The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-02-28
CHAPTER III.
The Bride.


swayed by his decision, Dawes and
Riggs likewise abandoned plan to
greet the returning master and his
bride as they came down the gang
plank. But for the almost peremp-
tory counsel of Mrs Desmond, Brood's
son would have absented himself
from the house on the day of their
arrival. Jones and a footman went
20 the pier with the chauffeur.
1t was half-past two in the after
noon when the automobile drew up
in front of the house and the fur
coated footman nimbly hoped down
and threw open the door.
James Brood, a tall distinguished
looking man of fifty, stepped out of
the limousine. For an instant before
turning to assist his wife from the
car, he allowed his keen eyes to
sweep the windows on the lower
floor. In one of them stood his son,
llOlullS ll' luNt tul upul anu
smiling welcome that seemed sin
cere. He waved his hand to the man
on the sidewalk Brood responded
with swift, almost perfunctory ges-
ture and then held out his hand to
the woman who was descending.
Frederc's intense gaze was fixed
on the stranger who was coming
into his life. At a word from Brood,
she glanced up at the window. The
smile still fingered on the young
mans lips, but his eyes were charged
with an expression of acute wonder.
He had never looked upon more
beautiful creature in all his life. A
kind of stupefaction held him mo-
tionless until he heard the door close
behind them: in the brief interval
however, picture had been impress
ed upon his senses that was to last
forever.
She was slightly above the medium
height. slender and graceful even in
the long thick coat that enveloped
her. She did not wear a veil He
had a swift but enduring glimpse
of a curiously pallid, perfectly model
ed face; of jet black hair; of a
firm, sensitive chin. Somehow he
received the extraordinary impress
sion that the slim. 1.-the body was
never cold; that she expressed in
some indefnable way the unvarying
temperature of youth.
He hurried into the hail, driven by
the latent spur of duty. He heard his
fathers warm, almost gay response
to the greetings of the old men,
whose hands he wrung with a fer
vor that was unmistakable. He heard
him present them to the new Mrs
Brood as the best old boys in all
the world" and they were both say
ing, with spasmodic cackles of pleas
ure, that she mustn't believe a word
the young rascal said"
He was struck by the calm, serene
manner in which she accepted these
jocuar contributions to the occasion.
Her smile was friendly, her hand
shake cordial, and yet there was an
unmistakable air of tolerance, as OF
an. ,yb1 &c occ,,StoDad 70 trihuta
She merely smiled mi thanked them
in simple commonplace phrases. Her
voice was low pitched and marked
by a huskiness that was peculiar in
that it was musical, not throaty.
Frederic. On first seeing her. had
leaped TO the conclusion that her
English would not be perfect He was
somewhat surprised to discover that
she had the faintest trace of an ac-
cent He evoke suddenly, however
to the realization that he had been
looking into his new step-mother's
eyes for a long time and that she
was returning his gaze with some
intensity.
And this" she said, abruptly
breaking in upon one of Danbury's
has,y "reminiscences, effectually end
ing it, This is Frederic?"
She came directly toward the
young man. her small. gloved hand
extended Her eyes were looking
into his with an intentness that dis
concerted him. There was no smile
on her lips. 1t was as if she re-
garded this moment as a pronounced
crisis
Yes: this is Frederic. my dear"
he said, without a trace Of warmth in
his voice. As she withdrew her hand