Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-12-26

Undet the old elm trees, near the famou:
Fashion race course on Long Island, stand.
mansion of freestone-one of the fines
rural homes in the vicinity of the metro
polls. The former race course is thieklt
cred with entangled weeds, the higt
fences are gone and the pretty club house
with its adjacent grand stand-Once the
popular resort of the noble sse, the beauty
ang the fashion of New York-has faller
| into lonely decay, but the fame of the
Fashion course still lives and holds place
in the hearts of old lovers of sport. The
Fashion course has disappeared, apd
where in by-gone years stood willow
cOpse and grove of maple, to-day are seen
the stately home of New York's merchant
and banker princes. Elegant, imposing
mansions, with every comfort and embel
lishment that wealth and refined taste car
suggest, new surround the historic locality,
aud the famous Flushing pike, with its ar
NADIA of unique and dainty vehicles, and its
thrOngs of
EXCITED PLEASURE SEEKERS
are now but refreshing moments of a de
cade that has vanished.
Among the most imposing of these arts
| tocratic homes, with its broad and beautiful
lawn edging the historic pike, Is the resi-
dence of the late William Benton Cooper, q
former well-knOwn merchant of Peck Slip
New York, who, having amassed a fortune
in 1880, retired from active business anC
nestled in his palace TO enjoy in quiet dig
nifty its many comforts.
Mr.. Cooper was favOrite nephew of the
author of ''The Last of the Mohicans," the
like his uncle, was man of literary attain.
ments. His family consisted of his wifi
and his Daughter Lulu, an only and a very
pretty child. Carefully nurtured amid
wealth and refined society, the girl at six.
teen years had blOsson1ej
INTO PERFECT woMASHooD.
The great world beyond had been sealed
book 10 her. and now was born i'm her the
most ardent desire to open the closed vol.
ume and im5ibe its many curious lessons.
She had occasionally, in company with
her parents, visited the playhouses Of New
York. and the young girl, like other thou
sands Of her age and sex, imagined she be-
held her future.
brain until at last she made a cOnfidant of
her mother. to whom her desire and plans
were fully revealed, and the fond parent
did not possess the courage to refuse the
qualification of her daughters ambition.
Her consent was given, and Lulu sought and
won an entrance to the stage.
Her high social position, her lovely face
and figure, her winning ways and her
charming voice soon made her quite a fay-
orite i'm leading theater of the metropolis
where she appeared with more than Ordi-
nary success in one OF
THE QUESTIONABLE COMEDIES
of Goldsmith.
For two months she made her nightly
appearance, the twinkle of the fOotIights
and the stare of countless ewes having be-
usual cOmmOtiOn in the audience attracted
attention only to chill her blood like a
blasting frost.
The vast audience seemed to swim before
her eyes as she staggered behind the wings,
for she had recognized her father. It was
the first Knowledge he had received of his
daughters appearance upon the stage and
effort almost herculean he concealed the
true cause of his emotions. and remained in
bis seat until the close of the entertainment.
when he entered his carriage and was driv.
en- home. 1t was lonely midnight ride of
seven miles, during which the most conflict
ing emotions struggled within him. Were
scribed.
The interview that followed between Mr..
and Mrs. Cooper occurred In
THE sANcTTTY OF THEIR CHAMBER
and will never be known, but one fact is alb
solutely true-they never again addressed a
single word to each other, although contipu-
ally residing beneath the same roof.
A few months passed when the neighbor-
hood was shocked by the announcement that
cause was attributed to deep but unknown
grief. She was buried in beautiful spot in
Greenwood overlooking the bay, and at the
funeral it was observed that Mr.. Cooper
manifested but little sorrow. Thus. death
had forever separated the father and mother.
while her own actions had estranged daugh.
ter and parents.
1t was not long before Lulu Cooper had
become an established favorite In her voca-
ton, and won all hearts by her ''chic" and
talent. Her father had secluded himself in
MS beautiful yet lonely home, the victim of
suppressed grief. He received no visitors.
and was seen but once on the handsome lawn
flowers, which had hitherto been his daily v
pleasure ground. h'
On beautiful June morning, three months
from the date of Mrs. Cooper's hnr;sI tho
valet. entering his masters apartment at the
dressing hour, found Mr.. Cooper
DEAD IN HIS BED,
while upon the table lay an open diary. upon
q leaf of which had been written in pencil
these lines:
"June Goth, 1881.
my wife died by my hand, and / 20 to meet
her. Farewell, Lulu! W.B, C."
That was all, yet it revealed a startling Sc
net which, but for these words, would never
lave been discovered, for the widest imagi-
lafion could never have dreamed that Nh. |
cooper had destroyed the life of his wife. IL |
vas found that he had taken morphine. and
train of circumstances, afterwards brought |
o light, led to the belief that he had admin |
stored the same drug to his wife by means |
I a glass of wine.
After Mr.. Cooper's burial will was found |
his entire estate TO his daughter |
zulu, and the executors at once wrote to the |
leatre where she had appeared, but the let |
u was returned with line from the man |
pr eonvsyiuE the information that after !.