Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-05


| Burning his face In his hdnGS, nc Uetded
to the rush of mental pain.
him, had probably tried to force her to
Join him in some wild and reckless
scheme, and when she had refused had
In his evaporation attacked her with
violence.
"Where is M. Turrian?" she asked.
"No one knows. He has disappeared
absolutely"
1t seemed impossible for Beryl, know
ing all she did, to resist the open infer
ence which these two facts prompted. 1t
appeared as certain as anything could
be now that the two had gone away to.
gether, the man having probably forced
Lola to do what he wished, possibly as
a revenge for the horsewhipping.
"Well?" asked the baronet after an
other long pause, as though expecting
from Beryl the result of her thoughts.
81 have no suggestion to offer, Jaf-
fray" she answered quietly, grieved as
she saw the half kindled light of ex-
pectancy die out of his face, as though
extinguished by the deep sigh he vented.
II am so helpless. Idon't know where
to begin to look or what to do. ] know
she is close at hand all the time. Oh, |
didn't tell you that" he broke off, no.
ticing the start she gave at the words
81 saw her last night" And he de-
scribed his meeting with her at the Ash
Tree wood.
1t was now Beryl's turn to be utterly
perplexed.
"It cannot have been Lola, ;" she said.
''It is impossible. "
YESTERDAY l should have said it was
impossible that she would ever leave
the shelter of my roof, but / have a
new and horrible fear, Beryl, which l
have not breathed to soul, not even
to the detective who is down here. 1t
would explain everything, and it makes
even the letter intelligible. She has not
been like herself for some time now.
She has had fits of moodiness and de-
preston, in which she was haunted by
dread of some terrible catastrophe which
would overwhelm us all. l have tried
more than once to rally her from these
when I have found her so, and gener-
ally I could do it with word or a
caress Yesterday she was like this
when was with her in the afternoon,
the time she speaks of in her letter here,
and I have somehow come to fear
that in some way the scene with that
French villain may have unstrung her
nerves till-till she has lost her mental
balance and been driven to this rash
and fearful act. Heaven help me! be-
lieve she is mad, Beryl.
He broke down then at the free ut
terance Of the thought that had been
forcing itself on him, and burying his
face in his hands he yielded himself up
helpless to the rush of mental pain that
overwhelmed him.
Beryl sat watching him infinitely
moved at the sight of his laboring trou-
BILE, but thinking that perhaps even
that belief, which she did not for mo-
ment share, was more merciful than a
knowledge of the truth would be.
She herself could read without diff
Guilty the meaning Of Lola's fits of de.
preston and fear of impending trouble,
and she sighed as she recognized in it
all the evidence of the struggle through
which she had passed and the gathering
clouds of doubt and misery which had
beset her.
"If you read tie letter, Bcryl, in the
light of that sag :eStion, you will see,
said Sir Jaffray after Il lorS silence,
"how everything sccGIS tc fit in with it,
All that the poor girl says is so vague
as to be in reality incoherent. Then 1t
is plain that it is no interference with
her 1--we for me which drives her away.
There is thus absolutely no cause what
ever for her act, while the little, trem-
bling prayer that may never know the
cause is just what one might look for.
If there were any real facts behind, she
would know that I must find them out,
but this-this trouble might be hidden.
Then her conduct last night-all is
consistent with that one terrible
thought. When I think of it, declare
I am like mailman myself" he ex-
claimed, land then he began to stride
from one end of the room to the other
in impetuous haste.
Soon after this Mr.. Clifford was shown
in.
He was going to speak to Sir Jaffray
when he caught sight of Beryl and
stopped abruptly.
"Hape you any news, Mr.. Gifford?'
asked Sir Jaffray. "You MAY speak un-
reservedly before this lady, Miss Leyces
ter"
eyes, have news and some OF ii
strange and startling enough. In the
first place, let me ask you what were
the relations between your wife and the
Frenchman, NJ Turrian?"
Beryl started at the question and
looked eagerly at the man.
"They were only those of acqualnt-
anceship. Years ago she had been a
music pupil of his, and when he came
to this neighborhood some time since l
asked him to come to the manor house
and subsequently invited him to stay
here. That is all, save for the scene |
told you of yesterday"