Show the hollow of her hand han ily hy GEORGE BARR mccutcheon I 1 grazion Tr Tra anlon zion kiny ft illustrations by flims i i UOK aung g copyright 1912 by georte ceuric 1911 by III buu mad a cow c he old did not mean to be unfeeling he was her idol ile he was hei farat boru born he be mas tier her love horn born ho came caino to her in the lays days avii she loed tier her husband hubband without aiudi thought of re specking spec lox ting him slit was beginning to regard him blin as am something more than a lover when fealk carne ho he it van different forent when tapir daup laughter liter vivian was born she bho wan mas annoyed bu but t wholly respectful nir mr Wi Vl andall akas a no longer the lov ho he sas mas hoi hei lord and master 1 iff I hp head of tho binuso of brandall Wr andall as ag a to be looked up to to be respected and admired admira d by her for he was wan a nei ei great roan man but he ana HB dear to her only because he was the father of challia tho the first born in the order of her nature challas therefore was wad her moot dearly beloved vivian the least desired and last in her affections an ag well as in sequence strangely enough the three of them perfected a curiously significant rec ord of conjugal endowments Chal chalela llis had always been the wild wayward unrestrained one and by for far the most moet 10 lovable vable leslie labolle almost as good look ing but with scarcely a noticeable trace of charm that made his bis brother attractive vivian handsome selfish and as aa cheerless as the wind that blows across tho the icebergs in the nort north 11 challis had been born with a widely idely enveloping heart and an elastic conscience confidence fi loslie leslie with a brain and a fr r soul and not much of a heart as things so go vivian with a soul alone which be longed to god after all und and not to ur hot of course she had a heart but it was only foi tho purpose of pumping blood to remote extremities and had nothing whatever to do with anything so 0 o unutterably extraneous an aa love charity or at As foi mi redmond brandall Wr andall he ha waa as a i kiy ei y pi cioper operand and dignified gentle man inan and old for his bis years it may be seen been or mathei surmised that it if the house of brandall Wr andall had not been so admirably centered under lite KB own vino vine and fig tree it might have become divided against itself without much ot of an effort mrs mr redmond brandall Nr ranu andall all was wu the vine ville and fig tree and now they had brought her dearly belied son eon homo home to her murdered and disgraced ollo graced it if it had been either cither of the others ot liers sho she could have eald gode will bo be done instead she cried out that god hud turned tier her lobile imd had had tho bad taste or r it II ans anar to blurt out an d i told ou so 0 o I 1 at a time when tins the fili faintly nily was sitting silting numb and hushed dundei the blight of the first boirie blo blow lie he did not mean to be un feling it m no the burnt burat ing front from hill lips I 1 knew knem dial chal conlo to this I 1 kanom anc IL 11 lir lie hao pali ilia ig eftim ainia was aa bout about the qui quivering Nering shoulders of his bla mother as an he be sali it she bhe looka 1 ui ill a soh sob bio aking in her throat I 1 or a time she looked into the alic or of hei second son bon ilow how can call ou lioa wv dare you eay any ouch euch a thing wi as tant MIA w cried aghast lie he colonl an I 1 di alre cm her closer to him 1 I I 1 dian didn t nivan mean it lie faltered fajt cred you lung alas taken sides against him bran began his hia mother please ll eFe enother he tried ried dilser ably you say this to mo now she went on OIL you who are 0 left to take his bin place in my affect lon h loable I 1 vivian la is upset mamma darling you know he loved challis sa aa deeply as any of us loved him afterwards the girl said to leslie when they were quite alone bh will forgive you for that L it t wu was a beastly thing to say gay he H bit his up lip which rilio rilie a ue ne er cared for mo me az ae she cared foi chat im sorry it ive made it worse wore 11 see here leslie was chai gobo gobe yo ye I 1 meant what I 1 said a while ago it was wai sure lure to happen to him one time or another saras had a lot to put up with sara bar I 1 if she had been the right sort of a wife this nevet would mould have happened after all la Is said aud done vivie bat as lu in EL a position to tub it in on us it if she a of a mind to do so BO she wont do it of couise but I 1 onder it if she abe tent lent gloating just juet the same saine wo me treated her as an ono one of ua its demanded she ehe dabbing her hand kerchief in tier her eyes I 1 since the wed ding I 1 moan mean haven t we been kind to her oh I 1 think sho she understands US perfectly said eald her brother 1 I 1 wonder what she ahe will do now mused vivian in that speech tasting her nister in law out of her narrow little world as one would throw aside 1 a I burnt out match sho she will pi by experience said eald he with some pleasure la in a superior perlor eu wisdom 4 in mrs mm Wran dalls sitting room at the top of the broad stairway sat mat the family that la is to say ay the immediate family a clemn faced footman in front of the door that tood stood fully ajar so 0 o that the occupants might bear the words of the minister as they ascend fd ed sonorous aud and precise from the hall ball below belom A minister was lie he who knew the buttered side aide of his bis bread ilia discourse was to bu be a beautiful one lie fit stood nt at the front of the stalls and faced the assembled lu ill ahn hall the drawing room and the entre so sol but his infinite touching orde acorda went up one flight and lodged sara brandall Wr andall sat eat a little to the left or of and behind mrs redmond wran dall about whom iere bere drooped ill tru three ierna ining ills ainther son aon and aind daughter daugh tor closely dian together NN oil to the fore were M randall uncles ano comins and aunts and one oi 01 lo ti 10 re full hosen blood relations to th the 0 of the house hoa hand had long been net ft against of ass exalted promise sara brandall Wr andall on the sm ill pink dhan alt an sat a st in this sorn nom tier her company a oung ivonian in black whose palo fact face naw uncovered and chome lashes were lifton so BO barch that one could not know of the deep mal pain that lay behind them in lafr blue eyes she had arrived at the bouse an hour or two before the time set for the ceremony in oni pany with the widow true to her resolution the widow mido of challia brandall Wr andall had remained away from the home of h his 1 9 people until the last hour she fil had 1 I been consulted to be sure in regard to the final arrangements but the meetings had bad taken place in her own I 1 i apartment many blocks distant from ithe i the house in lower fifth avenue the afternoon before she had received redmond hedmond brandall Wr andall udall and le leslie mile his bla I 1 son she had bad not sent bunt for or them they came perfunctorily and not through lany any sense of obligation these two at least knew that sympathy Bym pathy was not what she wanted but pence peace T wice twice during the two trying days leslie had bad come to see her vivian telephoned on the occasion of lite first aielt leslie had bad met the guest in the house the second time he called he made I 1 it a point to ask sara all about hei I 1 it was he who gently closed the door after the two women when on the morning of the funeral they on n the dark flower laden room in which chich stood the casket containing the body of his brothel lie he left th them em alone together in that room for halt half nn all hour or more and it was he who went forward to meet them when they came forth sara loaned leaned on hla his arm as she ascended the stairs to the loom boom v here chere the others were waiting the aaben faced girl followed her eyes glowered lowered her loved gloved hands clenched mrs brandall Wr andall the older elder kissed sara and drew her down beside her on the couch to her own surprise as an well as that of the others sura sara broke down and wept bitterly after all she ebe wais sorry tor for challis chains mother it was the human instinct she could not hold bold out against it 11 and the tb older omun put away the ancient grudge she fib held against this mortal enemy and dissolved into tears of boal corn com passion A little later she whispered broken 1 in saim saias a ear IM M dear my desu deal thin has brought us together I 1 hope 3 iou ou will loarn learn to love me 1 sara caught her breath but uttered tie no A word ord she looked into her mother in iva h a eyes and smiled through tier her tears ilia Wran dalls looking on in amaze saw the smile reflected eted in the face of the older yemen woman then it war irs that vivian crossed quickly and put hei arms about the shoulders of hot hei ulster in law the white hag on both faldet iett castleton stood silone alone and WR wa PI ing just inside the door no stronger Kt ronger situation could be imagined than the one in bloh this unfortunate girl found at the present mo me ment she was virtually in the hands band of those who would mould destroy her she be was in the house of those who moot deeply nere affected b t tier her act on that fetal fatal night among them all she stood facing them listening to the moans and sobs and yet her limba did not give way beneath her some borne one gently touched her arm it was leslie she shrank back a i fearful look in her bar eyes in ID the semi i darkness he failed to note the dipre aton wont you sit bit here beret ha h A asked indicating di 41 the little pink divan against the wall forgive me for letting you stand so long lone h looked about bar the wild light still in her eye ey she WM was wf lite a rt rat in ft a tray trap her up lips parted but tho the word of thanks did not come forth A strange inarticulate sound found almost ft a gp gasp came instead pallid as ai ft a ghost she be dropped limply to the divan and of due ug her fingers into the satiny seat As A it fascinated she be stared over tb the black heads ot of the three women imme la in front of her at the full length portrait hanging where here the light from the hull hall fell upon it if the portrait of a dashing youth in riding togs A moment later sara brandall Wr andall came cam e over and sat beside her the girl shivered as with a mighty chill when the warm hand of her ti ft lend fell upon tiers hers and enveloped it in a firm clasp his mother kissed me whispered sara I 1 did you see 0 the girl could not reply she could only at the open door A small email hatchet faced man had come up from below and was nodding hla his head to leslie brandall Wr andall a man mail with short side whis whiskeys keis and a sepulchral look in his hia eyes then having received a sign from leslie lie tiptoed away almost instantly tho voices of people bieging binging softly cumo cuino from some distant remote part of the house and then a little later the perfectly modulated voice of ft a man la ilk prayer back of her Wran dalls dalle beside her Wran brandall Wr andall dalle beneath her friends of the Wran dalls outside the rabble those who would join mith these black raven like specters in tearing her to pieces it if they but knewl knew I 1 the droning voice came up from be low each well welle chosen hosen word distinct and clear tribute beautiful to the irreproachable proa chable character of the deceased leslie watched the face of the girl curiously fascinated by the set net emo tion leas features and yet without il conscious interest lute Inte iest in her he was dully sensible to the fact that eliat she wa 10 beautiful uncommonly beautiful it ib did not occur to him to feel that she nas aas out of place among them that she belonged down stairs somehow she ha w was as A part of the surroundings like the specter at the feast it if he be could have witnessed all that transpired while sara mas H in the room roola ill b low with her guest her ber companion as he had bad come to regail her aitho without U t having in fact been told as an much b he would have been lost in a maze of the 0 most overwhelming emotions to go back the door had barel closed behind the two women when trembling knees gave way beneath her with a low moan of horror she ebe slipped to the floor door covering her ber face with her hands sara garft knelt beside her come she said gently but firmly 1 I 1 must exact this much of you it we are to go on together as we have planned you must stand beside me fit at its his bier together we must look upon film for the last time you must see him an aa I 1 saw him up there in the country I 1 had my cruel blow that night algat it Is your turn now I 1 will not blame i you for what you did but it if you expect me to go on believing that you did a brave thing that night you must convince me that you are not a coward now it Is 1 the only test I 1 shall put you to come I 1 know it Is hard I 1 know it Is terrible but it is the true test of your ability to go through with it to the end I 1 shall know kno then that you have the courage to face anything that may come up she waited a long time her band on he girls shoulder boulder at last hetty you are right she said hoarsely 1 I should not be afraid later on they sat over against the wall beyond the casket into which they had peered with widely varying emotions sara had said you know that I 1 loved him the girl put api hands hande to her eyes arid bowed her head bend oh how can you be so BO morel merciful ful to me 7 because De cause he was not said sara white lipped hetty glanced at the A bettys trembling knees gave way beneath her hall half a averted arted face ace ith queer able expression in her eyes it leslie brandall Wr andall could have looked in upon them at that moment or at nn an time during tile the half an hour that followed he would have known who wa as the slayer of his him brother but bat it to Is doubtful if he could have had bad the tb heart to denounce her to the world when they were ready to leave the room hetty had regained control ol of her nerves to ft a most mur surprising extent aa condition unmistakably due to th the influence of the older woman 1 I can trust myself now mrs MM wran dall said hetty hatty steadily a as they be stated for an instant before turning the knob of the door then I 1 shall ask you to opo the door wild sara drawing back without ft a word or ft a look botty heu I 1 opened the door and permitted the other to pass out before her aher she fol followed loed doling closing it gently oven even deliberately but not without inthout a swift glance oyet over her ber sL shoulder tutu ittle ati depths of the room they were leaving of the two sara brandall Wr andall as aa the the balor as an they went up the broad stair case with leslie 7 he be funeral oration by the rev dr maltby dragged on afung all his hearers there was wan but one who believed the things ila said of challis Ni andall and she utis oue of oc two pei nonh none who he eo they an in oen aro tile the tast fast to and a man out 11 his moth lottici und and hla his sister mater dut in tills this lustana tile mother was wan alone rho rhe silent attentive guests on the lower lomer floor listened in grim ap approval proal dr maltby vua as doing himself proud not one but all of them know knew that maltby know knew and yet how soothing Boot blog he be was waa 0 0 4 0 by the end of the tha week the murder of challis wandall Wr andall was waa forgotten by all save the police the inquest mus over the law was baffled the city wua was serenely waiting alting for its ita next sensa biz tion no one cared leslie brandall Wr andall went down don to tho the steamer to see eee his sister alster in law off for europe goodby miss castleton he said bald as ae he shook the hand of the ellin allin young englishwoman at parting take good care of sara she |