San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-26

wouldn't have him in the house an
hour if ! were you, for he acts Just as
if you both did understand one another
very thoroughly And one has to be
very innocent nowadays before one can
afford to be suspected for nothing It's
bad enough when it's for something. ;"
And Mrs. De Witt laughed again and
shrugged her plump white shoulders.
"You find il hard, dare say, to look
through smoked glasses and see what
you take for smoke and not cry 'Firep
directly"
"That may be as you like, ." replied
the other CURLY, "but in any case I'm
not such fool as to let man cry Firel
Fret very loudly and plainly in order
that other people may amuse themselves
by specializing whether there's smoke
or not" And Mrs. De Witt coughed a
little aggravatingly. "But tell me who
is he? Where did Magog pick him up?"
Lola told her shortly.
"An old pupil OhP' And she coughed
again. "You know, Lola. you are very
pretty and-well, 1 have heard of such
thing as a music master falling in
love-you know what mean. OF
course you know best. and it's not for
me to say a word. But if were you
shouldn't encourage Magog in that in
timaoy."
Lola laughed this time and quite un-
restrainedly. Mrs De Witt had gone so
far off the track that there was no dan
ger of her guessing anything of the
truth.
81 tell you what I'll do" she said,
after a moments pause. "I'll lend him
to you. Jaffray was saying the other
day he'd like to see you setting your
wicked little wits at him. and I'll
give you unconditional leave to flirt
with him as much as you can"
Mrs. De Witt looked little puzzled
at this.
''No, thank you. I have graver
mission than that. mean to bring
back Magog himself to his lost allie
glance" she said audaciously. you've
monopolized him quite long enough.
But I'll give your Frenchman any time
I can spare from the more serious bust
ness of my visit"
Every WE'LL" said Lola, smiling.
"Pll give you all of Sir Jaffray that
you can take"
you're very prodigal with your
gifts" said Mrs. De Witt in rather
waspish tone. She was irritated at not
quite understanding Lola.
At that moment the two men were
heard laughing, and directly afterward
they entered the room together.
Lola, mindful of Mrs. De Wits
words, was especially guarded in her
manner toward the Frenchman.
The two men sat down close to Mrs.
De Witt, who held them in converse
ton, and Lola, sitting little apart,
grew thoughtful.
She was beginning to realize more
and more clearly how the load that she
was bearing would gall and wound with
its weight and how difficult it might be
to carry it at all without its crushing
her.
She had noticed Beryl's tone and look
when the girl had asked that question
about Montrenx, and she saw instantly
that from that side there might develop
really serious suspicion fraught with
much danger.
Lola had never understood Beryl. She
could not gauge the strength and posi-
bilities of nature that seemed to her
so Indifferent, SO cold and SO hard to
wound. She knew that Beryl had loved
Sir Jaffray, probably loved him now
and possibly might never again feel
spark of love for any other man. Such,
she thought, was sometimes the persist
ence of these self restrained women.
Yet there had never been a sign of
hostility or resentment on Beryl's part
at the breaking of that old tacit engage
ment and the wrecking of her life.
Why was this?
Lola had puzzled over that problem
more than once, and the episode of the
dinner table showed her now that the
answer to it might be the hinge on
which the whole future of her life at
Walcote manor might-turn.
Given that Beryl harbored any sus-
picion and that by any freak of fortune
she could get at the truth, how would
her old love for Sir Jaffray prompt her
| to act?
81 should strike at any cost" thought
Lola, "but we are very different. She
may have that power of self sacrifice
which / have not, and it may be that if
could control other things" and she
glanced in disgust at Pierre Turrian,
"she would even do nothing. wonder
what she thinks"
"You seem very quiet, Lola" said
Sir Jaffray, coming to her side at this
moment. He had glanced several times
at his wife and had noticed how unusu-
ally preoccupied and silent she was.
Yes, l was listening for once" she
answered, smiling.
Where is BerylP Turrian is going to
sing, and know she would like to hear
him."
"She went away with the mother.
I'll go and tell her" And Lola, glad
| IN he alona for n momentt went ont M