San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-19
CHAPTER V.

SI1AI L Es v.
my NAME Is TURRIAN -PIERRE TUR-
RiAN."
Beryl had not written the letter of
congratulation TO her cousin without
considerable struggle
She did not like and did not trust
Lola. and she had noticed in her many
things that had sharpened this distrust.
She had at one time seen great
deal of Lola, as Mrs. Villyers had made
many efforts to bring the two girls to-
gether, and though at first Beryl had to
some extent come within the influence
Of Lola's unquestionably attractive
manner there had been no regard or real
affection between them.
Quite irrespective of her own disap-
pointment-and how deep and singing
and bitter that was no enc but herself
knew-Beryl was dead against the mar
riage. She felt that Lola did not love
Jaffray even with such love as she was
capable of feeling She had bewitched
him with her lustrous beauty and gla-
INQUIRED him with her surface sensuous
charms, but that was all
Had Beryl written as she felt, there
fore, her letter would have been very
different, but she had far too genuine
friendship for her cousin to want to
cause him anything but pleasure.
She would have done her utmost to
prevent the match, but she would not
say a word to wound Sir Jaffray's feel
ing.
Nor was this feeling altogether free
from touch of self. So far as she could
help it, not soul should think that she
was in reality anything but pleased at
the marriage She was no fool to NOPE
and pule over a lost romance, and she
held no ridiculous ideas exaggeratine
the effects of the disappointment to her.
It would have been an infinite and in
describable pleasure to pass through life
by the side Of Sir Jaffray as his wife,
but she did not intend that the break
ing of the dream should gloom and spoil
her life.
She would rather that it had been
any one else than Lola; but. even so, she
was prepared to accept what was in
evitable Thus when Sir Jaffray came
she surprised him as much with her
cheerfulness as she had surprised her
father by the way she had told the news
to him.
'I'm afraid it'll be disappointment
to you, father" she said, when telling
him of Sir Jaffray's engagement, "but
I was always afraid we shouldn't be
able to do what you wished. tried be-
cause saw that you and his mother
wished ii, and I'd have gone through
with it, but must confess it's relief.
Her father, who as county man
took great interest in the public affairs
of the district and had only dim per
ception of what went on in his own
house, put ON his pince-nez and looked
at her shrewdly. He was very fond OF
Beryl in his way, and his chief COM
plant was that she was not boy, but
he thought he knew her so well that OF
course he did not understand her at all
and had no conception of the capable
brain there was behind the calm, regu-
lar and at times beautiful face.
''Do you really mean that Jaffray's
going away from his word? Why, i! was
all but settled. The thing that appeal
ed to him chiefly was that it looked like
a breach of contract "And do you
mean you didn't want to marry him?
You never said that before, child
81 didn't want to seem to thwart
your plans, father" Beryl answered,
returning his look calmly.
"Have you two made this up between
your" he burst out, as il with sudden
instinct of shrewd conjecture Il call
it infamousr' His own misconception
that there was a plot not to do that
which he wished irritated him. "Ill
give him a piece of my mind. he add
ed.
"No, we have made up nothing. ia.
Their Simply the thing has fallen
through because it was impracticable
This sort of thing may be done when
there's lack of feeling on one side'
but it's impossible when there's none
on either side. -
ITS infamousr' he repeated, now
quite angry "I'll post the man all over
the county. I'll hound him out of the
place. | never heard of such thing
We might be shopkeepers, making and
breaking engagements of the sort
"But I'm glad, father. Don't you I'M
derstand? | wouldn't have it otherwise
il could 1t was mistake from the
first. 4"
"Do you think 1 don't know what's
best in these things?" he asked Upon
my word, times are getting on when
girl can coolly tell her father that his
plans for her marriage are a mistake
from the first, and with two estates
that run side by side for miles, and no
boy to have this one. Mistake, indeed
Mis- fiddlestick He rustled with