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


amusement of his companion. who
laughed and swore gleefully.
When he got up. the rufiian, red
with rage and swearing that he would
have revenge, approached Lola, who
awaited his attack with unflinchine
courage, eying him steadily the whole
time. Rendered cautious by his first de-
feat, he held off for moment watching
his opportunity, and then with cum
ming feint he put her off her guard and
rushed in, pinioned her arms and held
her.
She struggled to free her hands, but
the fellows sinews were too much foi
her, and she was beginning to fear that
he would overpower her when she
heard him vent hoarse, cultural, chok.
ing sound and saw that Sir Jaffray had
come up and caught him by the throat,
half strangling him in his fierce tenn
per. The next instant the man was on
his back again in the roadway, flung
there with great violence by her hus.
band.
"Are you hurt, Lola?" he asked, with
the pain of suspense in his eyes.
mo, not In the least Come away.
That brute's getting up again."
The fellow was on his feet again d.
rectly, and both he and his companion
had drawn their revolvers.
"You don't shoot women in these
parts, do your" said Sir Jaffray sternly.
"Wait Come, Lola"
He led her away to house that was
open at some little distance, and, putting
her inside, told her to wait.
lyon mustn't 60 back, Jaffray," she
said, fear that she had never felt for
herself awaking on account Of him,
and she chung to him to keep him by
her.
Don't be afraid" he said kindly.
and, putting her hand off his arm with
firm, gentle strength, he went out
again. He walked straight up to the
bully who had assaulted Lola, and, dis
regarding CONTEMPORARY the revolver
which the man held threateningly,
struck him with his clinched fist fear
full blow in the face, knocking him
down with thud which resounded all
across the road. The man lay like a
stunned OK. Then Sir Jaffray turned to
the companion, but he. seeing what had
happened, fired his revolver at random
and ran away, swearing.
When Sir Jaffray went back to Lola,
he found her more agitated than he had
ever seen her, and she did not seem
herself again for many hours and in
deed for days afterward.
He did not understand the cause of
it all
In that instant the revelation had
come of the new feeling which was de-
veloping in her, and the knowledge, in
view of all that it meant, had agitated
her as much as any incident in all her
turbulent life.
In the days that followed, Sir Jaffray
noticed for the first time in his wife a
waywardness and uncertainty of temper
which were quite unusual, and they
surprised and rather grieved him. She
was in reality fighting against her new
emotions and striving resolutely to con-
quer them.
But she fought in vain, and from
that moment onward she felt herself
drawn closer and closer to him until che
ceased at last to wage useless fight.
Her return to England was thus I'M
welcome. So long as they were thou
sands Of miles away from Europe she
was safe against discovery, and could
she have had her way she would have
prolonged their journey indefinitely.
But Sir Jaffray was beginning to feel
strong desire to be home. He loved
the place and longed to be there and to
see Lola installed as its beautiful mis-
tress. He would have hurried home
earlier had he followed his own inclina-
tions, but he could not interfere to stop
the pleasure which she showed ON every
occasion in all the incidents of their
travelling. He was delighted, however,
when at length he stood with Lola ON
the big Atlantic liner and watched the
lighthouse at Sandy Hook growing dim
mer and DINNER in the haze of distance
and felt that they were homeward
bound.
He was surprised that Lola was silent
and thoughtful.
1t was a new thing for her to feel
foreboding.
But now if what she had begun to
dread came true she felt half helpless
to grapple with it. And it was part of
the effect of her new love and the fears
it bred that the danger which, when
she did not dread its coming, had SEEM
ed remote and all but impossible now
appeared almost certain and inevitable.
She blamed herself for not having taken
any of the Thousand precautions at the
time of Pierre's death which she now
saw she ought to have taken, and her
fathers words REQUIRED to her over and
over again:
You did not see him dead"
How she wished she had
Sir Jaffray rallied her once or twice
when he caught her brooding apparent
| ly.
Beginning to think what serious
matter marriage is?" he asked. you'll
i haun No arl 90 f,,ea ,.,ol~ - ..o., -. ,l~o