The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-06-04
CHAPTER VII.
Ranlab the Hindu.

Inc TWO old men, long since rele-
gated to somewhat self-lmposed 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 a piano
and the intermittent chatter Of many
voices. Someone was playing La
Paloma."
These new days we're not like the
old ones. Once they had enjoyed,
even commanded, the full freedom OF
the house. 1t had been their privt-
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 joyous way OF
lifting the responsibility Of converse
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 1t or not.
And nowadays 1t was different. They
were not permitted to appear when
guests were in the house. The sump-
tuous dinners-of which they heard
something from the seryants-were no
longer gyaced by their presence. They
were amazed and not 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 a 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 were put
ting those notes and narratives into
chronological order. Brood, after
three months of married life and fri
vollty, suddenly had decided to devote
himself almost entirely to the compile
ton 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 1t. Whether
this arrangement pleased James Brood
time will show. He, too, appeared to
think nothing Of 1t.
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 to
his son, times when he purposely
humbled him In the presence of others
without apparent reason.
On this particular night, Yvonne
had asked a few people in for dinner
They we're people whom Brood liked
especially well, but who did not appeal
to her at all. AS matter of fact, they
bored her. She appeared to be happy
in pleasing him, however. When she
told him that they we're coming, he
favored her with a dry, rather i'm
smile, and asked, with whim-
steal good humor, why she chose to
punish herself for the sins OF his
youth. She laid her cheek against his
and purred! For a moment he held
his breath. Then the fire in his blood
leaped into fame. He clasped the
slim, adorable body In his strong arms
and crushed her against his breast.
She kissed him and he was again the
fierce, eager, unsated lover. 1t was
one Of their wonderful imperishable
moments that brought OBJ
livlon. Then, as he frequently did Of
late he held her off at arms length and
searched her velvety eyes with a gaze
that seemed to drag the very secrets
out of her soul. She went deathly
white and shivered. He took his hands
from her shoulders and smiled. She
came back into his arms like a dumb
thing seeking protection, and contin-
ued to tremble as II frightened.
When company was being enter
tanned downstairs Mr.. Dawes and Mr..
Riggs, with a fidelity to convention
that was almost pitiful, invariably
donned thei evening clothes. They
considered themselves remotely con-
nected with the festivities, and, that
being the case, the least they could do
was to "dress up" Moreover, they
dressed with great care and dellbera-
ton. There was always the chance