Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-08
HIS BROTHERS WIFE
BY RUBY M. AYRES
CHAPTER XIV
FThn Rrothorfnn Oh
The BrethertOn Character
n n AIRY had listened breathlessly. And
WI what happened to them?"

|NE what happened to them!"
Miss Varney shook her head
This is the most dreadful part OF the
whole story, my dear, and one that none of
the family are very proud of; for David s
grandfather turned them out then and there,
neck and crop, into the road, and wouldn t
allow anyone to raise a finger to I~elp them
1t was dreadful night, so they say, snow
ing, and with a cutting wind blowing"
Miss Yarney shivered little at her own
thoughts. She had told her story so many
times that it had become most realistic to
her.
She put down her work and looked across
at Mary.
I'm the morning some of the villagers
found them in snowdrift by the roadside
The little boy was dead, and his mother
she shook her head-"she died soon after
wards"
>"How cruel-how wickedly cruel!" Mary's
voice was angry and indignant. Wasn't he
punished? Can't a man be punished for
murder? 1t was murder!" she repeated We
hementy
Miss Varney looked little shocked
There was terrible scandal, of course;
but-well, when you are a rich and powerful
man, my dear, you hush things up, you
know, and the whole truth never came out.
But it showed that side of the Bretherton
Observation-Disclosures, remorseless."
And you mean-you mean that David
would be like that?" asked Mary slowly.
"Oh, my dear, how can I tell? I only
know that he is a Bretherton to the back
bone"
Mary left her chair and walked over to
the fire. She dropped on her knees, holding
her hands to the warmth Of It's blaze. She
was shivering little.
II suppose if anyone deceived him, then
she said in hard voice that he would be
quite capable of behaving in the way his
grandfather did. Is that what you mean?"
Miss Varney looked distressed.
I'm afraid 1 am giving you a wrong i'm
preston of him, Mary It's so unlikely that
anything ever will happen to rouse him suf-
ficiently. In the ordinary way he never gets
upset at all Why, even when we heard that
Nigel had been killed. you would hardly have
thought David cared, the way he took it,
Mary's face famed.
"It seems that nobody loved him but mel"
she said bitterly. Then, suddenly remorse-
full: ooh, didn't mean that! Please for
give me I didn't mean that"
Miss Varney took the hand she extended.
81 think l understand; and l think you
would if you had seen David as I did late
that night-the first night we came back
here. I heard a sound along the corridor,
and I came out of my room to see what it
was, and there was. David going down to the
picture gallery. I followed him, and I found
him standing in front of the portrait of
Nigel, and his face-oh, you wouldn't have
said he didn't care any more if you had seen
his face as I did"
Mary said nothing. There was a leaping
pulse in her throat that seemed to be chok-
ing her. but she tried to smile, meeting the
elder woman's wistfuI gaze.
81 suppose don't all feel things in the
same way" she said brokenly. Its just
that, isn't it," She rose to her feet with
a little weary gesture. II wonder If I might
go to bed?" she said, half alphabetically. 81
feel so tired. Would you think it very rude
of me?"
Miss Varney rose at once. She blamed
herself for her thoughtlessness.
Poor child, OF course you are tired!"
She went up to the girls room with her
She kissed her most affectionately as she
said good night
"Sleep well, my dear and try and believe
that there is plenty of sunshine in life for
you still"
Mary smiled rather quiveringly
''Ill try" she said
But when the door had shut on Miss Var
neys kindly face, she went over to the WIN
dow and looked drearily out into the dark
ness.
There was no moon and no stars, but the
wind was waving the dark branches Of the
trees, and signing restlessly.
And Mary thought of the woman and
child who had been driven out into that very
road by the relentless hand Of the Brother
ton they had deceived, to meet death, and a
little SILVER shook her.