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


the house aud kicked down the drive
DO you understand me? Now, what do
you say?"
"You are my wife, and have CONS
to claim you, was the reply, sullenly
and doggedly spoken.
''You make your own choice. In one
minute after ring that bell the servant
will be here. and if you have not re-
trarted that Islander before he comes I
will order him to turn you out of the
house"
"You are my wife," he answered be-
tween his olinched teeth.
Lola crossed the room in silence and
pulled the bell vigorously.
Then she turned toward her compan-
ion, with resolution in every line of her
beautiful face. She said not another
word, but watched him closely.
The color waned gradually from his
face, and he moved restlessly once or
twice. Then he bit his lip and then his
nails and eyed the girl angrily.
"What terms do you offer?" he said.
81 make no terms with slanderers,"
she answered steadily in the same de.
liberate, half contemptuous tone in
which she had spoken before, though
feeling of intense relief and Joy shot
into her heart as she saw that she was
beating him in her desperate move
"Do you retract the infamous SANDER
You have uttered?"
lyon are the devilr' he cried again
in French.
At that moment the servant opened
the door.
"Well?" said Lola, turning to her Wis
itor while the man waited for orders.
81 retract," he said, rolling out the
words in French.
"Oh, of course, said Lola, as if he
had mentioned the name of some wine
Bring some claret, Dalling, and bis
cults.
While the man was gone for the wine
neither of them spoke, and Lola re.
manned standing by the fireplace. flush
ed with sense of triumph at having
won the first move in the game, and
, thinking steadily what to do next.
She knew her antagonist through and
through. Sheer, logged force was the
only weapon that would beat him down
and hold him in subsection. The slight
est sign of weakness on her part. the
faintest signal of fear, would make him
strong at once. 1t was only by making
him believe she did not fear the Conse-
quences of his saying all he knew and
claiming her that she could hope TO win
But she knew also that she must al
low him certain amount of license
Within the limits she laid down he
must do what he liked, go where he
liked and say what he liked, and above
all he must be well paid
Thus she saw that the attitude which
she had adopted almost on the spur of
the moment and in obedience to some
thing like an instinct was capable of
being used with easy advantage, and
she resolved that if possible the terms
should be arranged before he left the
house, but she was prepared for an
outbreak beforehand.
He was a man who was sure to try
to cover his defeat in a torrent of
threats as to what he could and might
be driven to do.
He broke out in this vein almost as
soon as the man had left the room after
returning with the wine.
81 suppose you rather plume yourself
on having beaten me, don't you? And
you think that because | pretended to
retract just now you can play with me
as you please. Let me tell you one
thing first I'll be quite open with you.
My retraction is simply and solely
for a time, because, my faith"-this
with a shrug of the shoulders and an
attempted light laugh = because it
suits me better for the time. But mark
me, only for the time.
"It will be simpler and quite as
effective with me" answered Lola con-
temptuously, ''if you will string all
your threats together into one long SEN
tence and get it off like a child says its
lesson. The project of yours concerning
the scheme in connection with the VIC
lin, for which, as l understand, you
want considerable money help, is a
MUCH nOT6 uiatcIlul anu pIaObiOal SuD-
iect for an interview of this kind.
Pierre Turrian rose abruptly from the
low easy chair where he had been sit
ting and began to walk up and down
the room, moving his head from side to
side and Struggling his shoulders and
gesticulating.
Then, drawing cigarette case from
his pocket, he turned to her and held it
out TO her.
"Does Lady Walcote," pausing ON
the words and laughing, "object to
smoke? Perhaps she herself smokes. i
have here some cigarettes of the kind
my wife," with another quick, signii-
cant glance at her, used to like. Will
you try one?"
He held it open to her with an impu
dent leer ON his fair. handsome face.
81 take no interest whatever in what
your wife used to like or dislike, re-
turned Lola, with an expression of alb
solute indifference. IF you wish to
smoke, you have permission. with q
xyavo of tho hand