The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-01-01

spoke in q real or fictitious trance, and
describes her a. strikingly beautiful,
with slight foreign accent and q 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 q 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 q serpentine temperament
She had given 1t out in o vague way that
she was by birth q Hungarian, though
about all her past clung the haze Of
decided uncertainty. Almost from the
hrst monRnt 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 confederacy. "You
are doing nothing to take my brother
from the clutches Of that horrid woman, {"
she at length said. "It is so disappoint-
ing. Thought you would use your in
huence."
"What more can do than I've already
doneT queried Gerald. Louis is in
fatuated. II 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 himT she exclaimed. Eyes,
you should! II you were not indolent
about the matter you wouldT'
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 compassionr she answered. "Oh,
not for myself-indeed, no! For him
vhom you once told me that you truly
lovedv'
1t was on the verge of Gerald's tongue
to say, mot half so much as l 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 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 o 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
OF 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
tie touches Of sarcasm and impertinence
which taxed keenly Brendas powers of
endurance. Louis so 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 81.
lent martyrdom.
During the next winter affairs grew
worse. Brenda was asked out q great
deal by the leaders Of society, but rarely
accepted an invitation. Louis would 90
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.
"It Is not my fault" unused Brenda.
II would do anything to have the wife
Of Louis received. But that she should
vent her spleen upon me because Of not
being received is certainly hard to bear"
Mrs. Bond did thus vent her spleen.
She behaved to Brenda as If filed with
latent hatred Of her. No matter whom
Brenda visited, her sister-in-law had
some sneer to direct at the host or host
ess. American society, she avowed, was
Ill bred and tedious. Brenda could never
get her to say Just what English people
she had known during her long alleged
residence in London, or precisely what
had been her origin or antecedents pre-
vious to her first marriage. As for
Louis, he seemed immensely satisfied
with something that she had told him
regarding her past life, and TO desire no
weightier diversion than to watch her
mobile, dimpled face while she talked
amply, though vaguely, Of transatlantic
reminiscences
In the following spring Louis showed
symptoms Of illness Brenda became
deeply worried, and, even If she had not
thought Of the absent Gerald, her long
ings for his presence would now have
wakened. Just before the time came
when Shadyshore was preferred to the
heat Of New York June, Gerald sud
denly appeared at the Bonds Madison
avenue residence. He came ct about 9
O'Clock one evening, and as Brenda
Ghoor handa with him n saemad n har