The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-04-15
CHAPTER WI.
Ranlab the Hindu.

RanJab the Hindu.
The two old men, long since rele-
gated to a somewhat self-imposed OBJ
livion, on a certain night discussed, as
usual, the affairs of the household In
the privacy of their room on the third
floor remote, not, however, without
first convincing themselves that the
shadowy Ranjab was nowhere within
range of their croaking undertones.
From the prescribed regions down.
stairs came the faint sounds of piano
and the intermittent chatter OF many
voices. Someone was playing La
Paloma."
These new days were not like the
old ones. Once they had enjoyed
even commanded, the full freedom OF
the house. 1t had been their privi-
lege, their prerogative, to enter into
every social undertaking that was
planned; in fact, they had come to
regard themselves as hosts, or, at the
very least, guests of honor on such
occasions. They had a joyous way or
lifting the responsibility of conversa-
tion from everyone else; and, be 1t
said to their credit, there was no sub
ject on which they couldn't talk with
decision and fluency, whether they
knew anything about it or not.
And nowadays it was different. They
| we're not permitted to appear when
guests were in the house. The sump-
tuous dinners-of which they heard
something from the servants-were no
longer graced by their presence. They
were amazed and mot little irritated
to observe, by listening at the head OF
the stairs, that the unfortunate
guests, whoever they were, always
seemed to be enjoying themselves.
They couldn't, for the life Of them, un,
derstand how such condition was
possible.
Brood had been working rather
steadily at his journal during the past
two or three weeks. He had reached
point in the history where his own
memory was somewhat vague, and
had been obliged to call upon his old
comrades to supply the facts. For
several nights they had sat with him
going over the scenes connected with
their earliest acquaintance - those
black days in Calcutta. Lydia had
brought over her fathers notes and
certain transcripts of letters he had
written to her mother before their
marriage. The four of them we're put
ting those notes and narratives into
chronological order. Brood, after
| three months Of married life and fri
volity, suddenly had decided to devote
himself almost entirely to the compile
tion of the journal.
He denied himself the theater, the
opera and kindred features of the
passing show, and as he preferred to
entertain rather than to be enter.
tanned, seldom found it necessary to
go into the homes Of other people
Yvonne made no protest. She merely
pressed Frederic into service as an
escort when she desired to go about
and thought nothing Of it. Whether
this arrangement pleased James Brood
time will show. He, too, appeared tc
think nothing Of it.
The lines had returned to the cor
ners of his mouth, however, and the
old, hard look to his eyes. And there
were times when he spoke harshly tC
his son, times when he purposely
humbled him in the presence of others
without apparent reason.
On this particular night, Yvonnt
had asked a few people in for dinner
They were people whom Brood liked
especially well, but who did not appea
to her at all. AS a matter of fact, they
bored her. She appeared to be happy
in pleasing him, however. When sht
told him that they were coming, h;
favored her with dry, rather i'm
personal smile, and ASKED, with whim
sical good humor, why she chose tt
punish herself for the sins of hi
youth. She laid her cheek against hll
and purred! For moment he helC
his breath Then the fare in his bloot
leaped into fame. Ee clasped th'
slim, adorable body in his strong ARM
: and crushed her against his breast
She kissed him and he was again tht
fierce, eager, unsated lover. 1t wa
one Of their wonderful imperishabl,
: moments, moments that brought oh
! livion Then, as he frequently did o
late he held her off at arms length ant
; searched her velvety eyes with a gaz,
that seemed to drag the very secret
| out of her soul. She went deathl,
: white and shivered. He took his hand
from her shoulders and smiled. Sh,
: came back into his arms like dunn
thing seeking protection, and contin
ued to tremble as if frightened.
: When company was being enter
: tanned downstairs Mr.. Dawes and MI
l Riggs, with fidelity to convention
that was almost pitiful, invariabI
). donned their evening clothes. The
3 considered themselves remotely cor
nected with the festivities, and, tina
!. being the case, the least they could d
was to dress up" Moreover, the
!, dressed with great care and delibers
tion. There was always the chanc
I that they might be asked to com
/, down, or, what was even more impol
tant, Mrs. Brood might happen to er
y counter them in the upper hall, an
8 in that event it was imperative tina
she should be made to realize hoy
: stupid she had been. ,