The San Francisco call., 1904-12-11


bitably upper crust'-thrilled
with the knowledge that Hemingway
Trent was to spend a month with his
aunt, Mrs. Ordway.
Set down in black and white, this
fact appears insignificant. but just
think moment and repeat the name
over and over to Trent,
Trent and you will doubtless begin to
thrill, for the name Of Trent is known
wherever pickles are eaten or money
is spent.
1t is only fair to the present Trents
to explain that it is a far cry from the
original piclIe-or rather from the little
patch of ground on the edge of young
city-where that first pickle-that
Aladdin's lamp of n picllle-grew. to
the present representatives of the fam
lily.
Hemingway, the future head Of the
Trent family, aged 20 years, was COM
ing to Carriston for a visit. A blaze of
interest sprang up in anxious mother
hearts at first rumor of this fact, and
though they guarded eye and lip, some
sparks flew and little additional fires
sprang uD in the hearts Of marriage
able daughters. Finally the air became
surcharged. Adamantine father-hearts
gave signs of emOtiOn-a reStleSSneSS, a
critical, lingering survey Of daughterly
charms. Several rush orders for gowns
of more than ordinary beauty were sent
scurrying across the continent. And 1t
was significant that this finery to come
was never mentioned-not even be-
tween the best of friends.
Amid all the intense, subdued furry
of preparation there was one family
that remained serene. Mr.. and Mrs.
. Barry of Barrydene went their elegant,
! languid way, undistracted and un-
moved, though they too, had a mar
riageable daughter The way of the
/ Barrys had long since ceased to be af-
fluent. If the Hemingways. for whom
Trent was named, had left a ram
shacl1le shanty far behind them, the
Barrys, on the other hand. had come
from a rare old colonial mansion that
overlooked the River Severn. The only
difference between them was that they
had started at different ends of the
chain.
Still, Brenda Barry, only child and
chief depository of the practical sense
of the house of that name, was usually
filed with a tingling resentment when
she heard Of the enormous fortunes
of the new" people. Being a woman,
she could not fail to feel the subtle
tenseness in the social atmosphere and
for the same reason she inStinctively
OWNED Its cause. And to say that she
vas scornful but family expresses 1t.
There was nothing about the good
looking, athletic young fellow whom
she met a week later to Justify that
scorn. He was the usual thing-a very
much washed, Immediately dressed
young man of the day, with a desire to
please which was so apparent that
Brenda had to goad herself into remem-
bering how frightfully new and dis
gustingly rich he was.
This attitude on the part of one
whose head might well have been
turned By the flattery and attention
he was receiving on all sides Modified
her somewhat. Then, by chance. she
happened to encounter a rather vindic-
tive glance from Helen Carrington's s
violet eyes-Helen was wearing an ex-
quisitely simple gown that had not
seen the light before-and suddenly her
own plan of action was clearly mapped
out in her mind.
Too much soothing syrup" she re-
flected ironically. What he needs is
a tonic" This mental comment of hers
may have had something to do with
the delightful sense Of refreshment
young Trent felt in her presence. She