The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-04-22

low gurgle of infinite sweetness ana
concern.
He stood like q statue, scarceiy
breathing, the veins In his throat
throbbing violently.
"There!" she said, and deliberately
touched the mouchoir to her own smil-
ing lips, before replacing 1t In her
bodice, next to the warm, soft skin. i
have been thinking. Frederic" she
said. suddenly serious. Perhaps 1t
would be better II we were not alone
when the others came up. Go at once
and fetch the two old men. Tell them
expect them here to witness the
magic. 1t appears to be a family
party, so why exclude them? be
quick!"
He dashed off to obey her command
She lighted a cigarette at the table,
her unsmiling eyes fixed on the door
of the Hindu's closet. Then, with a
little sigh, she sank down on the
broad couch and stretched her supple
body in the ecstasy of complete relax
| alton.
The scene at the dinner table had
been most distressing. Up to the IN
slant of the outburst her husband had
been in singuIarly gay spirits, a cir
cumstance so unusual that the Whole
party wondered not little. II the
others were vaguely puzzled by his
high humor, not so Yvonne. She un-
derstood him better than anyone else
in the world; she read his mind as she
would have read an open book. There
was riot, not joy, in the heart OF the
brilliant talker at the head OF the
table. He was talking against the saw
agery that strained so hard at Its
leashes.
At her right sat Frederic, at her
left the renowned Doctor Holder:
whose feats at the operating table
were vastly more successful than his
efforts at the dinner table. He was
very wonderful surgeon, but equally
famous as a bore of the first rank,
Yvonne could not endure him.
Mrs. Desmond and Lydia were there
This was an excellent opportunity
TO entertain them on an occasion OF
more or less magnitude.
Frederic, deceived by his fathers
sprightly mood, entered rather reck
lessly into the lively discussion. He
seldom took his eyes from the face
of his beautiful stepmother, and many
of his remarks were uttered sottc
voce for her ear alone. Suddenly
James Brood called out his name in
a sharp, commanding tone. Frederic
at the moment, engaged in low ex
change of words with Yvonne, did not
hear him. Brood spoke again, loudly
harshly. There was dead silence al
the table.
I'VE will excuse you, Frederic" said
he, deadly calm in his voice. The
puzzled expression in the young mans
face slowly gave way to steady glare
of fury. He could not tr00t SiSl1eI
to speak. Il regret exceedingly thai
IOu SdhllOI JahC NLllC III lllONSAo obAOAA
A breath of fresh air will be of benefi
to you You may join us upstairs late
on"
81 haven't drunk full glass o
champagne, begun the young man il
amazed protest.
Brood smiled indulgently, but thert
was a sinister CLEAN in his gray eyes
81 think you would better take m!
advice" he said, levelly.
Frederic went deathly pale. "Ver.
we'll, sir" he said in low, suppressed
voice. Without another word he go
up from the table and walked ou
of the room.
He spoke the truth later on whel
he told Yvonne he could not under
stand. But she understood. Sh
knew that James Brood had endure,
the situation as long as it was in hi
power to endure, and she knew that
was her fault entirely that poor Free
eric had been exposed to this crown
ing bit of humiliation.
AS she sat in the dim study avail
ing her stepsons temperance wit
, the two old men, her active, far-seein
J mind was striving to estimate the cos
of that tragic clash. Not the cost t
herself or to Frederic, but to Jane
Brood!
I The Messrs. Dawes and Riggs, ino
: dinately pleased over their rehabilitI
ton, we're barely through deliverin
themselves of their protestations {
undying fealty, when the sound {
voices came up from the lower hal
Frederic started to leave the roor
not caring to face those who had wi
messed his unmerited degradatiC
4 Yvonne hurried to his side.
where are you going?" size erie
II sharply.
He stared at her in wonder. "Yc
n cannot expect me to stay here"
d But certainly" she exclaime
T. Listen l will tell you what to do
a Her voice sank to an imperative whi
"a per. He listened in sheer amazemer
IF his face growing dark with rebelliC
as she proceeded to unfold her pls
ia for a present victory over his fathe
,e mo, no! l can't do that! Neve
W Yvonne," he protested.
v, For my sake, Freddy. Don't forg
,e that you owe something to me.
,e command you to do as ten you.
v. is the only way. Make haste! Op,
m the window. Get the breath of q
he prescribed. And when they a
" all here, apologize for your condition
IN When Doctor Holder and Mrs. Gu
pr ming entered the room few minut
n later young Brood was standing in t
m open window, drinking in the CO
,g night air, and she was blithely reg
e. ing the blinking old men with an ;
1T count of her stepson's unhappy effoI
I'd to drink all Of the wine in sight!
Id she told it, it was most amusi
or experiment.