San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-13
CHAPTER ".

Turing the afternoon of the
following day John Hum
phrey walked across to
Hawksbridge to see Stuart Car
teret. In spite of the attitude which
Tina had taken up he was deter
mined to be quite open and frank
with the father. There was no ner-
vousness about him; he really was
fascinated by the little firebrand ;
he wished to see more of her; he
believed that his suit would not be
repulsed with scorn. First, such
were his principles, he must speak
to Cartaret. 1t might be wholly
unnecessary in these modern days,
even as she had suggested, but he
owed it to his own sense of dignity.
Cartaret had returned from town
that morning and was reading the
newspapers in the library when
Humphrey was announced.
"Glad to see you, Humphrey.
Stay to lunch"
mo, thank you, Mr.. Cartaret. l
came to see you in reference to
Miss Christina"
Don't tell me that she has been
getting into trouble again."
Trouble, Mr.. Cartaret? What
trouble could she get into?"
when you know her little bet
ter" said her father, languidly,
you'll understand that she can
make trouble for herself as easily
as shaking fly from a table.
Has she been running the
rule over one of your rooms?"
"She came to see me last night,
Mr.. Carteret."
1.-THE deuce she did. And I'll
wager you had merry hour. Well,
what piece of mischief has she been
up to-"
Mischief" Humphrey sat down,
facing the father, who might have
been making inquiries about a
schoolboy son. at wasn't all mis-
chief, Mr.. Carteret. In fact, it was
the most enjoyable evening I've
spent since boyhood. 1 admire your
daughter. Are you amazed at
that"
whats that?" Carteret sat bolt
upright. "Did l understand you,
Mr.. Humphrey? Admire her,
Tina"
Intensely, sir. Ny visit this
morning is an honorable one. /
came to ask your permission to pay
my addresses to her"
Carteret began to laugh; then he
realized that Humphrey was dead
serious.
"The question of disparity in our
"My dear Humphrey, that does
not interest me in the slightest.
Tina is twenty-five or twenty-three
i forget which,
"And / am forty,"-quietiy.
"But you have known each other
only a few minutes as it were, Mr.. |
Humphrey"
81 am fully aware of the sud-
denness of it all"
"YoU take away my breath, my .
dear sir. / understood, two nights
ago. that it was the first time you
had met her"
at was"
"What happened last night? Did
you speak to her about this?"
mo, l cannot say that pro-
posed marriage. l have come TO
you today TO ask permission 10
plead my suit however humble II
may he. I believe it is duty ]
owe to you. My circumstances
should be revealed to you. / am
4 wealthy man, and"
"My dear Mr.. Humphrey"-
Carteret was gasping for breath;
Il hardly know what to say to you.
Believe me, / am convinced of your
utter sincerity, and so far as / am
you have my very best
wishes, but-but Tina married. II
nay sound homogeneous, unnatural
n a parent, but, frankly, ! cannot
imagine it. Tina is-well, Tina is
Tina, and |, personally, wouldn't
ike to interfere in her affairs. She
wouldn't allow it. I'm afraid we've
always regarded Tina as-as some
hing very different from the ordi-
lary woman"
This is what appeals TO me most