Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-01-01
PROLOGUE I.
ON THE DEVILS ROCK.

The reply was uttered with the crisp
clear ring of determination, and Lola
Turrian as she spoke looked her hus-
band in the face with set decision in
every line of her young, beautiful face.
The husband, a slim, fair, good look
ing man, sneered provokingly as he re-
turned her gaze. He shrugged his
shoulders as he answered readily and
rapidly, though with slight foreign
accent:
upon my word, you really are very
beautiful, Lola. I'm not bit surprised
that other men fall in love with you.
On my soul, I should-if you weren't
my wife already, of course" He ended
with a laugh that might have marked
any phase of feeling, but there was a
threat veiled in the light tone Of the
question which followed, "And what
then?'
II care not what then," was the an
swer, spoken with angry emphasis. II
know what you mean, and I care moth
ing. You mean that you will add in
former to your other characters and try
to send my father to the galleys. The
same chivalry which let you live on
me urges you to whip me with fear
for my fathers safety. Would to heaven
I had dared you at the first and never
put this cursed fetter on my life" She
was playing nervously with her we'd
ding ring as she spoke.
Her husband eyed her curiously with
ont letting any sign of annoyance at her
words appear and replied with the air
of one who is merely balancing the pros
and cons of given course:
II wonder if did make mistake
with you when 1 stopped you going on
the boards. A speech like that to the
gods ought to draw many pounds a
week to any house. You want a trifie
more gesture. If you're going to say it
again, either hold up the 'fetter' and
faunt it in my face or dash it on the
ground. The gallery likes gesture
Don't forget. But you'd better not re-
hearse here because the rock is not very
wide, and if you chuck much of your
jewelry about some Of it's pretty sure
to roll down into the gorge, and what
goes over there won't come up again.
But therel What's the need for me to
doubt your powers of acting? Haven't
seen you lead dozen men on-aye,
and to the very verge-only for US to use
'em up in the end? You're born ac-
tress, Lola, with limitations and in GER
tain line.
"I'n act no longer, then, returned
the girl, for she was little more. "You
20 your way. I'll 60 mine.'
"And your father can 60 his, eh?
Poor old chap. You're very hard on
him Lola, very hard indeed. To send
him to the galleys in that way, and at
his age too."
His cold, sneering Indifference goaded
her almost beyond the point of endur-
ance, but she fought down her rage.
II have come out here to tell you
that this kind of life must end. p
"And a devilish uncomfortable place
you've chosen" he said, interrupting
her and laughing Here we are on
lonely crag, with these villainous fir
trees on one side and sheer dip right
down to the bottom of the ravine on the
other and a sky that looks as though
nothing short of a miracle could stop it
sending down buckets of rain inside five
minutes. Iwish you d be bit thought
full. If you want to do an uncomfortable
thing, you might at least choose COM
Portable place to do it in. Look here! Let
US 90 to some hotel and have it all out
there quietly over bottle of wine. "
81 know what you mean by all this.
You think to sneer me out of my pres
ent mood mean to speak here and
now came here on purpose.
"What! Here up on this Internally
bleak DEVILS rock, stuck right in the
middle of the Schwarzwald? What rub
bish, Lolal Do be consistent. Why, when
the train started this morning we had
not an inkling that we should be brought
to a standstill at this roadside station,
with three hours to wait for the next
train, so you couldn't have come on pur-
pose, as any fool can see. "
when | knew we had to stop so
long, resolved to bring you here to
say what had to say"
"All right" was the answer, and
the husband glanced round as if resign
ing himself to an uncomfortable expert
ence. "Devilish dramatic surroundings
and devilish dangerous, too, he NUT
tered, glancing over the side of the rock
into the abyss that yawned below, some
200 or 800 feet down. Might be dev-
ilish convenient, too, if you wanted to
get rid of an uncomfortable friend.
Well, wife, wife, 60 on" he said, sit
ting down ON a point of the rock and
looking round to shrug his shoulders
again and smile. you've brought ME
TO the dismal depth of Swiss wood in
order to thrill me with terrible tale
of defiance. Very we'll; thrill away.
He seemed determined to make light
of the interview and to mock his COM
panion's indignation and emotion. But
he watched her all the time, despite his
assumed Indifference, with lynx eyed
vigilance.
II repeat, this life shall end, " she
cried, after a moments pause, bursting
into quick, vehement, emotional utter
ance. shall end, do you hear? l will
be your decoy no more-your slave
your tool. Twill no longer lure men i'll
to the meshes of the net your cruel
hands spread for their ruin. You and
shall part. Do you hear, part, now and