St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-07-20
LOST LILY,

LOST LILY.
owe will have it out, now, it you
please, madam !" said Mark Arkwright
to his wife, Augusta.
And they did have it out with a VEN
geance. Both were high-tempered !;
neither had learned self-control and, be-
fore the scene between them was ended,
both had spoken words such as no two
people who love each other should ever
speak. If two Indifferent persons quarrel,
it does not amount to much generally !;
but when two who love each other in
dulge in the dangerous pastime it is fire.
quently fatal to happiness.
They had been married but a year,
and the sweet glamour of romance had
hardly worn off. This was their first dis
agreement, and it began in secret.
Perhaps Mr.. Arkwright had ample cause
to be angry with his wife. I am sure
that every man will think SO, though a
woman's judgment might be different,
On the afternoon OF the quarrel he
had asked his wife to drive with him,
and she had declined on that old plea.
the headache. He had pitied and petted
her, and kissed her hot forehead, and
smoothed her soft blonde hair, and es-
tablished her on the lounge in her room,
with pillow under her head ana shawl
over her feet, before he went out for his
afternoon drive.
Two hours later he had occasion to
cross Hyde Park, and there, walking
slowly down one of the most secluded
paths, he saw purple~velvet skirt, be"
side black coat. Augusta had a pur-
ple-velvet skirt, and looked like an angel,
her husband had frequently told her, all
unmindful Of the historical fact that
angels universally wear white, and are
supposed to be above the weakness of
purple-velvet skirts.
The airs and manners of the man were
foreign: he was handsome and had an
uneasy appearance generally-indeed, he
seemed to be constantly looking over his
shoulder.
Arkwright paused in thu shadow of a
clump of trees and watched the pair. I
suppose "watched" is the proper word,
though Arkwright prided himself on be-
ing an extremely honorable man, and
would doubtless have knocked anybody
down who had insinuated anything to
the contrary.
There was no installing the grace of
the lady, the wave of her golden hair,
the turn of her snowy neck-yes, the
very wreath of purple pansies on her
hat--all were Augustus; and in a mo.
ment more her husband heard her voice.
"Dear Arthur" she was saying, "every
moment for you here is fraught with
peril. Lose no time in getting out of
London" ~.-s.
"But, darling," returned the man,
nothing save my love for you has
brought me here; and it is hard if can
not have Just this little comfort"
They moved away down the walk, and
Arkwright heard no more. But he had
heard quite enough. He was in a white
heat of passion. He dared not follow
them and trust himselk to speak. There
was murder in his heart. He must wait
a little till his temper cooled. He went
to aIstab]e, hired fast horse, and rode
him till the animal was ready to. drop.
Then he went home and accused his wife.
No matter in what words-they were
harsh and bitter enough, heaven knows
and the vile epithets he applied to her at
the outset reused all her naughty pride
and resistance to arms.
She heard him through. She attempt
ed no defense; she made no denial;
but, when he paused from sheer want of
breath, she cursed the hour in which
she had married him. Then she left the
room. ..ss.
He had all night to subdue himself.
and if she had come to him in the morn
ing with any reasonable explanation he
would have listened to her. But she
did not come. .. .s..,e.'s g. -..,.
After while he sought her in her
room but she was gone. She had taken
with her only bare change of raiment
and had left no message to tell whittier
she was going, ! ..-... o. ..- i
" Fled with her paramount" Ark
wright said, bitterly; and then and
there he vowed to give himself no rest
until he had found and killed them both.
He tried hard to put his VOW into execu.
ton. For three years he was a wan,
derer, seeking always his wife and her
seducer, and finding them never. ~
At last he quit wandering and
went home. He was a very wealthy
man now. Lands that he had owned
had increased prodigieusly in value, and