San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-04

l We bOIiO"tu, giving hoiihS 'i'-
ing as my security, as much as
Monks Yielding is worth. And so,
against the loan of five hundred
which | now need, | have. no Sc
curity left to offer"
peter, wouldn't you let NE"
He wasn't listening. He knew
nothing of her legacy and it had
never occurred to him that she had
saved more than a pound or two.
He was frowning and staring out
of the window.
And then, next day, as though
he were saying that he had slain
his brother:
81 told old Soames to try and
sell Monks Yielding at a reserve
price of ten thou and five hundred
thought you'd better know. You
sort of belong to it, too. Soamcs
said-Soames said" She never
knew what Mr.. SoameS had said,
that kindly old man who had been
her legal adviser and Peters ever
since they had first needed illegal
advice at all.
After Peter had gone she had
had the inspiration. The inspira-
ton had taken her hotfoot to dear
old M. Soames. She did not want
advice this time; she wanted an
option. An option to purchase
Monks Yielding. Would Mr.. SoameS
arrange it? Mr.. Soames was a
little baffled, but he would-most
certainly he would. The reserve
price of Monks Yielding was ten
thousand five hundred ponds. Yes,
but supposing Stacey paid down
five hundred for an option to buy
at ten thousand within a year
wouldn't that, perhaps, meet Mr..
Peter Ielding's requirements
equally well? Mr.. Soames, simply
Oozing professional secrecy, made
cautious inquiries of Mr.. Peter
Yielding, and was finally able to
assure Stacey that her offer was
entirely acceptable.
And 80, for five hundred pounds,
her savings during the last seven
wears. Stacey had secured an OPP
ton on Monks Yielding, which, be
ing interpreted. meant that at any
time within the year she could say.
"Here are ten thousand pounds. !
want Monks Yielding, please" and
it wouldn't matter if Mr. Rookie
Teller himself offered untold mil
lions, they would have to sell it
to her for those ten thousand
pounds. What a wonderful thing
was this professional secrecy that
had enabled her, through dear old
Mr.. Soames, to give Peter five
hundred pounds without his know
ing anything about it,
But he had got it back, and Peter
would land in England with sew
cral thousands to come to him IN
commission and a seat on the board
of the Henderson directorate, the
said seat being immutably situate
in FrenchurCh street.
Stacey wasn't a bit surprised at
Peters success. She had definitely
seen success coming which was
not a little marvellous in that she
did not really understand the ma
ture of his work.
He had cabled to her occasion
ally; he had never been able to
write letters worth reading. But
she had found her truth again be-
tween the curt words of his mes
sagcs, and she had reasoned it out
reasoned that if he were to
write spontaneously he would
write pasSionatcly, and then he
would feel that passion expressed
haltingly would be undignified and
ridiculous.
Sometimes she dreamed of the
letters he tore up.
"They say a woman always
knows if you know 1t wasn't
an ordinary telegram, she diScov-
cred with delight. 1t had been
wircleSscd from S. S. something OF
other! How the clerk in the wire
less office must have laughed! It
was surely the most unconventional
llltSSdSN tNNi otllL HUN liOlil'-
ward-bound liner. Stacey laughed
again. and this time her laughter
was almost all tears, because she
had waited so long and been so
very much alone. But nOw-but
now
Now the waiting was over. Now
Peter was on his way to her to tell
her what she had known so long;
to hear from her lips what he could
never have doubted. He wouil
bring her all the gifts in the world.
And she, too-shc had planned
it down to the last rapturous thrill
she, too, would have a gift for
Peter.
Stacey pulled herself down to
earth. 1t was like pulling a little
gay balloon that wanted to break
away and soar and soar. She
found her hat and hirried off to
see Mr.. SOamcs.
CHAPTER III.