Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-03-14
A Dead Mans Vengeance.
By EDGAR PAWOETT.
copyright. All rights reserved.l

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 relative. Poor, high spirited Bren-
da suffered untold pangsas months Gid
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
tie touches of sarcasm and impertinence
which taxed keenly Brenda's 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 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 adj
ventures before her marriage, she was
avoided subsequently.
at 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 filled 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 no.
thought of the absent Gerald, her long
ings for his presence would now have
Weakened. 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 at about s
o'clock one evening, and as Brenda
shook hands with him it seemed to her
as If she might swoon from sheer sur
prise and joy.
"Do-do you know of Louis mar
riage% she stammered. 'I-I suppose,
though, that of course you have heard.
I'll, Jc6, odlu oSluiu. AHo tucll,
to Brenda's great relief, both Louis and
her sister-in-law came into the room.
Mrs. Bond was in one of her most
amiable moods that evening. "It gives
me so much pleasure, Mr.. Ravelow,"
she said, "to welcome you home again.
Dear Louis, as you see, is not very well,
but we hope that Shadyshore will soon
prove for him just the change he needs."
Gerald scanned her little figure, and
let his eyes dwell perhaps too intently
for courtesy on her clean cut, symmetric
face.
81 hope so with all my heart he said.
"Louis, however, might be benefited by
still greater change"
"Oh," laughed Louis, with that effort
which seems always to cling about a
sick mans laugh, 81 suppose you mean
Europe, Gerald. But no; I'm better
American than you are-at least for the
present. mean to try what Shadyshore
will do. If it fails we may try more he
roic measures"
"There will be no need of them,
Louis" said Mrs. Bond, addressing her
husband with certain tartness of tone.
II am sure you will mend as soon as you
begin to breathe the fresh country air. :"
She turned toward Gerald now with her
sweet, radiant smile. "Shall you be
our neighbor this summer" she asked.
Gerald's eyes wandered toward Bren-
da. ut depends" he said vaguely. Mrs,
Bond gave light, ripping laugh. ION
what, pray9'' she asked. "You look at
Brenda while you reply in that unsatis-
factory way. Is she at all concerned
with your future plans?"
Gerald said nothing, while Brenda
slowly crimsoned. A little later Louis
was seized with what he called one of
his tired feelings, and begged Gerald to
excuse him. His wife accompanied him
out of the room. Gerald was not sorry
to be left alone with Brenda.
"Your brother looks quite i'll" he said.
"Do you think SOP she answered. Her
eyes filed with tears the next instant.