River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-03-26

bloom; others were in bud: but every
one was exquisite, simply that
.-oh. = cried Mrs. Vandeiour. bringing
her fat hands together with gasp of
amazement. Of delight. Mrs DelaEnere
did not exaggerate about yOrr LeRten
lilies, They are magnificent
Mrs. Delamerei Lavender Bassett
could hardly repress a smile. Mrs Del
amere was a very wealthy and fash
ionable lady who lived in the preten-
tiQas green stone dwelling which over
Swallowed hers She had called on Mrs.
Bassett, and been very kind. She went
n great deal into society, She had
doubtless Glanced 10 meet Mrs Nande-
lour, and had mentioned the success of
her nei9hhor a a florist. But surely a
desire to behold some fine flowers
would not account for that lady's visit.
They are pretty she assented with
pardOnable pride.
Pretty, They are superb. | never
saw anything like them. Did you,
Oriole?''
oriole, stoop-shouldered bilious.
looking girl, over-dressed like her
mother, was regarding them with en-
vious eyes.
Never oh, mamma, if only"
Her mother sent her a glance OF
piercing reproof. The time was not
yet ripe.
Half an hour passed. The visitors
beamed on Lavender Bassett. She
calmly and courteously entertained
them She was such contrast to them
; he was 80 slender, and gentle, and
graceful quietly clad Her gown,
OF some thick. soft. black stuff. was
fashioned with absolute simplicity.
There were a few folds of Grape al
wrists and throat. Her face reminded
one Of her own precious lilies, SO pure
" pale 1t was. Her features We're deli
cately regular. Her eyes, dar1-browed
and iarll-fringed, had the dreamy, at
tentive. half-brooding look of one who
is very near-sighted. And her hair
cleaning golden, was 1t once a crown
and an aureole. But her expression
was one of sadness. the most controlled
intense.
\ rather curious story. that of Law
ender Bassett's Married at eighteen
To her first and only lover, installed il
a charming home of her own. with in
come sufficient to meet all probable re
{ guirements. she was the happiest o.
women. Two years after her marriage
/ Jack Bassett was Obliged To go west &
/ look up some land in which he was in
/ terested He never returned. Many
were the cOniectures as to his fate.
| great deal of advertising and searching
was done vainly. Four months afte
his disappearance his baby girl wa
horn. \ couple of hundred dollars t.
her personal credit, at the bank ha'
I Mrs. Bassett-that and her jewels
I Otherwise she was unprovided for
One day a lawyer waited on her, eX
I planning, or endeavoring to explain,
very peculiar case. Some old trans
I atlantic relative Of her husband haC
died His estate. of stupendous value
/ was willed To Jack Bassett if he coul,
and would fulfill certain erratic re
I quests and conditions. In case he wa
either unable or unwilling to do SO, tn
property would pass to another rela
I tive. Hermann Nandelour.
The vaniShment of young Bassett
the queer complications now resulting
and all the singular features of the af
fair were popular newspaper theme
/ for several months. Then public in
b terest in the matter waned. The cas-
went into the courts, and it was gen
/ orally conceded that if Jack Bassett III,
not soon materialize the decision mus
I be in favor of Nandelour. But Jacl
I Bassett's wife and friends had decide,
I he must be dead. No such steady ant
home-loving chap as he would willingl,
remain away from all that was mos
sacred TO him for two years. Thu
I stood matters on the day of the Vande