St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-06-22
THE BEST BELOVED.
BY ETTIE ROGERS.

"The law has given you your freedom.
You accused inc of sins Of which you
knew me to be innocent, and I submitted
to the outrage without word of defense
or denial And why? Because, Stel hen,
l am too proud to care to be your wife
in name but not in love, and because my
affection is and always has been subject
to your slightest caprices and desires.
You are free, and you will marry Clelia
Adair, whose fatal charms have blinded
and besuiled you. But, Stephen, re-
member my parting words - all that is
yet noble of your manhood is true to me
still, and the day will come when in
bitter sorrow you will acknowledge me
as the first and last and best beloved.
The allowance you offer me will not
accept. I have our child, and I wish
nothing more"
"I am glad you are satisfied, Helen"
answered the man, impatient to end the
interview. els there anything more
you wish to say?"
Nothing" she said, turning her
beautiful proud eyes for the last time
upon the face that was still to her so
dear; "and yet-yes, Stephen, forgive
you"
And thus these two, who had been
man and wife, but who now were to each
other legally less than strangers, parted,
and Stephen Darrell hoped and believed,
forever.
Several months after his marriage to
Clelia Adair he heard incidentally that
Helen had gone to Europe with retired
prima donna, and that she was studying
preparatory to becoming public singer.
He was not surprised. She was still
young, of noble type of beauty, and
possessed a rare and highly cultured
voice that would have made her name
and fame long ago had she not sacrificed
her ambition and her passion for song to
love and marriage.
Already his mad intatuation for his
new wife had begun to weaken. She was
the sort of woman whose charms soon
satiate those about whom the siren wiles
are too closely woven. He deemed her
the incarnation of all that is sweet and
sympathetic and satisfying, and bis slow
disenchantment sickened him. Clelia
was brilliant, hut she was superficial;
she was IS beautiful as flower, and quite
as soulless; Clelia could purr and caress
and stroke him coquettishly with her
velvety fingers, but the tones snd pretty
gestures and Gree embraces, that once
had been so delicious and mesmeric, now
only amused him as would have done the
fawning of some handsome, petted AMI
NAL forever expecting repletion OF
selfish delights.
A lustrum of wedlock with Clelia
brought out five epochs of disenchant-
ment. There was one year of the
intoxication of wild and headlony
passion, then a reckless time OF vague
dissatisfaction, then indifference, then
liberation, and at the last loathing. At
the end of this time he began to remem-
Der sorrowfully the cozy, domestic home
where he had been so happy with Helen
before the conquering temptress smiled
away his fealty with her dark bswitch>
ing eyes.
In the stately house where she had so
proudly enthroned his new love he
missed the witely solicitude, the delicate.
womanly attentions, the inefable calm
and the pervading spirit of trust and con-
fdence and affection that had made his
home like q dream of Edel. He was
weary of the cold splender of the rooms
through which the dashing Clelia flashed
in her satins and gems he was weary of
the endless pageant of giddy guests; he
was alarmed at his wife's monstrous
extravaganza, and her pomp of fashion.
able dissipation. But she laughed at
the remopstrances, and frowned at his
anxiety. A stacy tear, an affected
flown, pretty pout, alone answered his
anger, his sorrow, or his arguments. Her
skye terrier was no more insensible to
reason than CleIia. -s Ssh 1885,.
But there came day when the bank
of which he was treasurer became in
solvent. His homer was impugned, his |
creditors clamorous, and his princely
fortune gone, and in all the great city
be had not one true heart to counsel or
comfort him. Months OF sleepless
anxiety had bowed his handsome head
and whitened his hair, yet the needless
and heartless Clelia was utterly ignorant |
Of his trouble.
He had not been brave enough to tell |
her, for he felt that this woman who |
had ruined his life-weuld madden him
by her insipid and selfish wonder and |
regret, for of any stronger emotion she
was incapable.
But at last his grand house was sold to
satisfy a mortgage, given as security for
money that had been wasted in the laces
and silks and jewels that CIelia wore |
with such imperial pride, money that he