The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-04-01
CHAPTER I.
Tho Messaae From the peep.


cycling the unresponsive blue envelope |
that lay on the end Of the long table |
nearest the fireplace, where merry |
but unnoticed bed of Goals cracked
fercely In the vain effort to cry down
tho shrieks of the bleak December
wind that whistled about the corners
of the house.
There was something maddening In
the fact that the envelope would have
to remain unopened until young Fred
erick Brood came home for the night.
They found themselves wondering II
by any chance he would fail to come
in at all. Their hour for retiring was
ten o'clock, day In, dcy out.
Up to balf-past nine tfey discussed
the blue envelope with every inmate
of the house, from Mrs. John Des-
mond, the housekeeper, down to the
voiceless but eloquent decanter OF port
that stood between them, first on the
arm OF one chair, then the other. They
were very old men; they could solilo-
quize without In the least disturbing
each other. An observer would say,
during these periods OF abstraction,
that their remarks were addressed to
the decanter and that the poor decan-
ter had something to say in return.
But, for all that, their eyes seldom left
the broad, blue envelope that had lain
there since half-past eight.
They knew that 1t came directly or
indirectly from the man to whom they
owed their present condition of COM
fort and security after nalf a century
of vicissitudes; from the man whose
life they had saved more than once
in those old, evil days when comforts
were so few that they passed without
recognition in the maelstrom OF
events. From midocean James Brood
was speaking to his son.
Twenty years ago these two old GRO.
nies had met James Brood in one Of
the blackest holes of Calcutta, dere-
lict being swept to perdition with the
swiftness and sureness of a tide that
knows no pause. They found him
when the dregs we're at his lips. and
the stupor of defeat In his brain.
Without meaning to be considered
him from the depths and found that
they had revived man. Those were
the days when James Brood's life
meant nothing to him. days when he
was tortured by the thought that II
would be all too long for him to en-
dure, yet he was not the kind to mur
der himself as men do who lack the
courage to go on living.
Weeks after the rescue In Calcutta
these two soldiers OF fortune and an
other. John Desmond. learned from
the lips OF the man himself that. ht
was not such as they, but rich in thi:
worlds goods, richer than the Solo
mon OF their discreet Imagination.
What Brood told them Of his lif'
brought the grim smile of appreciation
TO the lips of each. He had married !
beautiful foreigner-an Austrian. the!
gathered-of excellent family. and ha'
taken her TO his home In New Yorl
city, to the house In lower Fifth ave
nue. where his father and grandfathe
had lived before him-the house Il
which two of the wayfarers afte
twenty years. now sat In rueful cor
temptation of a blue envelope.
A baby boy came to the Broods 1
the second year Of their welded life
but before that there had come
mana music master. dreamy-eyet
handsome, Latin; a man who playe
upon the harp as only the angels ma
play. In his delirious rawlings Broo
cursed this man and the wife he ha
stolen away from him; he reviled tn
baby boy. even denying him; h
laughed with blood-curdling glee owe
the manner In which he had cast OF
the woman who had broken his hear
and crushed his pride; he walled 1
anguish over the mistake he had mad
In allowing the man to live that h
might gloat and sneer In triumph. TIL
much the three men who lifted hi
from hell we're able to CLEAN from III
that knew not what they said. an
they were filed with pity. Later O
In rational weakness. he told the
more, and without curses. dee
silent, steadfast bitterness succeede
the violent rawlings. He became a wa
farer with them. quiet. dogged, fata
where they went he also went; VIII
they did. also did he. Soon he led, al
they followed. Into the dark plac
of the world they plunged. for pei
meant little to him. death even les
They no longer knew days OF priv
tion--he shared his wealth with then
but they knew no rest, no peace.
safety, Life had been whirlwind /
fore they came upon James Brood;
was a hurricane afterward.
Twice John Desmond. younger thI
Danbury Dawes and Joseph Rigs
saved the life of James Brood
acts OF unparalleled heroism; once
South African jungle when lie
ess fought for her young. and aga
In upper India, when single-hands
he held OF horde Of Hindus
days while his comrade lay wour
ed In a cavern. Dawes and Rig
In the Himalayas. crept down I