Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-05-03
o
DEADLY HYACINTHS.


person-nav, nor a community OF persons,
though they be of the choicest-can take the
place with me OF abstract science. Ii had
always appreciated that fact | should not
have asked Isabel Vincent to marry me-
But | forgot it. because she was beautiful
and young and willing to marry me. 1t was
not at all likely, l said TO myself, that 50
ciety would ever learn that had found her
in the common ward of hospital, friendless
in a strange city, and showing in her subtle
eyes the traces of many sorrows. had no
desire to annex lot of relatives, and was
well enough pleased to take a wife who
would bring me nothing but her beauty. OF
her history | knew nothing and cared less.
She had childlike blue eyes and tender
mouth; her touch upon my arm had the pa
thetic appeal of a child in it. l said:
Il will make up to this poor child for the
cruelty of the world towards her. She shall
know comfort and love and watchful care.
Ny home was certainly pleasant place.
Nv father had lived in it before me. My
| carriage might have been In the latest fash
ion, but it was a convenient vehicle, and,
Whale my team was not the fastest on the
| boulevards, it was of good blood and even
| temper. L considered mysef a fortunate
man.
Such was the condition of things when [
determined to marry and make home for
the woman of my choice, such home as
she had never before known, to take her
| from the hard life she was leading and place
her in a position of ease to which she was
fully entitled, | believed. That she might
not appreciate such a change | never thought
Of that the rise might change her for the
worse instead of the better seemed impos
sible
I had expected to lead quiet life with
my young wife Perhaps | had expected
that her attitude towards me would be more
like that of a dutiful daughter than wife.
| So it easily can be imagined that | was sur
prised and a trihe dismayed when | learned
that she wished to have a post -nuptial re
ception and series of afternoon teas. She
developed a taste for fashionable dress which
| surprised me, too, and she had the beautiful
tails of my faithful horses clipped, and
begged me for a brougham of her own. For
the first time in my life it looked as if my in
come would fail to correspond with my ex-
penses | was worried, and perhaps, |
showed it. In fact, matters reached a eli
max at last.
| came home late one afternoon to find
that Isabel was not at home, but she came
few moments later, trailing gown of
coquettishly out of her enweloping furs. Pur-
pie plumes swept down her golden hair, and
| a diamond bracelet glittered upon her wrist.
She was amazingly beautiful-indeed, she
looked like princess told her so.
but Isabel" said I, gently, lifting the
hand that ghttered with the brilliants, do
you think we can afford things like that"
She flushed.
Il can afford them very well" she re-
sponded, coldly.
But what jeweler has given you credit
for trinket like that, my dear?'
Goose" she cried, laughing. Cant you
see they are paste?'
But don't like my wife to wear paste
diamonds
Get her some real ones, then" she cried
saucily, and strutted out of the room like a
peacock.
| followed her and laid my band upon her
Isabel | reconstructed, you are disap
pointing me. You are proving yourself to
be both extraragant and willful. VIII you
not endeavor o regard my wishes more?"
She carried great stalk Of white hya-
cnths in her hand, and she waved it before
my face payfully.
you dear old man" she cried, do not
take me too seriously. You are really nice
old man | like You first rate.' And she
laughed iusolently and left me. Her in
! suits eoaded me, bat | made an irrelevant re-
mark TO conceal my anger. Somehow, |
could not hear TO let her know how she had
1 hurt me
You must be cautious how YOU use hya-
cinths, my deaf," warned They are a
| fatal flower If YOU should sleep with them
/ "A, = /
their perfume Some sweet things are
deadly"
She leaned over the top Of the bapnsters
and looked down at me with an adorable
smile.
is there double meaning to your
words?" she asked But | did not reply.
The next fortnight brought Us a number
of unpleasant scenes, and / was made des-
perately unhappy by them. But there was
an epidemic Of typhoid about. and | was
kept busy night and day, which was good
thing for me, no doubt. | came home in the
morning on one occasion so weak | could
| hardly climb the stairs to my room. |
CHANGED to meet my wife in the hall going
down to breakfast.
Isabel" said /, II am tagged out I've
got to sleep for II hours without Interrupt
ton or l shall be sick myself. DIR. Graeme
has promised to keep office for me-"
You shall not be disturbed" she said, and
l thought there was kind of pity in her
eyes.
l darkened my room, INDUCED in the lug
sry of hot bath, took nlild sedative, and
| went to bed.
1t nlust have been many hours later-mors
than 10. ceeta;nly-that l was awakened by
something in the nature OF an explosion IN
| the street. / was conscious of the cOneus-
non aad Of rfnniry of feet and the ring
iss Of the bell Of . patrol wagon, but some
thing seemed to chain my senses. could
rot bring ms motor powers into play. lay
like one in a delicious trance. But by i'm
parceptibis degrees began TO perceive thai
l was breathing a delicious and heavy per
frne. 1t seemed as IL my lungs were flied
with il and as if myself were exhahng per-
fume. Ny brain saw visions of floating in
ccuse-I vas compacted Of perfume! Very,
very slowly the nature Of the aroma became
known to met was the oversweet smell
of the hyacinth. With terrific effort which
weakened my heart and dizzied my brain