Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-01-29

OUT 10 ner.
"Does Lady Walcote." pausing on
the words and laughing, "object to
smoke? Perhaps she herself smokes. l
have here some cigarettes of the kind
my wife," with another quick, signifi-
cant glance at her, used to like. Will
you try one?"
He held it open to her with an impu-
dent leer on his fair, handsome face
81 take no interest whatever in what
your wife used to like or dislike" re-
turned Lola, with an expression Of ab-
solute indifference. "If you wish to
smoke, you have permission, with a
wave of the hand.
my faith, but you are magnificent
sublime" he exclaimed in French.
Then he lighted a cigarette, and,
drawing in the smoke with the relish of
an inveterate smoker, he went on walk
ing up and down the room.
Presently he stopped again. and
standing close to her he said:
1T is no wonder that l mistook you
for my wife. This is just as can con-
ceive her acting in just such circum-
stances. She is magnificent actress,
and have seen her fool men-aye, to
the very top of their bent-but there
she differs from you, madam, and he
bowed low with an assumption Of gal.
lantry, "for she is the most extraor.
dinary and unabashed liar that ever
married two men in one name.
He shot another glance of swift cum
ming at her and laughed.
II have already told you that I take
not the slightest interest in anything
that concerns your wife, though am
ready to discuss your scheme if that is
what you want. "
But my scheme, even if it satisfies
me today, may not be enough for me
tomorrow. What then?'
II do not understand you and do not
choose to try"
II mean that the purchase price of
my scheme and all the comfort that
the success Of it may bring to me will
cease to satisfy me one day, and that
then I may carry out another purpose
which has brought me to England. "
~ don't ask you what your purpose
is, and 1 take no interest in it, but II
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 | should imagine to
be particularly distasteful to you, it
will be matter of surprise to me. But
it will be matter for you to decide, of
course. If you like to beggar yourself
for a whim, l should not think any
one will care, least of all. " 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-
sponse and said nothing.
"You play the game as if you held
all the winning cards." he exclaimed
again angrily, "as if 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 well
enough, for all your bravado." "
She was glad he had broken out thus
1t gave her an opportunity to drive
home a point which she wanted to
make.
II thought you had retracted that
scandal" she answered coldly and
sternly IL 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 III the eyes, II
would not falter for the spuce 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
you? If 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 AZ !
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:
1T 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.
Il am inclined to agree with you, y
he said at length, Though 1 get to the
same point by a very different route.
can conceive that I might in the way
you mention work out very pretty
| reyenpe Tf nv wife, for instance, who