The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-03
CHAPTER VIII.
VIII 4 1T
FACE To FACE ONCE MORE.


FACE To FACE ONCE MORE.
That night was one of the hardest IN
Lola's life, but she faced the crisis
with all the strength of her most re-
sourceful character and came out OF IL
undaunted and determined.
50 great was her self mastery and so
strong her powers Of acting that sir
/ Jaffrav did not detect single symptom
81 the struggle which absorbed her.
Through the night she lay awake
never moving, lest she should wake MN
and 80 disturb her own opportunity Tor
thought, and perhaps arouse his suspi'
T cious that something was amiss.
( There were two courses open 10 her.
4 one was % tell sir Jaffray at once the
T whole matter and trust 10 his love for
hs-. the other was 20 face IL out and
Z dare the man she hated TO do his worst.
II the man at her side had been diff
fa-cut. II his sense Of honor and morbid
fear az tie suspicion OF dishonor had
been les acute, she would have told
hir, al and trusted to her love 10 win
min % cling 70 her through the pub
ls,;-v ana scandal which would inevita-
oly follow when Pierre was set at det-
zucs.
Bat she dared not.
Sbe knew that Sir Jaffray, with all
The Influences that were round him, the
strong love OF truth that dominated
him. the capacity 10 suffer rather than
te touched with a faint of dishonor,
would put her away from him at once,
and probably he would never see her
ssain.
The alternative was TO face the other
man and dare him 10 do what he pleased.
What would he do:
There was that scene ON the Devils
rock, but there was no proof OF what
she had done. Besides, if there were,
what did it matter? If she was to be
dragged from the place 10 which she
had climbed, what did it matter how
far she fell? \ little deeper would make
no difference.
Need she fall at all? That was the
question.
She knew Pierre well, had seen
through and through his sordid little
soul, and could count up easily enough
the price that would buy him, Com
fort, ease, luxury, money for his vices
these were his ambitions, and she could
satisfy him. Sir Jaffray had settled on
her an ample dowry, and she could
easily get more money if she wanted it.
She would go through with it, face
it as she had faced her troubles and
fought them down, and so great was her
fighting instinct that, though she knew
the whole happiness Of her life would
be at stake, the excitement of the pros
pect was not altogether unpleasing.
In the early hours of the morning she
| fell asleep, and Sir Jaffray, waking in
the gray light, found her sleeping quiet
ly and peacefully, with slight flush
tinting her cheeks such as he had seen
when she was excited and pleased.
When she went down to breakfast,
she was quite herself-alert, vigilant,
resourceful, high spirited and so sug-
gestive of strength of will and purpose
that Sir Jaffray noticed it and was
pleased.
He put it down to her being at home
at the manor.
"Seems to have done you good to get
home, Lola" he said. "You re not the
same woman you were on the boat.
Where are your omens?" He smiled.
"Where, indeed?" she replied, laugh
ing back. "I'm afraid 1 must have been
upset by the voyage. Perhaps thought
was going to be shipwrecked. But III
be safe here, eh?" There was more il
her words than he understood
lyon ought to be if anywhere" he
answered.
even il manage to offend the very
great personages who come here?"
"You won't do that. People aren'
easy to take offense with Walcote. "
where's the mother-Lady Walcote
I suppose may call her mother?"
"She's not coming down to breakfast
She's not used to our wild west earl,
rising. Besides, she was up late. She \
be down to lunch.
"Did you sit up late? I was horribl,
tired. couldn't stayr What was thai