Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-05-27
CHAPTER XIV.


Her defiance Of all propliety, the luxury
she INDUCED in, the enormous sums of
money she lavished,au announced that the
end could not be very distant; that she
! must soon sink from the surface Of the
whirlpool in which she had been engulfed
to the dark depths below, dragging with
| her, her husbands honor, and perhaps the
name and fortunes Of his firm.
Her present surroundings FASTENED her
ruin. In London she was compelled to
| pay some respect to appearances, but in this
| retreat, she was as it were, utterly alone.
/ pistol shot in house near, the melan-
cholv ending Of an intrigue as silly as it
was disgraceful, only caused her to smile
and to long for adventures" The days
on which she was not to be seen going or
coming from London, she passed in abso-
| lutte Incidence, wrapped in a white dress
ing-gown, never occupying herself in the
| least with the management of her house.
| The servants robbed her, but she knew
nothing Of it. Little by little she lost all
ambition, she descenQeQ 10 ner former
shop-girl level, and even below it. From
the respectable mercantile circle to which
her marriage had raised her, she fell to
the position Of the women she saw about
her. She initiated them in her dress and
her manners, cut her hair short over her
forehead ike q sky terrier, and for two
months fOurished as a decided blonde
greatly to Florence's astOnishment. who
looked as if he had changed his doll.
These freaks amused George, and it
was he who was the real master Of the
| house.
To amuse Sylvia he nad procured rOr
her some semblaace Of society, some bach
elOr friends, but no women; women have
too quick eyes. Madame lola was the only
lady who crossed Sylvias threshold.
Picnics, dinners. and water-palties were
arranged. Every day Florence's position
became more ridiculous, more humiliating
When he came home at night, tired, heat
! ed, badly dressed, Le must go at once and
dress for dinner.
"Make haste" his wife would say" He
obeyed her injunctiOns, coming in gener-
ally after the soup had been sent sway
The guests he hardly knew; they were
Georges friends, who had come TO talk
business. This magic word business"
explained ana J,.oIiilv,i cv,l y tiI,Isg
ence. the choice Of the guests. and Syl-
via's exquisite toiIettes, were al in the in
terests Of the great firm with which it was
his pride and 10y 10 be connected.
George. however, watched Sylvia's in
| creasing c0quetly and recklessnass with
growing distlust and uneasiness. He
made his appearance almost daily at her
house, fearing to leave this aItful and IN
principlcd nature too much to her own de.
vices.
"Where is your husband, Annie?" her
grandfather would say. why does he
not come here ottener"
Annie made excuses for George, but she
herself, had at last begun to grow very
uneasy. The tears would come into her
eyes when she received the short notes
with which her husband announced his
detention IN town.
''Do not expect me tonight or to-mo~-
row. Perhaps the day after, l can get
away
She dined sadly, opposite vacant chair,
aud felt, without knowing the worst, that
her husband was drifting away from her.
He was absent and out Of spirits when he
was compelled to appear at Oaklands. As
Annie now hardly saw or heard anything
of Sylvia, she was perfectly ignorant Of
what went on at Richmond; and when
George hurried away, her eyes followed
him, vainly trying to discover the secret
that drew him SO constantly from herself
and her child.
Her husband was no happier than she,
for Sylvia, seemed to take a perverse
pleasure in tormenting him. She fi1ted
right and left. One Benedict, an Italian
tenor, introduced by madame lola, went
to sing with her every day. George be-
gan to think that Florence did not take
sufficient care Of his wife.
If Sylvia had been Mrs. Speed, George
thought he could have kept her in better
order. As it was. he had no right to con-
troll her, and she would not near Word
from him. Sometimes, too. with that in
vincible logic that makes itself felt even
by fools, he argued that as she deceived
her husband, so might she deceive him in
his turn.
He spent his time in going from jeweller
to jeweler, TO procure some novelty, some
surprise. How well he knew her, after
all. He realized that he could only retain
her affection, such as it was, so long as he
couli amuse her.
AS yet. however. that day had not ar
rived. She was living the life that exact
ly suited her, enjoying ali the happiness
she was capable @ feeling. In her love
fol. George there fingered no element of
passion or romance. He was merely a
second husband. younger, and above all,
richer than the other. Just before Franks
arrival, startled by some whispers that
reached her ear, she established her pa
rents at Richmond. near to her; and. with
a father willfully blind, and a mother ten
derby unsuspicious, she gave herself an
air of responsibility of the advantages Of
which she was beginning to be conscious.
EVERYTHING was thus arranged to her
satisfaction wI9n frank Florence SuGQcn-
" appeared upon the scene, and she saw
at once that her repose was threatened
and that war was to be declared between
them. Her plan was formed instantly,
and the time had now arrived to put it in
to action.
The summer-house they entered was a
circular room with windows on four sides.
It was furnished for those sultl'y days
| when the heat of the garden would he TN
endurable. 4 large divan ran ToG&d the
whole wall, and a small Japanese table &C
cupied the center, covered with novels
and papers.
The walls were delicately frescoed, and
| the design. birds among pink and white
roses, looked like a dream Of summer;
| The windows were shaded with masses Of
| iessamine and Virginia creeper, so that
! the interior was delightfully."- ccol and dark
| the sound of water, the river caressing
| the shores with a gentle ripple added 10
| the charm.
Sylvia threw herself careIessly on the
| divan. the soft folds of her white drapery
! floating ike sea-foam about her. Her
| head was slightly bent forward. and she
| looked up at Frank with eyes that were
| openly rebellious, almost threatening In
! expression.
Frank stood erect and very pale.
| accept my congratulations. madame,
| he said as he looked about him. Your
taste Is indeed irreproachable." Then he