The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-03-28

was a veritable bower Of verdure. of
bloom, of beauty. Such flowers. only
one who loved them dearly could have
brought them to their state of absolute
perfection. For they all seemed to be
in bloom. The tall oleander, with its
long, banana-like leaves; the Storm
King fuchsia: the veined. olive-leaved
and waxen-pink begonia: the creamy
Chinese primroses; the brilliant and
multi-hued spikes of spicy geraniums.
Most exquisite of all, the lilies. of
those, stately, snow-pure. golden
hearted things, there were fully two
dozen. Many were in full and splendid
bloom; others were in bud; but every
one was exquisite, simply that
oh" cried Mrs. Vandelour, bringing
her fat hands together with a gasp of
Amusement, Of delight, Mrs. Delamere
did moi exaggerate about your Lenten
lilies. They are magnificent
Mrs. Delamere. Lavender Bassctt
could hardly repress a smile. Mrs. Del
amer was a very wealthy and fash
ionable lady who lived in the preten-
tious green stone dwelling which over
Swallowed hers. She had called on Mrs.
Bassett. and been very kind. She wen
a great deal into society. She had
doubtless CHANGED to meet Mrs. Vande-
lour. and had mentioned the success of
her neighbor as a florist But surely a
desire TO behold some fine flowers
would not ccou for hat lady's visit.
They are pretty" she assented with
pardonable pride.
Pretty. They are superb! I never
saw anything like them. Did you,
Oriole?"
Oriole, a stoop-shouldered, bilious
looking girl, over-dresscd like her
mother. was regarding them with en-
vious eyes.
Never. oh, mamma, if only"
Her mother sent her Il glance Of
piercing reproof. The time was not
yet ripe.
Half an hour passed. The visitors
beamed on Lavender Bassctt. She
calmly and courteously entertained
them. She was such a contrast to them.
She was so slender, and gentle, and
g~raceful-so quietly clad. Her gown,
of some thick. soft, black stuff. was
fashioned with absolute simplicity.
There were n few folds of Grape at
wrists and throat Her face reminded
one Of her own precious lilies. 50 pure
ly pale it was. Her features were deli
catcly regular. Her eyes, dark-browed
and dark-fringed, had the dreamy, at
t%entive, half-br1oding look of one who
is very near-sighted. And her hair.
cleaning golden, was at once Il crown
and an ~aureole. Eut her expression
was one of sadness, the most controlled.
intense.
A rather curious story. that of Law
endcr Bassett's. Married at eighteen
to her first and only lover. installed in
a charming home of her own with in
come sufficient TO meet all probable re-
q~uirements. she was the happiest of
women. Two years after her marriage
Jack Bassett was obliged to go west to
look up some land in which he was in
terested. lie never returned. Many
were the conjccturrs as to his fate. A
great deal of advertising and searching
was done vainly. -Four months after
his disappearance his baby girl was
horn. A couple of hundred dollars 10
her personal credit at the bank had
Mrs. Rassctt-that and her Jewels
Otherwise she was u%nprovided for.
One day a lawyer waited on her. ex-
planning. or endcavoring Ia explain, a
very peculiar case. some old trans
atlantic relative of her husband had
died. His estate. of stupcndous value. |
was willed to Jack BasSett if he could
and would fulfill certain ~erratic re-
quests and conditions. In case he was
either unable or unwilling to do So, the
property would pass to another rela-
tive, Hermann Vandclour.
The vanishmcnt of young Bassett,
the queer complications now resulting.
and all the singular features of the af-
fair Were popular newspaper themes
for several months. Then public in
tercst in the matter wancd. The case
went into the courts, and it was gen
orally conceded that if Jack Bassctt did
not soon matcrialize the decision must
be in favor of Nandelour. Bu Jack
Bassett's wife and friends had decided
he must he dead. No such steady and
homo-loving chap a. he would willingly
remain away from all that was most
sacred to him for we years. Thus
stood matters on the day of the Vande-
lours' visit. As they rose to go the
wife of Jacks cousin abruptly made
known the cause of her unwonted con-
sideration.
Lavender" she said. I'VE are going
70 bava N rac.pti,p ON EaStcr Mnpiar |
and I'm sure you will let us have your
lilies. They are tie fashionable flowers
this year. you know. The florists
charge SO outrageously for them. Even
the rental of them would be enormous
at this particular time"
A brief silence cnsued. Mrs. Vande-
mistook il for consent.
''Of course. we would send an express
for them" she hurried on. viva
land they would be returned
to you in the best of order. They
would merely be used for decorating
the rooms. Those sea-onions and that
Dleander you might let us have also.
They are very effective. And then il
would only be necessary for us to pur-
some cut flowers. But It is the
lilies we particularly require. do not
mind saving in confidence to you that
Driole being a deJutaHfc this year, it is
all we can manage to keep her in new
and entertain for her. OF
curse it will be all different when this
is decided in Hermann's-"
She broke off. She had said too
much, and she knew it. Over the sem
,itive face of little Mrs. Bassett a swift,
-osy tide went sweeping. The final re-
had hurt her, but il had not in
iuenced her. Her mind was quite
made up before its utterance.
''It is impossible" she said, quietly,
for me to grant your request. You re-
Iuire the lilies for Easter Monday. This
$ Saturday. BY this time tomorrow
shall not have a lily in my posses
l.
What sharply. you hare sold
hem in advance?' ,
The rose-bloom d%eepened to carna-
ion.
NO. / do not sell my flowers. /
rive them to the sufferers IN the hos
,itals, and | have been saving my q,
lilies to give IN Easter Sunday" (
Then" cried Mrs. Vandelour, in a