San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-03

pe6tancy die out or his face, as though
extihguished by tive deep sigh he vented.
~ am so helpless. Idon't know where
to begin to look or what TO do. / know
she is close at hand all the time. Oh, I
didn't tell you that" he broke of, no.
tioing the start she gave at the words.
81 saw her last night" And he de-
scribed his meeting with her at the Ash
Tree wood.
1t was now Beryl's turn to be utterly
perplexed.
at cannot have been Lola, I" she said.
"It is impossible"
Yesterday should have said it was
impossible that she would ever leave
the shelter Of my roof, but l have a
new and horrible fear. Beryl, which l
have not breathed to a soul, not even
to the detective who is down here. II
would explain everything, and IL makes
even the letter Ineligible. She has not
been like herself for some time now.
She has had fits OF moodiness and de-
preston, in which she was haunted by
dread Of some terrible catastrophe which
would overwhelm MS all. I have tried
more than once to rally her from these
when I have found her 80, and gener-
ally I could do 1t with word or q
caress. Yesterday she was like this
when was with her in the afternoon,
the time she speaks of in her letter here,
and ! have somehow come to fear
that In some way the scene with that
French villain may have unstrung her
nerves till-till she has lost her mental
balance and been driven to this rash
and fearful act Heaven help me! be-
Heve she is mad, Beryl."
He broke down then at the free ut
terance Of the thought that had been
forcing itself ON him. and burying his
face In his hands he yielded himself up
helpless to the rush of mental pain that
overwhelmed him.
Beryl sas watching him infinitely
moved at the sight Of his laboring trou-
BILE, but thinking that perhaps even
that belief, which she did not for mo-
ment share, was more merciful than a
knowledge Of the truth would be.
She herself could read without diff
Guilty the meaning Of Lola's fits Of de.
preston and fear Of impending trouble.
and she sighed as she recognized In II
all the evidence Of the struggle through
which she had passed and the gathering
clouds Of doubt and misery which had
beset her.
IF you read the letter, Beryl, in the
light Of that suggestion, you will see, -
said Sir Jaffray after long silence,
"how everything seems to at In with it.
AL that the poor girl says Is so vague
as to be in reality incoherent Then II
Is plain that II Is no interference with
her love for me which drives her away.
There 10 thus absolutely no cause what
ever for her act, while the little, trem-
bling prayer that may never know the
cause is just what one might look for.
II there were any real facts behind, she
would know that must find them out.
but this-this trouble might be hidden.
Then her conduct last night-all Is
consistent with that one terrible
thought. When think of it, declare
I am like a mailman myselfl' he ex.
claimed, and then he began to stride
from one end of the room to the other
in impetuous haste.
Soon after this Mr.. Clifford was shown
in.
he was going to speak to Sir Jaffray
when he caught sight Of Beryl and
stopped abruptly.
"Have you any news, Mr.. Gifforda'
asked Sir Jaffray. "You may speak un-
reservedly before this lady, Miss Leyces-
ter. +"
Eyes, have news and some Of II
strange and startling enough. In the
first place, let me ask you what were
the relations between your wife and the
Frenchman, M. TurrianP"
Beryl started at the question and
looked eagerly at the man.
"They were only those Of acquaint-
anceship. Years ago she had been a
music pupil Of his, and when he came
to this neighborhood some time since
asked him to come to the manor house
and subsequently invited him to stay
here. That Is all, save for the scene l
told You Of yesterday. )"
"You mustn't mind my questions.
Sir Jaffray, please; but, tell me, would
he be likely to write to herr"
Certainly not"
do you know the handwriting on
that envelope addressed to herr"
Eyes. 1t is that of-Pierre Turrian. "
The words came slowly, as II by force.
"That scoundrel has dared to write &c
her"
at was found in her room last even
ing, and this letter may have been the
Enclosure. It was found in another
place"
It ran as follows:
You must be By the cottage by Ash Tree
wood at the north end Of the park at 0 o'clock
tonight r. T.
There was dead silence In the room
as the man read out the words OF the
letter, and each of the hearers seemed
to hear the others heart beats.
"Tbere Ia more behind. You must