The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-03-26

/
the other was the beautiful Laura Del.
lamere, a. young widow. They both
] lived in the neighborhood, and came al
most every day to me to assist me in en-
tertaining the crowd OF guests tina!
| filled the castle.
| At last one came, fatal guest His
accused name is Richard Accrington.
He came to us preceded by brilliant
reputation. In the Indian mutiny he
had distinguished himself gallantly;
and ability; we welcomed tho young SOL
der among US with enthusiasm.
There were other whispers, too 1t
was said that Colonel Accrington had
been Laura's first lover-that she had
sacrificed herself and him, at her needy
fathers command, TO marry the wealthy
commoner, Miles Dellamere, and that he
was suing her again in her widowhool
to lay his laures at her feet and win
her hand at last.
1t was my dear lords evil fate to bring
him to our home-to present the brilliant
stranger to me. Let me- Overpass the
/ loathed recollection. Enough to say
/ that he was base enough to make a
blind of Mrs Dellamere behind which to
indulge a guilty passion for one who
dreamed not of the truth-for hap
| less me.
One day accident disclosed what he
fain would have hidden. The illness OF
his father recalled him home; he sought
me In my privacy in haste to say adieu,
and my unsuspicious GOODNESS wrung
sudden burning words from him. Mis-
taking his agitation for grief on Mrs.
| De.lamere's account, unwittingly
| goaded him into full declaration of his
detested passion. was stupefied, ex-
cess of emotion he'd me dumb.
@Your ama7ement is we'll acted, II ii
| is acted" Knocked he. s1f 1t is sincere,
then am as lost and disgrac ed man
| as lives to curse himself this day."
1 faltered Laura's name; his atten-
tion to her had been open and unqua l.
fed, to retract from them would most
cruelty injure her.
He retorted with the utmost derision-
quoted the cd wrong she had done him
Wanted the completeness OF his re.
venge.
In suddenly aroused wrath and scorn
! ] drove him from me; as he hurried
from my presence in writing humilia-
| ton, my lord met hfm-marked his agi.
tation as he passed with hurried bow.
and entering, saw his guests agitation
reflected on the face of his wife. Should
/ have confided all to him? Alas! /
was but girl was ashamed of the
base love had excited-I trembled for
| the consequences to my beloged hus-
band should he hear how he had been
! insulted; dared not confide the matter
to Lord Inchcape.
| gave hating explanation of my
emotion. Colonel Accrington was lfav-
ing us, and by careless word which he
| had dropped it was evident that he had
been but amusing himself at the ex.
pense Of my friend, Mrs Dellalere.
had not concealed from him my anger,
and he was leaving US forever.
| My lord accepted the explanation al
once; his honorable mind harbored nc
suspicion at the time; but he remem.
bered the episode afterward. / did not
see Laura FOR many days after that; but
| my sweet Alice told me that Colonel
Accrington had paid Laura flying visit
on his way to the railroad station. As
she, Mrs Crecy, drove up to the Pavilion
to call for Laura, as she usually did Oh
her way to the Fosse, she met Accring
ton on his horse. He passed her with q
! sardonic smile and bow-his face looked
| like demons. Laura denied herself to
her, sending word that she was i'll that
morning and would not leave her room
"Their friendship has ruptured-I won
der why?" said my innocent Alice.
When Laura once more joined US she
was strangely changed toward me. While
] jealousy concealng her own pain she
made me comprehend In a thousand
subtle ways that / had fallen In her
estimation-that she could no longer
| admit me to the inner sanctuary of her
! affection. What my enemy had said oil
me know not She tainted me once
thus: Il had an adieu from Col. Accring.
ton; 1t was of high tragedy sort; he
| raved of a mad love-of the fatal beauty
of an insatiate coquette-I laughed; he
YVES amusing" And so ! saw she judged
me guilty OF playing with her lovers
heart, and scorned me- Time passed;
we heard that Co.onol Accrington had
! gone abroad; we left Stafford for our
house In London; we should have been
| happy as the angels but for the memory
| of that hateful episode. 1t haunted me
"a secret must invariably corrode in
the heart Of the gultiess. / began te
| question the past with distrust-t doubt
| the tendencies o. my own nature-a1most
to believe myself in measure guilty OF
levity, II of nothing worse, else how
| could that cold hearted man of the world
have ventured to depict my image to
| himself in warmer colors than those OF
! formal acquaintanceship.
Laura's disdain oppressed me, too,
| and the consciousness Of secret with
held from my lord Inundated me. These
disquietudes injured my health my lord,
with loves div.ning eye, observed the
change; he wooed my confidence, he
| anxiously strove to discover the
crumpled rose leaf in his darling's life
| but dared not confess i'll did not
did not put him off with shallow ERE.
| tens IS; he understood that l did not care
to share my every thought with him; he
| did not insist But from that hour my
husband changed toward me, his air OF
tranquil felicity fed, he became thought.
full. moody; he began to call me child"
oftener than "wife," as If hc remem.
bered regretfully his forty years beside
my eighteen. Tenderly kind to mo as
syer, he was teaching himself tho heart
freezing lesson that youth and middle
age are not fifty yolSed together
Sweet love, they wcre-:hcy were-no
hapeieT wife ever thanked God than
yours before the serpent entered our
Edeni
fro DE Continued
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