| OCR Text |
Show I ilOVE and MARRIED LIFElj 2ij, the noted author j 1 Idah MGlone Gibson j I A MATTER OF BUSINESS. "Just what does that oil buslncsa mean?" asked John of tho lawyer. "Mrs. Gordon's cousin can tell her that better than I," said the lawyer. "That la one of the things, Kathvr-. Kathvr-. .Inc." said Charles, "for which your mother and I came to Atlantic City. Wc intended to tell you that a gusher had been struck on some property belonging be-longing to you in "Texas, but your mother's Illness and sudden death put It entirely out of my mind. I had intended in-tended going down there to see about it as soon as your mother was settled with yoy." j "Well, I think," said John eagerly, "n. "that I can leave my business next - week and go down and see about it j ' myself. It won't be necessary to trouble trou-ble you. Charles colored. It wasn't a very nice remark. knew I must asaert myself -at this momonl or forever after hold my peace. Chnrlcs Cnn Do It. "I don't think, John, that you need . leave your business at all," I said, "especially "es-pecially as you have told me ever since you came to Atlantic City how important import-ant it was that you should be home as soon as possible. Charles, of course, knows all about this and has all the Iuun esponuence arm leiicrs, unu 1 iiuuu the best thing to do is to' let him go on just as he planned to do. "Arc you crazy, Katherine," asked John angrily, "I certainly shall allow no one but myself to transact any business for you ,hnt promises such great returns as an oil gusher." "I will turn dver all the correspondence correspond-ence to John," said Charlie hastily. "I had meant to do so from the first, as A soon as the will was read," Of course, I had known that this 1 was Charlie's intention, but I thought it was very unkind and uncalled for in i John to act as If he thought Charles was going to make something for himself him-self out of tho business, and consequently conse-quently I said, "But, Charles, I wish you to go." John, just looked at me. I knew he was too angry to speak. In a moment, j however, he recovered and said, "I will attend to this business, Kather-j I Appointed a Representative. 1 ' I beg your pardon, John, I have Just appointed Charlie as my representative." repre-sentative." "What do you mean?" he asked. "What I have said, John." "Do jdu mwn to tell me, Katherine Gordon, that you are going to let so mo other man beside your husband attend to your affairs in a matter of such importance?" "Yes, John." "Then you think that a man who has spent most of his life in small towns, who has shown no great apti tude for business, Is the man to engineer engi-neer this deal," was John's sarcastic observation. "I was right in what I said to you this morning. I should have taken this thing over immediately. immediate-ly. There Is no reason why you should have been at the reading of this will. You arc quite to ill to have anything of this kind to bother you." "I beg your pardon, Jlr. Gordon," said tho lawyer. "It would have boon Impossible for me to have read this will unless tho chief beneficiary had been present." "Piffle," was all John said, as lie strode from the room. Pity in Ills Words-. "Allow me to bid you good after- liuun, jviiuici mi;, a.uu UIUIIIUI 3 lil'.V- ycr, a man who had known me ever since I was a little girl, and It seemed to me that his accent as he spoky the words held more of pity for me th.m contempt for John. I am sure, however, how-ever, that the old, dignified lawyer would never transact any buslnots with John Gordon again if he could , help IL Immediately, for this reason, 1 1 determined to consult him in nil i-j i-j fairs of my business where a legal mind was necessary. "Katherine, Katherine, why did you do this?" asked Charles as the door closed on the lawyer. "Don't you know that I can't come between husband and vife?" "Of course you can do as you please, Charles, but if you do not help me in this 1 shall osk somo strange man to do so. 1 am determined that 1 shall transact my own business in my own wa." Tomorrow Heart's Desire. |
