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

him soT"
There is much that we cannot yet
understand, DEAR" answered Beryl
soothingly. "Do you know Jaffray's
thoughts? He fears that Lola has for
the time gone out of her mind"
"No; it is not that" said the old
lady decisively. "You don't think that,
| am sure. She has deceived him. She
is bad, Beryl-bad to the core. She
comes of a bad stock and is bad herself.
That Frenchman is mixed up in this in
some way. I never liked him-always
suspected him, with his handsome face
and his lying tongue"
"She loved Jaffray," began Beryl,
when Lady Walcote burst in bitterly:
"Yes, as Delilah loved Samson or
Jael Sisera and as Circe used to love
the fools she turned to swine. Women
don't elope from those they love and
with those they hate, do they? Non
sense, child! When you've lived as long
in the world as I have, you'll learn to
know falsehood when you see 1t and
lies when you hear them. She never
loved Jaffray, never"
"No; you are quite wrong" answered
Beryl in a firm, clear tone, land some
day you'll be the first to own it."
81 don't see why you should take her
part"
1.-THE day will come when you will
do the same, DEAR" answered Beryl
sweetly, smiling and stroking the old
woman's hand, ''for 1 have never known
a heart in trouble to turn to you for SYM
patty in vain"
II have no sympathy for the woman
who wrongs and shames my son." was
the angry reply.
"You have no strength to close your
heart against the plant of genuine and
desolate misery"
Lady Walcote shook her head and
made as if to reply again sternly, but.
meeting Beryl's eyes, said nothing and
contented herself with the unspoken as
sertion of her sternness.
lyon must Danish all that hardness"
said Beryl after a pause, land collect
all your strength of endurance. There
is more trouble than even this fight of
Sir Jaffray's wife. This Frenohman
who left yesterday is dead-died sud-
denly under circumstances which sug-
gest that he was killed by violence"
lis there no end to the scandal which
that man brings upon us allF' exclaim-
ed Lady Walcote, wringing her hands.
"How did it happen? Tell me-"
Beryl told as much of the case as she
thought necessary and parted the ques-
tions which Lady Walcote put to her,
and she was still occupied thus when q
servant knocked at the door and said
that Sir Jaffray wished to see her in
the library.
With Sir Jaffray matters had reached
a point that seemed to promise an ugly
crisis.
The local inspector was a man Of
some surface shrewdness, and as he was
very anxious to find an opportunity Of
helping forward his own promotion and
thought he could see in this case one
that might help him he was resolved to
make as much of it as possible. At the
same time he had all an English police
mans respect for a baronet Of such
wealth and influence as Sir Jaffray
Walcote.
81 have come to ask you, Sir Jaffray,
whether you can give me any informa-
ton as to this unfortunate affair. / be-
lieve you identify the deceased man."
ooh, yes. He Is M. Pierre Turrian,
a Frenchman or a Swiss, I think-a
musician-who has been staying in this
country in pursuit Of some musical OBJ
ject and for the last two days has been
stopping here in the manor. he left
yesterday suddenly" Z
"Can you tell me why he left?"
81 had words with him and told him
to 60"
"Can you tell me what the quarrel
was about?"
~ can, if necessary, but it was a
purely private matter"
~ should like to know"
VERY well, then; I will consider
about telling you"
The inspector received the answer
with a bow. |
"Do you know of any one who knew
him at all, and who might under any
circumstances have a grudge against
himP" !
"No, of no one / should think I was
as hot against him as any one could
be-" said Sir Jafray, with a grim
smile. II horsewhipped him yesterday.
1 may say that 1 returned home in time
to find him insulting my wife, and, in
fact, assaulting her, and I horsewhipped
him and turned him out Of the house
That is the whole matter"
"Will it be convenient for me to see
Lady Walcote ~presently?"
"No, I am sorry to say. For the pres-
ent it is impossible. She has left thel
manor"
Left the manorl" echoed the in-
spector in manifest surprise. "Do youl
mean - in what sense do You meant
left?" he asked, changing the form of
his question.
al mean only that she has left theE
manor and that for the moment / dol
not know where she is"
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