Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-18

was mur0er III his. S.ka{ s88
aAre you ready to 60 home2' she
asked YEARLY Sslss
tainly il you desire to 60, a he.
answered coldly 5=-
+ IN word was spoken on that home
ward drive. 1T seemed interminable
to both husband and wife.
As they entered their brightS warm
parlors, Delphie s lace loo ked worn and
haggard in the gasligght. She sat down
before the glowing CRATE and threw
back her costly robes. Milton stood
before her with folded arms, his face
cold with anger, His eyes murderous.
"Well," he said and waited. :.
- ts'Will you sit down. she answered,
motioning him to a seat. 81 <5
NO" he said, ri willnever sit down
in this house again until this is ex-
planned satisfactorily. IF my house is
disgraced I never want to sit down
under It's roof again. RI
81 have brought no, disgrace to you, -
she answered., with q red spot flaming
into her cheeks. ~
,"But I have wronged you, perhaps.
should have told you'll meant to
tell you--but I was :overruled."
"Go on,' he said. +
She drew long breath. ~ was so
young-only sixteen she began,
''when Was sent abroad with a.
chaperone-a lady who had three
young girls in charge. We were to be
educated in Paris. Albert Lancaster
was on the ship. He was young and
handsome and he selected me as the
especial object Of his fattey. / was
startled and pleased and interested, as
any young girl at my age might have
been. never expected to see him
again after we left the ship. But one
day, a few months later, he met us as
We were out taking our daily exercise
under the supervision OF a. teacher.
He bowed and smiled. | only blushed
in return. Every week after that for
several months he would manage to
meet us.
"One day he came close behind us
and pressed a note in my hand. [
read it when alone i'll my room. It
WAS a respectful note, begging me to
correspond with him. He desired to
make my acquaintance honorably, as
he had been unable to forget me since
that sea voyage. [ WAS full OF
romance andfolly, as most voungglr}s
are. Z I heard all my compositions
talking OF love and marriage, and my
noble young atlmrer seemed to ne
the Prince of Lovers. | answered. his
note and I dreamed of him day and.
night. At Last lie planned an elope-
ment. | was to meet him at a certain
nj, To 10
married, and l would then be Lady
Lancaster and live IN an enchanted
palace all my life. The very day Twas
to meet him received telegram an
mourning my fathers death, and the
next day learned that my lover had
been killed in steeplechase the very
same morning.
"This is all the story, Milton. I
have been foolish. but not guilty of
any sin. have lived to see howgreat
my error would have been had l made
that foolish marriage. It would have
broken my parents hearts instead of
making them proud OF my brilliant
alliance as imagined. And it would
have ruined my whole life
"As you have ruined mine" Milton
said, coldly. All my life | had all
ideal. A woman, spotless as snow,
who had never loved, who was; above
deception, and whose name had never
been associated with that OF any man.
I believed I had found her in you. I
married you under this delusion. I
have been a proud and happy man. l
have been q fool q blind fool to be-
lieve youw worthy OF the idolatrous
worship | gave you. You have de-
ceived me from first to last It was a,
carefully planned scheme OF yours and
your mothers. l can never forgive
you"
II have not sinnad,' Delplfie an
swered, in a low voice.
caesars wife must be above suspi-
cion," he replied.
Suddenly she arose and faced him.
She was very white and her eyes Aared
with fire he never saw in them be-
fore. Her, rich wraps fell from her
shoulders and her jewels glistened in
! the gaslight. She looked like some en-
ragged princess.
II, too, had an ideal once" she
said, "a man too noble to stoop to
| frivolity, with a will too mighty to
permit him to have been guilty OF any
act which I might not know. met
you; you sought me in spite OF my re-
! luctance to make your acquaintance.
You insisted, you almost compelled
me to love you. Ibid love you. My
mother was your ally confess it.
| But. do you know how she prevailed
1y,c1
without telling you the one folly ofmy
life? 1t was in this way: She had in
vestigated your history, and she told
| me of certain events in your Life,
events which crimsoned my cheek with
shame while listened, and caused ME
to lie and weep through nights. OF
sleepless agony. Il did not believe it
possible that a man. who seemed SO
noble, so refined as you, could have
given rein to his baser nature even for
a few years. had idealized you, you
see. But my mother assured me you
were not worse than other men, that
I would never find my ideal in
morality and that if I loved you
I must not scruple to accept
your hand. She had brought me
The most convincing proofs of your
past. My own seemed spotless beside:
Tiny experience was child's play
compared with your own Sustained
career. Isaid, I love him well enough
| to be his wife,, knowing all this from
other lips than his; surely if my past
rises before him in the future he will
love me well enough to overlook i. If.
forgive so much he will forgive SO lit
| tie. But overestinated the strength
Eofyour love- forgot that my judge
| was q man.
| She nal1sed. and Milton stood silent;