San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-03
The Sunday Light.
1851 6 uaao1oo 'xvdNns


in that tone and backs his words with a
weapon while am defenseless, he re-
piled, with a good assumption of bold
ness.
''This is no weapon, said the baron
ct angrily, Sin any such sense as that,
1t is merely horsewhip for the back Of
a dastardly coward who dares to strike
O womanP
Pierre Turrian made no reply, but he
folded his arms across his chest and
stood staring resolutely at his opponent,
the mark of Lola's whip flaming like a
brand of red shame ON his face.
Look outr' were Sir Jaffray's only
words, and the next moment the long,
strong lash of the hunting whip curled
round the Frenchman's shoulders. 1t
was like the first taste of blood to a
wild animal mad with pent rage, and
Sir Jaffray seized him by the collar of
the coat and put his whole heart and
strength into the swinging cuts which
he rained on the Frenchman's shout
ders and back.
Then at the close he went to the door
and threw it open.
"Now, go. he said hurriedly, "and
let this be lesson to you never to raise
your hand against woman again. Go,
or by heaven / shan't be able to keep
my hands from thrashing you again.
To do the man justice, he had passed
through the ordeal with as much com
posure as a man can hope to show I'M
der horsewhipping. He had neither
WINGED nor f1inched, though the hurt of
the blows had seemed to strike right to
the bone.
81 will go, and, mark me, every blow
that you have struck will pay back
hundredfold. swear itP'
"Bahl Get outl This is not theater,"
growled Sir Jaffray. Then, seeing
couple of menseryants in the hall, he
said to them, Turn that man out Of
the house, and if ever he comes here
again you have my express permission
to kick him right down to the lodge
gates"
With that he shut the door and turned
to Lola.
"And now, sweetheart, that the
rooms clear of that brute, tell me what
on earth does it all mean?"
He sat down by her and first took her
hand in his, and then, seeing that she
was greatly agitated, he ran his arm
round her waist and held her close to
him and kissed her.
She was iDexpressibly glad to be in
his arms, for she bad grown to love
him with love to the full as passion
ate as that which she had formerly sim
ulated, and his demonstrative move
ments were rare enough to make her
prize them all the more.
She nestled close to him now, and
twining her arms about his neck chung
to him and drew down his face to hers,
covering it with long, sweet kisses,
while her eyes filled with tears, which
he could not understand. She knew
well enough, however, that they were
drawn from a too certain foreknowledge
that such moments in their lives were
soon to cease entirely.
1t was a growing pain to her, too, to
have to lie to him, as now she must, to
account for this extraordinary scene
with Pierre Turrian, and for the mo-
ment her wits failed to suggest even an
idea of the tale she should tell.
She was completely unnerved and I'M
strung in the moment of relapse from
the excitement caused by the interview
with the Frenchman and the struggle
In which 1t had ended, the tension when
she had expected the truth to be blurted
out and the shock, half delight, half
fear, of the horsewhipping.
Sir Jaffray on his side was very dis
quieted by the affair. In the moment of
his arrival his thoughts had been too
closely occupied with the burning de-
sire to thrash the scoundrel whom be
had seen with his own eyes molesting
Lola to heed what had happened before
he came His blood was set on fire by
what he saw, and he neither cared nor
stopped to think
When he had stated that desire and
had dashed the man to his SOULS delight
and content and sat waiting for Lola to
speak, he grew uneasy as to what could
possibly have happened between Lola
and the man whom he had regarded as
his friend that could lead to such an
end.
How did this happen, child?" he
said when Lola's agitation seemed to be
decreasing
81 hardly know. / think he meant to
try to kill me- He insulted me. You
saw that mark ON his face. did it /
struck him with my riding whip. 1t
was then he attacked me-" She spoke
in short sentences, like child recover
ing from a fright.
did the man dare to make love to
your" asked Sir Jaffray, the thought
driving his eyebrows together in heavy
frown and making him clinch his teeth.
81 was always afraid of his coming
here, said Lola evasively. "You know
said at the time / did not want hin
asked. Ugh! He is loathsome and dan
gerous.
Never mind, sweetheart. Pluck VI
courage He won't trouble us an.
more" said Sir Jaffray in a muel