrey
had arrived and had been shown
into the reception room. 1t was
the smirk on the servants face that
threw Dennis into a fury-fury
against the "clodhopper." With
out consulting his brother he
slipped on a dressing gown, and
going to the gallery, looked down
into the hall; the door of the re-
ception room was standing ajar;
he could see John Humphrey seat
ed lust within the room. He dash
ed back to his room, thence to his
brothers.
Holy smoke, Aubrey" he said.
ats come. The Humphrey per-
son."
"The devilw
"And in plus foursr
"What! Send for Tina! Get
Tina to 60 down at once. She
must get rid of him before Purton
goes down"
Tina had finished her dressing.
She came to the brothers room.
They caught her by the hands and
dragged her over the threshold.
TheV told her-told her almost
roughly-that they suspected her
of playing this trick upon them.
Dennis in his anger spoke loudly.
so loudly that his voice must have
carried to the man downstairs since
the door was open. Their future
was at stake-didn't she realize
that?
Get rid of him! Lie to him!
Say that friends have turned up
Unexpectedly. He'll understand Il
he isn't all wood. Go down, Tina,
like the good girl you are. Oh,
my aunt, did you ever see anything
like it? 60 down quickly before
Lord Purton can get there
Their trepidation aroused her pity
for them. She had gone too far;
the lest had misfired. There was
nothing to it but to do as they
urged. Still, she had given them a
fright.
Breathlessly they listened from
the gallery. They heard her tell
the lie they had suggested; she did
It with consummate tact, and he
was near to the splendid in his
understanding. 1t was hateful and
cheap of them, and they confessed
it to themselves as they listened
and watched.
Humphrey came into the hall.
Big, burly, Humphrey, in his loud
" designed golfing suit. His face
was flushed, but they were not to
know that he had overheard their
protestations to Tina. He spoke
softly, grsciously. Of course, he
understood; he would take it as
considerateness on her part if she
allowed him to 90 without further
dallianee. And even as servant
was showing him out, Lord Purton
came down the stairs from the op-
posite side of the gallery to that
from which the brothers were wit
Messing the little comedy. John
Humphrey turned as he reached
the door; Lord Purton looked
across the hall in his direction.
There was a second of intense si-
lence, then the Purtonian dignity
was hurled ruthlessly to one side.
Humphrey, old man!'
''Purtonl Geraldn
The two men leaped toward each
other and clasped hands.
Old friends. A first meeting
after many years.
Upstairs the brothers Carteret
looked blankly at each other. Tina
had passed into the library after
wishing Humphrey good night; the
sounds coming from the hall reach
ed her and she came back hurried
ly.
The dignified Lord Purton was
still clinging to the hand of the
"clodhopper," the Chick" and he
was laughing with the spOntaneity
of schoOlboy.
The dinner at Hawksbridge that
night was strangely subdued; only
the usually reticent Lord Purton