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

Charlton had referred to him as
a hickory stick" and the simile
was sound: he resembled the
gnarled limb of an oak.
When they were within hun
bred yards of the house he said,
suddenly:
eff l have startled you tonight
/ crave your pardon. l shall speak
to Mr.. Carteret."
"About what and it please
you," she asked, coldly.
permission to pay my atten-
tons to his daughter" said Hum
phrey. He added: 81 suppose that
sort of thing isn't done these days,
but I'd feel more comfortable in
my mind if l revived the obsolete
form of etiquette, even chivalry."
She laughed merrily.
"You are a comedian without
knowing it." she said. "In the first
place, chivalry would dictate the
line that the first person to consult
would be the lady herself, and she
would most certainly turn cold
cheek toward you"
"T'll risk that" he said, calmly.
81 confess that the frivolous part
of the lady's nature doesn't ap-
peal to me in the slightest, but
there's that lovable part, and that's
worth fighting for. .. Here
we are at Hawksbridge. Good
night, Miss Carteret."
"Good night, Mr.. Punch. l shall
be kept awake by my recollections
of your funny remarks"
81 shan't," he said, stolidly. 81
shall be in bed at 10 and asleep
by five minutes after the hour.
But it has been a great evening"
"a regular Shrek" said Tina.
"And-and Mr.. Charlton will be
so amused?"
"Tickled to death, Mr.. Hum
phrey."
"If you tell him, Miss Carteret."
He left her at the hall door, and
she waited till the darkness had
swallowed up his bulky FORM be-
fore entering. 1t was only little
after 9 o'clock. She ran upstairs,
slipped on a green silk dressing
wrap and went down to the library,
where a cheerful fire was burning.
Hauling a divan chair near the
blaze, she curled herself up in it,
lit a cigarette and began to go
over the incidents of the evening.
The eyes tinkled rouguishly.
Heavens, it was an adventure when
she came to reflect. The crowd in
town would laugh till they cried
when she told them in her inimit-
able way of how he had behaved
the proposal, the cottage in the
photograph, the threat to tell her
father. Up there, they were al
ways saying: "Do tell us the lat.
est from your wilderness, Tina"
and her custom was to recount af-
trays with the vicar or the trades
men or the "tabbies" who attended
to the altar cloths at the church.
This latest was the magnus opus.
She would hold them enthralled,
and they would vote her delicious.
The telephone bell rang. She
started mischievously. This would
be Humphrey; he had reached
home and was about to telephone
his further regrets for his impul-
siveness. She would play the in
dignant virgin whose notions of the
chivalry of man had been ruthless
ly crushed. The operator a. the
exchange called:
Trunk call. Hold the line,
please"
A moment, then:
"Miss Carteret?"
1t was Charlton speaking from
town.
Speaking, old date" she re-
piled. "Where's the fire."
Hello, Tina! say. old thing.
you've rot to jump into some warm
rags and come up at once. I've
sent the car; it's on its way, and
should be there by 10. There's a
gorgy little platoon going to the
Mitre Club tonight. Quite respect
able-too much so, believe me
but we're fixing a top-hole rag
for tomorrow night, and we lust
must have you with US. We want
ideasr
"My dear Charlton! I'm having
2 scrumptious warm by the library
fire. All in my flimsies, too"
"Oh, why didn't / run down with
the carr"
Don't be silly! There
is nobody at hOme-I don't think
| ought to leave"
'If you don't come along III get
a bunch to motor down to you and
drag you out. You wouldn't like
that
"And I've had such lovely eve
ming"
"Avec?"
The he Humphrey person. The
No! How toppingr
%'ll tell you all about it when