San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-19

tomorrow what then?''
l do not understand you and do not
choose to try"
II mean that the purchase price of
my scheme and ali the comfort that
the success of 1t may bring to me will
cease to satisfy me one day, and that
then | may carry out another purpose
which has brought me to England"
81 don't ask you what your purpose
is, and take 10 interest in it, but if
it be strong enough to cause you to give
up the ease and comfort which your
scheme may bring you and drive you to
step out into that hard, barren, work
ing world, which l should imagine to
be particularly distasteful to you, it
will be a matter of surprise to me- But
it will be a matter for you to decide, of
course. If you like to beggar yourself
for within, should not think any
one will care, least of all f" And Lola
looked all the defiance which her words
conveyed.
"That is not true. You do care" he
said angrily, waving the hand which
carried the cigarette between the fin
gers.
Lola shrugged her shoulders in re-
Spouse and said nothing.
"You play the game as if you held
all the winning cards." he exclaimed.
again angrily, las if l could not with
word strip you of all this fine house,
have you bundled into the street for an
impostor and made the mark of every
lout and loon in the miserable village
yonder. can do this and more, as you
know. / can brand you with the hot
iron of shame and haul you to the dock
for bigamist, and you know it we'll
enough, for all your bravado.
She was glad he had broken out thus.
It gave her an opportunity to drive
home a point which she wanted to
make.
~ thought you had retracted that
scandal" she answered coldly and
sternly 81 am quite prepared if you
are to put that to the uttermost test.
Even if all you said were true," and
she looked him straight in the eyes, II
would not falter for the space of Sec
ond. Even if it were true all that you
could do would never bring back to
| your side such woman as you describe
your wife to be. You might drive her
from any position she now chances to
hold; you might even, as you say. put
her in the dock, but how would that
either benefit you or bring her nearer to
your IL she is such woman as you say,
she is much more likely to face the
world without you or, getting freed
from you, to marry again. No, no. M.
Turrian." And she laughed easily and
lightly. Take my advice as disinter-
ested party and stick to the musical
scheme which promises you ease and
| comfort without risk.
She paused, and when he made no
immediate answer she added:
ut is weary work to fight danger
Gus and determined woman, you know,
and from what You say that is what
your wife seems to be.
He took no notice of this, but walked
up and down slowly, smoking vigor-
ously and inhaling and putting out the
| light blue smoke of the cigarette with
much vehemence.
II am inclined to agree with you,
he said at length, Though l get to the
same point by very different route. /
can conceive that l might in the way
you mention work out very pretty
revenge. If my wife, for instance, who
is in a position to help me with this
scheme, to help me with money, you
understand. and he flashed glance at
her as he turned his head moment in
passing, with money, / could make
my life what you call it, one of ease
and comfort, and l could do more.
Here his voice sank and his utterance
became slow and deliberate, and he
rolled some of the words as if the mere
utterance of them gave him acute pleas
ure. ~ could watch her, holding over
her the knowledge that / could crush
her at any moment with single word
| could let her live her chosen life, bear
children, maybe, to the man whom she
has fooled, and then l could snip the
thread of the jewel hilted sword which
she has hung up over her own life and
stab the whole of her dupes in the very
marrow of their honor and self esteem.
l could play that part. +"
"But she could kill You first" cried
Lola, maddened by the cruelty of his
words.
He stopped and looked at her and
smiled coldly.
81 thought you took no interest in
anything that concerns my wife, he