San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-24


kept fruiterer's shop and"
"May l inquire" Stella broke
in, gently, "what was your object
in inviting her?"
He smiled. 'T'll show you," he
said. Forgive me a moment"
He left his place and made his way
to Labina. The next second he
was presenting her to Crawford,
the X. c., and before Swete re-
gained his chair, near Stella, La
bina and her erstwhile traducer
were gliding through a valse to-
gether.
There" said Swete, leaning
back in his chair, "that's what
money can do"
SIS she wealthy, them" Stella
asked.
NO." he said, tersely, "but I
am"
Connected ass" said Stella be-
meath her breath.
They danced together, she and
Swete, and he danced so delight
fully that she enjoyed it. He took
her into supper. He waited upon
her with the homage of knight
to his lady.
He RECALLED her with stories of
travel; there didn't appear to be
a corner of the world that he
hadn't travelled nor a sea he hadn't
sailed. He told her of adventures
to thrill her, of pioneers who had
blazed the trail in this and that
land, of mutinies at sea and revo-
lutionS on land. There was no
bombast in this: he told his tales
in the manner of an elder enter
tanning a child.
But again and again he came
back to the subject of wealth and
the hypocritical attitude of the
world toward it. And his voice
would sink in derision of those who
would sacrifice a friend to the ac-
quiring of money; and his blue
eyes would become smaller and
harder of expression.
And he seemed to be saying, so
plainly that she couldn't misun-
derstand: my whole life is dedi-
Gated to some mission or other and
| shall allow no one to stand in
my way"
Of sudden she conceived the
idea that he suspected her of hav-
ing a mission and was intent on
convincing her of his innocence.
She began to thrill as her imagina-
ton weaved schemes whereby she
might humble him when the mo-
ment was opportune. His wealth
and arrogancel He could twist and
bend society as he wished.
What a boast! He dared to
bring into juxtaposition an emf
nent counsel and a notorious wo-
man whom that counsel had con-
demned across a public court! He
dared to laugh derisively at good
breeding and boast that his wealth
could achieve whatever purpose he
had in viewi
And while she was seated there,
listening to his mellifluous voice
(for there was something of the
poet in Marcus Swete), she reflect
ed on her own position and her
resolution became strengthened.
That evening she had seen a
strong man, her father, reduced to
hysteria by the phantom of bank
ruptcy. The Mexican Skies had
placed him in a dilemma from
which he couldn't hope to extri-
cate himself.
Now. she didn't suspect that on
that fateful afternoon in South
street, trick had been played
upon her when she so far forgot
herself as to take the telephone
message, but at the back of her
mind there was a feeling that
Swete was indirectly responsible
for the trouble that had come to
her father.
Tactfully she began to question
him about finance, pretending to
seek those market tips which ladies
gather as children gather wild
flowers, avidly for a while, then
throwing them aside. And by de-
grees she brought him to the sub
iect Of the Mexican Skies. He
shook his head as he said: 81 be-
lieve great many people lost
their heads over them"
"Did you LOSE" she asked with
delightful naivete.
"Being a confirmed gambler"
he replied,I never talk about my
losses"
She was claimed for dance
before she could question him fur
Their and it was during that dance
in one Of those hateful iumbles
from which the most accomplished
of dancers find it impossible ITO
extricate themselves and partners
that she learned what she had
been trying 20 get from Swete's
own lips.
Her own name was mentioned.
She and her partner were near the
edge Of the dance floor; the music
had stopped and the dancers were
waiting for the inevitable encore.
A man seated near the edge was
talking TO a stout, Jcwi-h-looking
woman; for a few seconds after
the orchestra ceased he kept his
voice in the key 10 which it had
been pitched to defeat the blare:
"-she's a daughter Of Adam
Apeconbo Hardly oypcctnd'to 500