The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-10-01
CHAPTER VI.-Continued.


~ "a not unlike all stories Of its
prd nv dear" she said with an in
aSoronce that amazed him. They
- all alike. Why should l ask? No,
rdo not ask you for your story, James.
cOmetims you may tell me, but not to-
Az, shouldn't mind hearing it If it
rsra an original tale, but God knows
lent It's as old as the Nile. But
vou NAV tell me more about your son.
!. he like you, or like his mother?
Rrood's lips were compressed. u
amt say that he is like either OF us"
h said shortly. She raised her eye
bUWs slightly.
pAb" she said. THAT makes quite
difference Perhaps, after all, / shall
s. interested in the story" Her man
usp was so casual, so serenely matter
ossact that he could hardly restrain
sse sharp exclamation of annoyance
that rose to his lips.
he bit his lip and allowed the frank
Iusinuation to go unanswered. He
onsoled himself with the thought that
she must have spoken in jest, with
ont intention. He had the uncomfort-
able feeling that she would make light
Of his story. too, when the time came
for revelations. A curious doubt took
root in his mind; would he ever be
able to understand the nature OF this
woman whom he loved and who ap'
reared to love him so unreservedly
As time went on, the doubt became a
conviction. She was utterly beyond
comprehension.
The charm and beauty Of the new
mistress Of James Brood's heart and
home were to become the talk of the
town. Already, in the first month OF
her reign, she had drawn to the old
house the attention not only Of the
parasites who feed on novelty, but of
families that had long since given up
Brood as a representative figure in the
circle into which he had been born.
The restoration was slow at first, as
It naturally would be. The new Mrs
Brood came upon the scene as
strange star appears suddenly in the
skies to excite and mystify the unsus
pecting world She seemed to have
come from nowhere. and yet like the
new planet, she suddenly filed an ap
pointed spot in the armament.
II cannot be said that she conquered
for that would be to imply design or
her part Possibly she considered the
game unworthy of the effort. She re
gsrded herself as superior to all these
people, a surviving estimate of them
selves that most Europeans enjoy
therefore what was she to gain, saving
q certain amount of amusement, b!
contact with her husbands friends?
In truth, Yvonne Brood despiset
Americans. She made small pre-
tense Of liking them. The rather close
y knit circle of Partisan aristocrac.
Which she affected Is known to t0l
crate but not to invite the society o
sven the best of Americans. She wa
no larger than her environment. He
news upon and her attitude towar
me Americans were not created b
aer but for her. The fact that Jane
brood had reached the inner shrine c
french self-worship no doubt put hir
N a class apart from all other Amer
cans, SO far as she was concerned. A
least 1t may account for an apparen
inconsistency, in that she married hill
without much hesitation.
her Warmest friend and admirer-
One might almost say slave-was Fret
siie Brood. She had transformed hin
az was no longer the silent, mood
youth OF other days, but an eager, in
petaous playmate whose principal OIL
lect In life was to amuse her. If an,
oae had tried to convince him that
sser could have regarded Mrs. De
monds reinforcement and departul
ai'l equanimity he would have pr
WSted with all the force at his cor
nand, But that would have been
month ago! He saw Lydia and h
mother leave without the slighte
uouDt In his mind that it was all f,
the best.
Iae Desmonds took a small apal
nent Just around the corner fro
nfood's home, in side street, and
.ae same block. As a matter of faC
'aeif windows looked down into Il
sOurtyard in the rear of Brood's hon
frederic assisted them in putting the
as~ home in order. 1t was great fl
'W Lydia and him, this building