Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-02-19

very agreeable to Mrs. Brand. Some
times he seemed extremely 30. But
OF course, that was only as 1t should
be. 1t was his way with women and
If he seemed especially gracious to
the wife of the man who had done &c
much for him, it was only natural.
Mrs. Brand, surveying James new
opera gown, spoke in tones Of appar
ent sincerity.
How beautiful you look tonight, my
dear"
DO you like it," Jane inquired. I'm
so glad. because l had 1t made over
four times. and I'm almost satisfied
myself now"
Jane put her arm around her neigh
boris waist. She looked saucily al
Brand.
Your wife never lets me forget that
she is five years my Junior" she said
But it's sweet of her just the same. "
And with this strictly feminine para
dox the exchange of suavities ceased.
They heard Bob's step on the stairs.
He shook hands with both.
"Awfully sorry to have kept you
waiting" he said, but with two such
charming ladies guess we won't mind
entering little late. eh. Brandt"
They look good to me-" the million
aire agreed. Let's CO."
Mrs. Brand was, as Jane had said.
five years her Junior. Just how this
fact ever came to be openly estab-
lished is one Of those mysteries that
must go unsolved. OF course the one
never referred to 1t and the other
never forgot II. But 1t existed and II
served as a sort of balance wheel to
their respective attractions. For Jane
was of a type to which few years
one way or the other neither add nor
detract from beauty. II the discrep-
ancy had been the other way 1t might
have been noticeable. Mrs. Brand was
blonde and beautiful one. She was
nearly as tall as Jane and slightly
more robust Blue eyed and fair
skinned, with cheeks that drew their
color from a perfect constitution. not
from the embellishing touch Of rouge.
No lady's maid in all New York had
an easier task than Mrs. Brands and
no modiste's art was better rewarded
than hers. In the clubs where 1t was
common talk that Brands patronizing
hand had raised Reynolds out OF OBJ
security, this striking beauty Of the mil
lionaire's wife served as a sort Of anti
dote to gossip. At least, men urged,
it was a toss-up. and II Reynolds lost
he was a fool. From point of eye they
were a wonderful pair and in that re-
spect their husbands were not far be-
hind them. At the opera or among
the first nighters there wasn't a quar-.
tette In the city that attracted more
attention. Brand was fairly popular
in the clubs, although he spent but
little time in them. Reynolds, the new
conner was more so. He was a nat
ural mixer and, whether he felt 1t or
not, he maintained a cordial attitude
toward new friends that made him
welcome. Time did not press on Bob,
either. He had declined Brands offer
to go into the millionaire's firm and he
drew his living from the street. Brand
had made good as a prognosticator.
Money did make money. From the
time Bob buried his conscience and
hurried over to New York after his
wife and went from her to Brand, he
had had no cause to complain. Forty
thousand dollars was a good grub
stake and with Brands assistance he
had doubled 1t.
Only one thing worried Reynolds.
His wifes mania for money was insa
table.
Jane" he had told her a few weeks
ago, we've got fortune. Do you
realize 1t? Eighty thousand dollars
Eighty thousand dollars and a fifteen
thousand dollar home. Let's quit and
go away. With the rent from this
place we'd have an income of seven or
eight thousand and we could run all
over the world on that. You know
how we used to hope and plan for the
day when we could see something of
other places. Not London and Paris
and Berlin. but something really diff.
ferent. I'd like to 60 down into AT.
rica and India after some of that big
game. Why, never shot anything in
my life larger than a rabbit and I'd
rather kill a lion than get all the
money In the subtreasury. Come on.
what do you say? You love the out
door life and we'll have the time of
our lives"
But Jane demurred.
Let's wait little while, Bob. We've
only just begun. Look what Brands
got and he isn't hunting lions"
No." he said resignedly, he isn't
hunting them and he couldn't hit one
II he did. You got me into Brands
class to some extent, but you'll never
make him my model Of man. l can
cross his bridges but I've got some
OF my own that make him stop and
look. He found that out at school,"
He wasn't Boosting. There was more
of sadness than arrogance in his tone.
but Jane noticed 1t; she held her
peace. 1t was from that day that
the bottle with the silver casing need
ed much refilling in the Reynolds
home.
To BE coNTINUED)
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