Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-11-15

rowy straightness and cheeks to rival
rose petals.
Her brother looked at her with little
start. They scarcely seemed as if blood
really allied them; he was SO dark and
grave beside this blonde, buoyant sister.
why do you say that, Brenday he
queried. "Do you mean that you could
spare me SO easily if l were off in Massa-
chusetts with Gerald?'
"Ah, no, indeedr' cried Brenda. "But
! think you grow gloomy, Louis, from
living in such complete seclusion."
"Tm gloomy by nature" said Louis.
with one of his sad little smiles.
Heaven only knows why you should
bel" exclaimed Gerald, with q glance at
the richly appointed room wherin they
sat. you've everything to make you
jolly as cricket he went on; and now
there came mellowness into his hazel
eyes as he fixed them ON Brenda's face
and softly added, including the lowell
est sister ON the face of the EARTH"
Brenda blushed and gave her golden
head a little mutinous toss. She had
reached the feminine age that often re-
sents broad compliments as tiresome,
and trifie vulgar besides But If Ger
aid could have seen, by some clairvoy-
ant wizardry, how her heart was futter-
ing at the thought of such high praise
from his lips he might perhaps have
failed to regret the rather intimate bold
ness of what he had just said. Some
<;,,,o, hf +o11 b;r,calf tb.f ha rabal1ad
ungraciously against Brendas assump-
ton of the grown up young lady, and
again he would feel indignant fiushes
that she should find it in her heart to
alter their old, careless relations by a
distance and ceremony which depressed
and chilled.
"Confound it," he once said to Louis,
brenda acts as if we'd never sat in the
same swing together, and made voyages
with our heels up among the birds
nests, not to speak of letting the old cat
die with our arms quite unnecessarily
about one anothers waists"
Louis smiled. "Oh, don't be annoyed
at Brenda's airs" he returned. 81 dare
say all young girls put them on in abun-
dance. Besides, if she now and then
seems distrait, Gerald, it's no doubt be-
cause she's worried at the way our poor
father goes on failing worse and worse
from week to week."
The Bonds were now back in their
charming country place, and short
time after they had quilted town to
come thither Crawford Bond rapidly
sank and died The funeral was held in
a quiet country church not far from
'Shadyshore. though many prominent
New Yorkers came up by train to attend
it. Afterward the body was inferred in
family vault on the Bond estate-a
massive granite mausoleum which the
late proprietor had caused to be built
soon after purchasing Shadyshore, and
to which the remains of his wife had
long ago been consigned.
The funeral threw a terrible gloom
over Louis. He had loved his father
dearly, and yet Gerald soon saw that
the young mans torpor and sadness
were not solely a product of bereave-
ment. 1t was plain that Louis hardly
had enough viii power to concern himself
with those immediate tasks which the
administration of his fathers affairs de-
manded. Gerald assisted his tagging
energies as much as proved possible. and
finally induced him to take short sum-
mer trip among the northern lakes.
Brenda was deeply gratifed by this plan,
and gave Gerald certain thankful words
and looks because of it that divinely re-
paid him for all annoyances at her past
hauteur.
For a time the spirits of Louis under
went change. The weather in Mon
treal, ON the st. Lawrence and on Lake
Superior chanced to be delicious. and
there were hours, if not actual days,
when his companion felt hopeful that
the somber cloud had permanently lifted
from his soul. Then the old indifference
and dreariness would take hold of him
once more, and at last, by the time of
their return to Shadyshore, it became
evident that he was really no better than
he had been when they started.
II am haunted with an idea" he sud-
denly announced to Gerald one evening,
as the two friends were seated together
in a monastic, high wainscoted, book
lined room, which was the perfection of
a library. sit never leaves me. have
not told it to you or to any one. And
yet you are, of all people, the one whom
it would seem most closely to concern"
Gerald felt sort of light shiver pass
through his frame. He had long dreaded
lest some insanity might be at the root
of his friends peculiar behavior, and
there now seemed in Louis tone and de-
meanor not positive confirmation Of
such fears, but at least the delicate and
mysterious prophecy of it.
Haunting ideas should be treated
with extreme rudeness," he now said, in
a voice gayer than were his furtive feel
ings. when they're morbid, Lou, they
should be insulte,l up and down, and
given the most inhospitable notice to
quit"
,,,;s el,r<>1x l., haoI with 1oxry doov,