Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-11-22
A 0'.! Mans Vengeance.
By EDGAR FAWcEH.
copyright. All rights reserved.l
CHAPTER II.

During Gerald's next term at Harvard
he learned from his mother that rumor,
had reached her of how Louis Bond hai
placed himself in the hands, as it were
of three or four spiritualistic mediums
and had become a confirmed devotee O
their theories. Then, soon afterward
another letter from Mrs. Ravelow tol(
him of how Brenda had been to see hel
at that lady's home in New York, ant
had wept plenteous and most pathetic
tears over the infatuation of Louis. II
seems" wrote Gerald's mother, "tha
there is a certain clairvoyant, named
Mrs. Leveridge. who has acquired great
control over your friend. Brenda has
seen her once at meeting, where she
spoke in a real or fictitious trance, and
describes her as strikingly beautiful,
with a slight foreign accent and a voice
full Of the most dulcet cadences.
A little while after his graduation, in
the following June, Gerald met this
Mrs. Leveridge. He had no sooner seen
and talked with her than he realized
that she was odious. Not that she was
without beauty of certain sensuous
type, but her green-gray eyes hid lights
that repelled him, and in the coils Of her
glossy auburn hair he seemed to see sug-
gestions Of serpentine temperament.
She had given it out in vague way that
she was by birth a Hungarian, though
about all her past clung the haze of
decided uncertainty. Almost from the
first moment that she and Gerald met
an antagonism developed itself between
them. Mrs Leveridge appeared to
realize that her sway over Louis would
now be disputed, and that Brenda had
secured an ally. Still Brenda and Gerald
soon fell into dispute concerning this
very question of their corfederacy. "You
are doing nothing to take my brother
from the clutches of that horrid woman,
she at length said ut is SO disappoint-
ing. thought you would use your in
fuence."
"What more can do than I've already
doney qucried Gerald. Louis is in
fatuated. If you attempt to speak the
truth about Mrs. Leveridge he receives
your words almost in the sense of per-
sonal insult"
Brenda tossed her head. "You should
disillusion him!" she exclaimed "Yes.
you should! II you were not indolent
about the matter you would~
Gerald bit his lip. ''Do you want me
to make myself absurd both in your
brothers eyes and my own?" he said.
Brenda gave bitter little smile. ~
want you to show that you have some
human compassion!" she answered. "Oh,
not for myself-indeed, mol For him
~-hom you once told me that you truly
loved.'
1t was on the verge of Gerald's tongue
to say, Not half so much as love you,"
but one of the moods that visit lovers
prevented this sentiment from being ut
tered. II suppose Louis is at least mod
erately sane" he said, however: and then
followed some words on both sides which
were hostile, If not positively angry
Brenda reproached herself after Gerald
had gone away, and saw repentantly her
own rashness. But Gerald, stung to the
quick by her unjust treatment of him.
and feeling exasperated by the adverse
spirit in which Louis had received his
counsels, took passage not long after
ward for Europe, and remained there
almost whole year
During this time Mrs Leveridge be-
came the wife of Louis Bond Brenda
suffered the keenest pain at being
obliged to welcome beneath her own and
her brothers roof Il woman for whom
she had only doubt, suspicion and con-
tempt. Her deep affection for Louis
alone deferred her from leaving him
and going to live in the companionship
Of q relative Poor, high spirited Bren-
da suffered untold pangsas months glid-
ed along. The "trance states" of her
new sister-in.law had struck her from
the first as rank humbug. Louis still
believed in them, and would sometimes
openly declare his allegiance to their
potency. In New York it was unpleas-
ant enough for Brenda to occupy the
same house with her brothers wife. but
at Shadyshore it was ten times worse.
The girl strove to curb her temper, and
succeeded. Mrs. Bond had seemingly
no temper to curb, but she dealt in lit
tle touches of sarcasm and impertinence
which taxed keenly Brenda's powers of
endurance. Louis 50 passionately loved
his wife that any complaint on the part
of his sister would have been equally
unwise and useless. Brenda compre.
hended this, and passed a summer OF ST.
lent martyrdom.
During tho next winter affairs grew
worse. Brenda was asked out q great
deal by the leaders of society, but rarely
accepted an invitation. Louis would go
nowhere without his wife. and Mrs.
Bond, in spite of having welded man
whose name possessed great social value,
had failed to secure recognition among
the reigning cliques. Regarded as an ad-
ventures before her marriage. she was
avoided subsequently.
ut is not my fault" unused Brenda.
II would do anything to have the wife