Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-05-13
CHAPTER K


profound 2maZemeut-
i assure YOU" answered George ;:n"ae
siIy. that it is quite necessary. One iii e
brougnam is not sufficient Our business
relations are daily extending; and. be
sides. it is really not tic thing to see ofto
nj the frn gong about on loot, and IL"
other in his carriage 1t docs moi look
SEA, l assure you. 1t is necesaary CIV
peu,a. and I -!aN treat it as such, and en-
Ter it amour ne expenditures Of the firm !;
50 YOU may - well make up your minl
70 it.
1t seemed to Florence % If this fresh
expense must b. lobDing someone; but. as
George was 20 urgent. he fclt compelled
to yield; thinking besides, How pleased
sylvia will bet"
The poor man did not know that &
month before Sylvia had herself chosen
biou@ham, which George could not pre-
sent to her openly, and had consequently
devised this ingenious method Of doing
80.
Florence was easily deceived. Perfect
ly open and honest himself, he never sus-
pcctgi dnplicity IN others. at this time
his mind was entirely absorbed IN his new
invention, with which he hoped to re1o-
lutionize the manufacture Of paper hang
ings. Thoughtful and anxious he would
come home to dinner, and was only too
thankful to be received with Smiles. II
never occurred to him to wonder at this
change, nor to ask them the reason why,
Sylvia never made any objection now to
his spending an occasional evening out.
Their house, too. grew daily prettier.
and comfort had given place to luxury
The simple knicl1-luacks had disappear
ed. and Sylvia now cared only tor the
latest C&plice9 Of the day; old carvings.
and rare china. Her boudoir was hung
with q delicate shade of blue, the silk
Quilted IN diamonds ike the lining Of
Jewel cAeket. a grand piano stood IL the
dIawing-r0Dm, and the singing-lGSSou was
= dary affair.
Madame lola. the teacher, was a French
woman whose black hair was arranged IN
Coqucttish little curIs over her forehead.
Her somewhat prominent white teeth.
wiin iaaHth, and sparkling black eyes,
completed a physiognomy not altogethc 81
pleasing in expression, but she redeemed
uer appearance by the exquisite taste aid
style Of her dress and by the tact and
sottness Of her manner. She commenced
by instruCting her pupil in the reguia-
tiOD 6raw'0cr-rnOm hailAaiR but SylVla's
full ripe llpS and miscellaneous eyes were
never made for such sentimentaities.-
Offenbach, or the ''Cloches de COTayille."
whose music she could have aided by
gesture, nod, or an arm akimbO. would
have suited her much better, and as by
degrees she grew more familiar with her
teacher, new style of music was intro
Guccd at the lessons.
Without relations or intimate friends,
Sylvia gradually made friend of Mad
Il IL 10, /, - 4y.Ci-
her out to drive in the new brougham.
and asked her aid in her shopping. Soon
the friend became the cOnfGante. Sylvia
spoke to her of George, Of their love, and
complained of the cruelty of her parents,
who had compelled her to marry a man so
much older than herself. The music
mistress was willing to aid her, not so
much out of sympathy, as from the love
of intrigue, and the consideration that the
possession of so compromising a secret
would be lasting hold upon useful
friend.
Two or three times every week she
brought Sylvia tickets for the theatre or
the opera. Florence supposed they were
presented to Madame lola; little did he
know that George had requested her to
purchase them, and that they represented
the best private boxes in the house.
To deceive q man like Florence required
but little ingenuity. His creduIity was
bOundleSS. Besides. he knew nothing of
the world in which his wife was only too
we'll known already. He never went out
with her. Occasionally, in the early days
OF their married life, he had taken her to
see a rev play, but had himself slept
peacefully throughout the evening. Not
enjoying the theatre, he was only too glad
70 relinquish his scat to Madame lola.
Evening after evening, when his wife
lett him, he would frankly express his al
miration of her charming toilettes, not
| having the least idea of their expense, or
| the source whence they came, and then.
with heart free from doubt or jealousy,
| spent the evening IN solitude over his
| drawings.
Below, in the Speeds apartments, the
same comedy was enacted, but the roles
were reversed. There, it was the wife
! who was deserted every evening. Half
an hour before Sylvia's departure, Mr.
Speeds Brougham came to the door to
take him to his club. Annie was told that
many an important business affair had
been brought to a prosperous conclusion
over a game of billiards.
And she. poor child, believed that only
the interests of the firm could take hin
away from his home so constantly. Hel
spirits tagged for time after he went
out, for each night she hoped to retair
him. or that he would offer to take her t.
some pl9Ce of amusement. But the loyine
arms Of her child soon soothed away ever
that ache from her heart.
George and Sylvia met at the theatre