Show OC 15 I WI fr GIORGE BARR DAER t Wl PLAY WALTERS i iI I V ll 7 j i or Y MAD fLAP o YD tO C CO SYNOPSIS CHAPTER In I-In the thc New York h ho hoiu at two L. L James old Brood Dawes and Rises Riggs hi his pensioners and comrades await the he coming coining of ot Broods Brood's son Frederic to tonT Jle learn nT rn the c contents nt o ot a wireless from I Brood Drood but 1 Frederic after arter reading tn throws It Into the fire and leaves leavea tn the room without a 0 word CHAPTER Frederic Il-Frederic tells Lydia Desmond his flanc fiancee c. c that tho the message announces his fathers father's marriage end and orders ori or- or tiers ders i 1 the e house prepared P D for Cor an nn Immediate homecoming homecoming- n house house- g. g Mrs Desmond tl the a housekeeper housekeeper house house- keeper e and Lydias Lydia's mother tries to cool Frederics temper at the Impending ch changes chane inges CHAPTER Brood Ill and his bride ar ar- rive Sho She jw wins Ins Frederics Frederic's liking at first I I I meeting Brood shows dislike and veiled hostility to his son I I CHAPTER LYdia IV and Mrs Brood meet in the room Jade where Lydia works ns as Broods Brood's secretary The room dominated dominated domi domi- I by a 0 great gold Rold Buddha Broods Brood's lather father confessor is furnished In oriental oriental j ma Mrs Mrs- Brood after a talk I Ima with Lydia which leaves the latter j i sled Is disturbed by the appearance of or tho Hindu servant of ot Brood I CHAPTER V V V-Mra Mrs Brood makes changes In the household and gains her husban husbands husband a consent to send Mrs Desmond and LydIa away She tries to fathom fathom tho tho mystery of ot Broods Brood's separation from his I first wife before her death and his dl dU- dU I like of or his son but falls fails I CHAPTER VI Mrs Brood fascinates Frederic They visit Lydia Ldla and her moth moth- mother I er in their new apartment Mrs Brood begins to fear rear in his uncanny ape apI appearances ap ap- e and disappearances and Frederic Fred Fred- eric I remembering n b I kS his ff fathers father's Et East I Indian Jr stories and ond firm belief beller In magic fears unknown unknown un un- known evil CHAPTER VII VII performs feats of or magic for Cor Dawes and Riggs CHAPTER VIII VIII II Frederic's Frederics father Jealous Jealous jealous Jeal jeal- ous unjustly orders his son from rom the dinner table as drunk Yvonne follows Frederic to the tho room Jade-room and Influences him to apologize to his father rather and tho the guests for tor his ills alleged lapse which puzzles puzzles puzzles the father Brood tells the story of life Ilfe to his guests lIe He killed J a woman who was unfaithful to him CHAPTER IX Yvonne plays with Frederics Frederic's Infatuation for tor her and when her husband warns her that the thing thine must not go on tells him that he ho still loves his dead wife whom he drove from his hom through her Yvonne He calls her ber a sorceress CHAPTER X k Y Yvonne onno von no plays with Ith Brood Frederic and Lydia as with figures on on a chess board Brood madly Jealous tells Lydia Ldla that Frederic Is not his son and that he has him up to kill hl his happiness at the tho proper time with this knowledge For an hour the they sat there master and pupil sweetheart and lover and t 1 if a as s s t I heart rt 0 of tie when tiring at last the other othe con con- contentedly abandoned the role of taskmaster taskmaster task task- master and threw himself upon the tho couch remarking as he stretched himself himself himself him him- self in luxurious ease I like this Lyddy I wish you didn't have to go over there and anil dig dirr a away way n a al that confounded Journal I liko like this so zo well th that t. t pon pan my soul here with the tho Id I'd loafing you hole cy ClY iy long Her heart leaped You shall shall have have your wish Freddy she said barely I able to conceal the note of or eagerness In her hei voice I am not going to work worl I today I my I-my my head you know Mother telephoned to Mr l Brood this morning before beCore you were up Stay here with me Dont Don't go home Freddy I 1 Oh Ive I've got to have it out with father sometime he lie said bitterly It may as well be now as later on Weve We've got to come to an understanding understand understand- ing H Her hear heart was wa cold colli She via wis afraid I of or of come out of that understanding understanding un All An sight Ight long Ions she had lain with wide eyes ees thinking thinking I of the horrid thing J James mes Brood Drood had said to to her Far in the nl night ht she I aroused her bar IT xi ler cr from Cram a sound I sleep Bleep to p put t the question that tat had I been torturing her for hours Mrs Desmond confessed that her husband had told her that Brood Drood had never considered considered con con- con I Frederic to be his son sou and then the two lay side Bide by side for the remainder of the night without utterIng uttering uttering utter utter- ing a word and yet et keenly awake They were thinking of the hour when Broo Brood would auld serve en-e notice p the intruder in in- now realized that the hour was near Have It out with father he had said in his ignorance He was I preparing to rush headlong to his doom To prevent that catastrophe was the single all absorbing thought In mind Her only hope lay In keeping the men apart until she could extract from Brood a promise to be merciful and this she intended to eN accomplish If she ahe had to go down on her knees and grovel before tho the manOh manOh man Oh Freddy she cried earnestly why take take- the chance of making malting a bad badi i matter matter worse Even as she uttered I- I he the words she realized how stupid Sw w Ineffectual they were It t cant can't be bo much worse he lie said ram Iam am inclined to think hed he'd ta taia a straight out straight ut fair and S square ta V. Moreover I mean to toto said said- a to task for the thing bhe ilia last night About Ab About Ut implied you ou I CK y She She She- She Sho jealous She admitted It it dear if i r It If I Incur Incur- nt at ft mind why should Uld y you U D r you U she ehe-aho eso believe bellevo lo lov loves the tho 0 gOV enough to be as J Jea jealous ous at nIl all t b. b tit ho he exclaimed a n curious g gleam 1 earn ln in is 8 s eyes an eyes an expression expression I sion on sho did not It 11 II Of course I them so soy sho Bho cried emphatically What Have I j you any reason to suspect that she lie does dons not love Jove your our fat fati r NO certainly No certainly not lie ho Bald kald In la some somo Then Than 2 after a a. moment Are you quite sure this headache of I I I yours ours is real Lyddy Isn't it an ex- ex exI excuse I cuse to stay away from from-from from from Yvonne Lafler after what happened last night Behonest Ue De honest hones dea dear She was silent for a n long time weighing her answer Was it best to be honest with him I confess that It has something to I dp with It It she admitted Lydia could not be anything but truthful I I thought so Its It's Its It's Its It's a rotten shame Lyddy That's why I want to talk to her ber I want to reason with her Its It's all so perfectly silly this misun misun- Youve You've Just got to go on onas onas as you were before just Lyddy-just Just as if It hadn't happened It ItI It- It I I 1 shall complete the work for Cor your father Freddy she said quietly Two or t three ree days more morn will see the end After that neither m my services nor normy normy normy my presence will bo be required over there You dont don't mean to say say say- say to he began unbelievingly I can think of them Just as well here as anywhere else No 1 I shant annoy Mrs Brood Drood Freddy It was waD wason on the tip of her tongue to say more but she thought better of it ft going abroad soon ho ventured At least that's fathers father's plan Yvonne isn't so keen about it She calls cans this being bring abroad you know Besides he hurried on In his eagerness eager eager- eagerness ness to excuse Yvonne Y tremendously fond of you jou ou No end of times she's said you were the finest finest- finest If Her Her smile smile smile-an an odd one such as he had never seen on her lips before checked before his eager speech He bridled Of course if It you jou ou dont don't choose to believe me theres there's nothing more to be said She meant it however t am sure she said it Freddy she hastened to declare Will she be pleased with our our our-our our marriage It required a great grent deal of courage on her part to utter these words but she sho was determined to bring the true situation situation situ situ- home to him H Ho H. did not even hesitate and there was conviction in his voice as he re reo plied It doesn't matter whether she's pleased or displeased Were We're pleasing ourselves are we not Theres There's no noone noone one else to consider dear jW YOS wore wino full upon 11 and as de s J. eat u 1 you you thank u thank you you Freddy she cried I I 1 I knew you'd you'd- The remained unfinished i H Hij Hsi J there ever eer been a doubt in your mind he ho asked aske uneasily after a moment He knew lenew there had been bee misgivings and he was rea ready dr In his self abasement to resent them if given the slightest opening Guilt made him arrogant No Ko she answered simply The Time answer was not what he ex ex- He lie flushed painfully I I 1 I thought perhaps you'd you'd-you'd you'd you'd got a notion in your head that that that-It He lIe too stopped for want of the right words to express himself without committing committing com com- the egregious error of letting her see sea that it had been In his thoughts to accuse her of Jealousy She waited for a moment That I might have got the notion In my head you jou ou did not love lo me any longer Is If that what you sr started to sa say say Yes he confessed confessed a averting his hisey ey eyes s. s Ive been unhappy at times Freddy but that is all she said sad steadily You see I know v how bow honest you really reany are I know it mar ar ar better than i know it yourself He stared I 1 wonder Bonder Just how how honest honest hon hon- I est I am m. m he mu mut red fired I I 1 wonder what would happen i if if- if But Dut nothing can happen Nothing ever will will m hap hap- pen Thank you old odd girl for saying what you OU said Just now Its It's Its It's its it's bully buny of or you He got up and began pacing the floor She leaned back IB Ip p her chair deliberately J-at J ly giving him time to to straighten ten out his thoughts for him- him y R 1 III will w ill 1 1 me 1 11 Will YOU Marry Me Mc Tomorrow self Wiser than she knew herself to b be she sho held held baek the back fhe warm i words of ef encouragement ent of ot gra e I of belief But Dut she was riot not pr prepared o tho i 1 ii appeal that followed Ia Cl a threw himself down beside hr her at al d d. grasped her hands In his Hrs His fa e seemed suddenly old and leyes l I his his' S eyes ces burned like coals of fire Th Then n f fr the first time she had an Ink inkling ng pr pf f the great struggle that had bee ol on inside of him for weeks and weel Listen Lyddy Lydd he began nervous nervously ly h. will you marry me tomorrow f. f you willing to take the thc thane chanc thit th t tIll Ill I'll be able to support you to earn eath enough enough- I jj It Why cried halt half starl starling ing up from the couch She suns du j A founded fJ Will Gill you ou Will you jou ou I mean j i he Ie went on almost arrogantly r j d He was very ery much in earnest arn st t. t b balas bul alas the fire the tho passion of tI th thy It portunato lover was missing S shrank back into the tho corner cornel i of couch staring at him with mth pt P d eyes Comprehension was slow j n t riving As he on wit with plea she began to see clearly sound level brain grasped the tho k d of or this sudden d n n. n his part pait t i dearl 11 fI Theres no use waiting dear dearA never never be he more capable callable of or living than I am right now I can call into tho the once office with Brooks Drooks anY anyn t a 3 and I 1 1 I I think I can make good r c known I can try hard enough pt b fi s. s cays says hes he's got a place there for me 1 mi the bond department It wont won't lb b much at first fust but I can Tl 1 pretty prett what's good good what's the matter t uI J t you rOll think I can do it Havo Oll Havo-Oll nb ib faith in me Are you OU afraid to t h 0 o oa a chance She Sho had smiled sadly sadly sadly-It It see seemed ed to him reprovingly His Ills cheek ei d d. d What has put all this into y r I head Fr Freddy dear sha she a d His eyes wavered a ered I cant can't cant g O ou l living as I have been for time the p ii st months Ive I've just got to it Lt y You dont you understand cant knit there isn't any use in hi trying to explain ex explain p ln the time I think I r do understand dear Ie said quietly laying her hand q on au II I. I iI i. i I understand so completely that that C Cia re ia reis is Isn't t any use in your trying to explain n. n B t dont don't you think you OU are a a bit c w ardly I Cowardly he gasped and ami and andl Ft l ten n the blood rushed to his face Cace rIs f r I l Is it quite fair to me or me-or or to ir self He was silent She waited for Ifor fora a moment and then went on reso reso- reso I know just what It IE is that you jou ere nj-e afraid of Freddy I 1 shall marry you of c course urse I love love loveY Y you U more than a anything thing elsa in all tb the world Yol Id But are you quite t fair in asking l yr ide ideo o 0 marry you OU while hile you ar are ate still dear I t C n i 1 lovd h you he cried earnestly I kno what it is is' is isyou you are ore thinking and I 1 1 dont don't blame you your But ut I wa want t you now now- good God you dont don't know how mu much 1 I need you now I want to begin J d new life with you I want to fe Ce fee that you are with me just me-just Just y you u strong and brave and enduring I 1 I a an adrift I need you I If you insist I will ill marry many you t f to tomorrow morrow but you ou cannot you cannot you will no ask it of or me will you 7 1 But you know I love you he lie cried There isn't any n r doubt in your mind Lyddy There There- is no one else I tel you i iI I think I am nm Just beginning to to mj uni un understand men she remarked enig enig- He looked looked up up sharply And to onder on onder der why they call women the wea weaker e sex eh elm 1 Yes she said so seriously that th wry smile died on his hislIp lIp lips l belleve believe there are many women women wyid would ask a man to be sorry for them That's really what all this amounts amounts' to isn't it It Freddy By Dy Jove he be exclaimed wonderingly wonder- wonder You are a strong willed self-willed chi chi chiy- man and yet et you OU think nothing of or asking a woman to protect you against yourself You are arc to stand alone Wait Walt Five minutes minutes- yes one minute before you ask asked d it it of me Freddy dear you were ere dering in the darkness uncertain which way to turn You were ere ware afraid ld of tho things you could not see see- You looked ed for some soine place in which hl 11 to hide The flash of light revealed a re a ha e havener of r refuge So you ou asked me pie to fo to fa-to marry 11 you ou tomorrow All through this in In Indictment p. p she had held his his l hand clasped tI tightly In both of hers of He was looking at her with witha a ii 1 fr frank nl acknowledgement ac growing In his bis eyes Are you ou ashamed of Ille Lyd rl he asked It was confession No she said meeting his gaze guc steadily I am a little HUle dJ that's all It is you oU who are r hamed wasn't I am said he ite be simply MI fair fali Lovo Love will endure I am content t. t to h Walt wait she said with a wistful You wills wiH b bemy I my i wife no ma matter ter what hat happens You wont won't let Iet this make an any difference You are arc not angry with ri nip ale Angry Why should I r Ibe be be- angry with you OU Lyddy Tor or shaping shaking some tome |