Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-06-11

work in hand, and therein lay the gen
tie shreYdness of the man. She was
better of busy. There were times
when he studied the face OF Lydia's
mother for signs that might show 0
her thoughts ran in relation to the
conditions that were confronting all OF
them. But more often he searched the
features OF the boy who called him
father.
Always, always there was music IN
the house. Behind the closed doors
of the distant study, James Brood lis
tened in spite of himself to the per
sistent drumming Of the piano down
stairs. Always we're the airs light and
seductive; the dreamy, plaintive COM
positions of Strauss, Ziehrer n otn-
ers of their kind and place. Frederic
with uncanny fidelity to the prefer
ences of the mother he had never seen
but whose influence directed him. al
fected the same general class OF music
that had appealed to her moods anu
temperament. Times there were, ana
often, when he played the very airs
| that she had loved, and then. despite
his profound antipathy, James Brood's
thoughts leaped back a quarter OF a
century and fixed themselves on love-
scenes and love-times that would not
be denied.
And again there we're the wild, riot
Gus airs that she had played with Few
erelli, her soft-eyed music master! Ac'
cursed airs-accursed and accusing!
He gave orders that these airs were
not to be played, but failed to make
his command convincing for the rea-
son that he could not bring himself to
the point Of explaining why they were
distasteful to him. When Frederic
thoughtlessly whistled or hummed
fragments of those prescribed airs, he
considered himself justified In com
handing him to stop on the pretext
that they were disturbing, but he could
not use the same excuse for checking
the song on the lips Of his gay and i'm
pulsive wife. Sometimes he wondered
why she persisted when she knew that
he was annoyed. Her airy little apollo
gies for her forgetfulness were OF nc
consequence, for within the hour her
memory was almost sure to be at fault
again.
rs there anything wrong with my
hair, Mr.. Brood?" asked Lydia, with q
nervous little laugh.
They were in the study and 1t was
) ten o'clock of a wet night in April. VI
late, he had required her to spend the
evenings with him in a strenuous ef
: fort to complete the final chapters o.
the journal. He had declared his In
tention to 60 abroad with his wife al
soon as the manuscript was completed
Lydia's willingness to devote the extr'
F; hours to his enterprise would have
8 pleased him vastly If he had not beer
afflicted by the same sense OF unres
and ~uneasiness that made incessan
labor a boon to her as well as to him.
! Her query followed a long period o
. silence on his part. He had been sue
i costing alterations In her notes as sh
read them to him, and there were fire
Il uuent lulls when she made the change
! as directed. Without looking at hin
= she felt rather than knew that he wa
u regarding her fixedly from his positio
= opposite. The scrutiny was disturb
ing to her.
. Brood started guiltily. Your hair?
he exclaimed. "Oh, I see. You wome
= always feel that something Is wron
with 1t. l was thinking Of somethin
= else, however. Forgive my stupidit
= We can't afford to waste time In thin
= ing, you know, and l Am a pretty ba
: offender. It's nearly half-past te
: We've been hard at It since eigl
= o'clock. Time to knock off. I WI
y walk around to your apartment vii
:. you, my dear. 1t looks like an a
night rain"
He went up to the window al
pulled the curtains aside. Her ey
~ followed him.
He was staring down into the cou,
be his fingers grasping the curtains in
I'd rigid grip. He did not reply. The
was a light in the windows openil
-, 80 vyopro,c ho1oopv
70. II fancy Frederic has come in frc
or the concert" he said slowly. HE W
We take you home, Lydia. You'd like tb
er better. eh?"
he He turned toward her and 8
90 paused in the nervou collecting of b
as papers. His eyes were as hard as ste
he his lips were set.
please don't ask Frederic to" q
,g. began hurriedly.
en- "They must have left early"
Try muttered, glancing at his watch.
BILE turning to the table he struck the b
ed melodious gong a couple Of shs
he blows. For the first time in her rec
re. lection, 1t sounded a jangling, disco
ere ant note, as of impotence. Ranjab
to peared in the doorway. Have N
to Brood and Mr.. Frederic returned, R
ith jabf"
Eyes, sahib. At ten o'clock"
md "If MI. Frederic is In his room 81
the him to me-"
tie. HE Is not in his room, sahib."