Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-03-12
CHAPTER XXI.
Brand, the Immutable,

~ NIL
Brand, the lmmutabie.
Tnat Brand, despite all appearances
mao deliberately sold Reynolds out
was not certain. But in Dicks MIND
there was no doubt about it. He saw
or imagined an Interior motive tina,
made II a reasonable conclusion, Blu,
ne dared net reveal his suspicious tc
ooo. Dick hao never believed the mil
nonaire persisted N his excursions tC
ctaten Island merely for financial
dement, to either Bob or himself. He
accounted for Brands first appearance
ON the grounds of self-interest and the
subsequent visits he attributed to in
.erest In Mrs. Reynolds. That he could
oe 20 penurious as to actually scheme
70 get back the stipend he had melted
out 70 Bob did not appeal to Dick
eitner. For. whatever the amount was
the young writer knew It was but q
stipend to Brand. He believed that
the capitalist wished to crush Rey.
nolds and raise such an insuperable
barrier to his success that he would
succumb and become alienated from
ms wife through hopeless realization
OF MS own unworthiness. But there
was Mrs. Brand to consider in this
nne OF deduction and the millionaire
mad never given sufficient evidence of
unloyalty to warrant 1t. At least, not
enough to arouse such thoughts in
Bob.
But young Meade, usually 80 far see
ing. had drawn a cursory perspective
ana perhaps prejudiced one. For
DICKS antfpathy to Brand was found
90 on two things. He despised him as
the traducer Of Bob and he hated him
Tor his associations with Jane; the
more bitterly. too. because Brand had
removed her from the sphere of his
own intimacy. In short, Dick was
Jealous Of Brand. though he did not
analyse his feeling in just that way.
When the cataclysm had come for
BOD that afternoon-when the ticker.
that instrument of Joy, or torture, had
told him Of his ruin, he had found but
one dennite conclusion. He would ask
Brand to meet the overdraft on his
bank and call 1t quits. He had been
prompted to attempt what now stood
opt clearly a. q criminal act, through
failure to secure an expected mortgage
on his home and through belief that he
would win on the stock. The house,
fortunately. was still unincumbered,
out IN the face of failure he shrank
from reducing Jane to absolute DOW.
erty and had determined to ask this
nnal boon Of Brand. He had tele-
graphed the millionaire asking him to
come that evening before the theater
party.
Now. Dicks revelation gave an en-.
tirely different aspect to the case Bob
had lost and Brand had won and Brand
could afford to pay. True, the million.
aire had not told him to buy Consoli.
dated Wire that day. but he had not
advised him not to. and II Brand knew
enough to get in on the right side of
the collapse. he must have known the
crash was coming many hours before
It did. There were rumors in the street
that the concern had gone into the
hands OF receiver. II this were true
the capitalist must surely have been
warned OF II. He was very close to
the officers Of the company, Reynolds
was positive.
Young Meade passed two more hours
with q most unsociable host who in.
sisted that he remain but who sat
either In moody silence or paced the
floor amid his mental flagellations of
Brand. impatient for his arrival. He
went up to his room for more cisar.
cites and while he was gone the mil.
arrived. Dick went to him
smiling pleasantly as Frieda admitted
him.
Hello. Mr.. Brand" he greeted. with
extended hand. I'VE meet once more.
though I've given you quite a rest"
Brand took the hand and dropped It
quickly as II the mere act of touching.