The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-22

please, or call N some other heip.
"You can question me a. you please, !"
Sir Jaffray answered, land consciously
will not keep back word"
And question him the man certainly
did, but the fullest story Of the facts
did not seem to help them far.
ut is a strange case, Sir Jaffray, q
very strange one." was all the verdios
Mr.. Clifford would give at the end Of
the interview. "You don't anticipate
any foul play anywheres"
Here ia my wife's letter." he an
swered, pointing to 1t. "But for that I
should certainly have dreaded it. This,
however. points clearly to the fact that
she left me voluntarily, though why !
can't for my life understand.
"You say the wood has not been
searched except by you, and in the dark
too?" ..
"No. did nothing until you came"
"And you are quite certain it was
your wife who came out Of the place
and stood in that hedge gap?"
'As certain as that was Oh the
Otner slue OF the ROAD.
"Humph! WE'LL" he said after o
pause Of thought, "I'll 60 and look
round a bit so as to get my bearings
I'd rather be alone, please" he added
when Sir Jaffray rose to go with him.
and he went
When he had gone, Sir Jaffrsy went
up to his mother and told her the prog
ress Of matters and the absolute impos-
sibility Of finding any trace Of M. Tur-
rian's movements. Then he occupied
himself in seeing Mrs. De Witt away
and was not satisfied and did not leave
her until he had seen her being driven
away to the station.
After that he was restless and miser-
able, longing for something to do and
fretting impatiently at enforced inaotiv-
ity until in the afternoon, to his i'm
mense relief, Beryl Leyoester came.
She was looking worn and anxious with
her nursing, but was in higher spirits,
because her father had rallied and was
much better.
She had heard nothing Of what had
happened at the manor house, having
been shut up close in the sickroom, and
she had come over to carry stage fur
ther the task which her knowledge
about Lola had imposed OH her.
Sir Jaffray welcomed her cordially.
She was just the cool headed, resource
full counselor he wanted, whose ready
womans wit would probably do as
much to help him in unraveling this
problem Of woman's acts us any one
else.
"You are more welcome today. Beryl,
than any woman could possibly see
save one," he said, land who that is
you'll guess readily enough if you know
the news"
The girl flushed very slightly at the
words, for old times sake.
"What news? You look as though it
were ill news"
at is the worst it could be-" She
saw on looking closer into his face as
he spoke that he was haggard and i'll.
"Tell me, is Lola with you at the
Court?'
"At the Court?' exclaimed Beryl,
starting in surprise.
"There is no need to answer" said
Sir Jaffray despondingly. II had last
faint, Pickering, wild hope that, after
all. she might be with you or that you
might know something Of her. Would
to God you did! She has gone from
here, run away-been driven away,
rather, by some means which it battles
us all to understand"
He paused moment, and the sur
prise, mingled with the whirl Of con-
fusion which her own knowledge of the
inner facts produced in her thoughts,
shocked and frightened Beryl till she
could not trust herself to speak.
Sir Jatfray did not notice anything
more than that she was much affected
by the news, and after a moments
break he continued:
"she did not come to dinner yester-
day, leaving word that she had gone
to you atLeycester Court-you wrote to
her in the afternoon, you know. asking
her-and was acting on sort Of i'm
pulse when I rode to the Court last
night to see if she was there. When I
got back, this letter was waiting for
me. Read it."
He gave Beryl the letter, and the
girl read it carefully and slowly through
twice, and knowing what she did the
misery and suffering in which it had
been written seemed to strike right to
her own heart.
ut is the saddest letter I have ever
read. Poor Lolap' she said as she re-
turned it to him and noticed how he
seemed to be eagerly expecting some
opinion.
The letter had touched her keenly and
reused to vibration every chord Of sym.
pathy in her nature. 1t had, moreover,
strengthened resolve she had already
made-to hold her peace absolutely as
to all she knew. Lola's piteous prayer
that Jaffray might never know the truth
should DO held in absolute regard by
her. Not word should pass her lips.
Lola had solved the difficulty in her
own way. and if only she and the
Frenchman could disappear altogether
it might be the best way out Of maze
which had offered to Beryl no key.
It seemed to her that Lola, finding
herself in the midst Of difficulties from
which there was no escape, and which
we've closing fast round her, had accept
ed the inevitable and had chosen fight
as the only alternative.
"Can you help me with suggestion,
Beryl?" aeked Sir Jaffray after, long
silence in which he had seen the girl
was thinking closely.
'There is evidently some influence
driving her to this deed. Have you no
idea what that can be?" she asked in
reply.
None whatever. My mother seems
to think that there may be some conneo-
ton with the fact that the Frenchman,
Turrian, and had quarrel yesterday.
and he left" And he described briefly
the facts.
Beryl listened closely.
1t helped to make the problem much
clearer to her. The Frenchman had evil
IDENTIFY told Lola what Beryl had told