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

an ace of death last night; that went
to her room in the dead of the night to
save you from her devilment, and, had
it not been for some cursed chance that
kept her awake and let her hear me
coming, you would have woke up this
morning to find that your old rival was
laid out cold and stark. freed from the
fretting troubles Of this wicked world
by the blessing of chloroform and my
strong arm and unable to 60 chattering
about other peoples business.
DO you mean you tried to murder
Beryl Leycester last night in her bed in
this house?" cried Lola, paling with ex-
cited agitation.
He paused before he answered and
looked at her aslant, with his eyelids
half closed.
"Is murder SO much uglier in bed
room than on mountain side that you
shudder ut the sound in the one case
and yet can do the deed in the other?
Bahf' He sneered and waved his hand
impatiently. Don't be q fool, Lola.
Tell me the truth and say you're as
sorry as am that failed. Don't cant. +"
''As God is my judge" she cried
passionately, 81 would rather ten thou
sand times that you had killed mew
And then, overweight, she sank on
chair that was by her, and, leaning her
arms ON the table, buried her face in
them in an agony of fearless misery.
His words had revealed to her with
lightning vividness the full horror and
hopelessness Of her position.
The price of her sin had nearly been
murder, and the thought overwhelmed
her, yet she was helpless.
Why was her fate linked with that of
this man of infamy, who held in his re-
lent;ess hands the power to crush her
life and dog her to ruin?
Where could it allend save in greater
mise-y for them all? And then she re-
preached herself bitterly for having
sought to escape from the meshes Of the
net which fate had woven round her.
For some time she could not regain
her self command; but, recognizing at
last how worse than useless with man
like Pierre Turrian was any attitude
but that of firmness, she made great
effort to show bold front to him.
"Better?" he sneered as soon as she
raised her head. 1T was rather hard
hit, dare say, but you mustn't lose
your nerve just now. There's work to
be done"
"You are right, she answered stead
lily; "there is work, but it must not and
shall not be murder.
YOU'D be much wiser II you didn't
use such ugly terms. You seem to for
get that half the actions of the whole
world depend for their responsibility
upon their description. Now. If you've
enough pluck left to listen quietly, I'll
soon show you which way your interest
lies"
"You can say what you like. 1t is
immaterial."
he glanced at her angrily and NUT
| tered an oath at her for the tone in
which she spoke.
"Tbere is no time now for losing our
tempers, or else you'd make me dc
so with that internal sneering manner, "
ne cried angrily. "This is how things
stand: You married me at Montreux
at the Chapel of St Sulpice, and you
are now in law, If not in love, my wife.
Being still my wife, you married the
master of this place, and in doing that
committed what your law calls bigamy.
You did It, as you will say, in ignorance,
hoping that you had seen the last of me
when the stamp of that pretty but ener-
getic foot of yours sent me rolling down
into the gorge from the DEVILS rock,
but unfortunately for your plea of ig-
norance when I came here you went ON
pretending that you were Sir Jaffray g
wife and continued to stay here, though
you knew the marriage was bigamous
and void. Do you see what that does2
| It Just pricks the bubble of your limo
cence, and it puts you a deal deeper
into the mud than you were before.
That's all, and il it's any consolation
TO you you may know that saw that
from the first, and 1t suited my purpose
that you should be compromised a.
much as possible.
He stopped and looked at her in tri-
umph and as if expecting an outburst,
but she had mastered her emotion by
this time completely.
go on" she said quietly.
''That means that you can at any mo-
ment be put on your trial for bigamy
and have to face the whole world from
the prisoners dock, and, what is more.
that can put you there and will If you
drive me to it. Get that into your head
clearly"
81 am waiting to know what you
want have never doubted either your
bullying cowardice or your cunning.
"What want is easily said. want
to clear away from your path the diff
culties that threaten to ruin You.
You are suddenly very solicitous on
my account" she retorted,
And / mean to show you the only