Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-02
LOLA VSHAY.
By A. W. MAROHMONT, B. A,
Author of "Miser Hoadlcy's Secret"
"The MYSTERY of Mortimore Strange"
"By Whose Hand9" 1.-THE Old
Mill Mystery" etc., etc.
copyright. 1897. by the Author.1
CHAPTER XVII.

intense emotion as the door closed be-
hind Inspector Borderham and his un-
conscious prisoner. 'Thank God for his
mercy"
Beryl first threw her arms round
Lola in the excitement of the removal
of the strain, and then, sitting still, gave
full vent to her tears Of pleasure.
Lola was the least moved of the three.
The baronet went to her and took
both her hands in his and tried to draw
her to him to embrace her.
But she held aloof.
II did right to come back, Jaffray,
she said calmly. fright to break my
VOW, for I had vowed never willingly
to look upon your face again, but l
could not bear that the world should
think of you as married to murderess.
So broke the VOW"
II should have found you, Lola. l
would have searched the world through
and ended my life before I had given
up the SEARCH" be said vehemently.
"Well, we shall see," she replied
evasively. "That wretched womanl
What villain has that man been
through allr'
ct don't understand it all now,"
said Beryl, "but do not want yet to
understand more than that you are
cleared. Curiosity will come when l
am not too agitated to think.
II think l can give another clew,
said Lola slowly. She had drawn away
from Sir Jaffray and was sitting again
by Beryl, hand in hand. II remember,
when Pierre was talking to me in the
library the morning you came and
found him there, he rushed to the door
once suddenly, protesting he had heard
some one eavesdropping. | have no
doubt this woman had been listening
and had heard him say that he would
claim me as his wife. He had probably
deceived her, as he had every one through
out his life, and she has tried to work
double revenge on him by taking his
life and on me by making it seem that
I had done it. But for Mr.. Clifford
she might probably have succeeded.
The mans life was one long course of
crime, injecting all who came in con'
tact with him."
"Mr. Clifford has done splendidly,
said Beryl enthusiastically.
"He has saved US ALL" said Lola,
and she shuddered at the thought OF
how narrowly she had missed the shame
and trouble of public trial. Il can
hardly realize now that but for him
should have stood tomorrow in the
dock.
Don't, Lola!" exclaimed Sir Jaffray.
Don't let US think of it. y
II have been through worse trouble
than that" she said quietly. Ifelt alb
solutely confident that the truth would
be known, and the knowledge that the
result would be to lift that load OF
shame from you strengthened me to
face anything. wo1ld to heaven that
could as easily lift the rest!' She
stopped and sighed, and then, after a
pause, added, But even that may come
with time.
She kissed Beryl. rose from the sofa,
and, going to Sir Jaffray, held out her
hand.
He looked at her in astonishment.
"What do you mean?'
II will not 60 away twice without
saying goodby am going now. Good
by. have done what came back to do y
While they stood for moment look
ing at one another in silence and bat
tling with the feelings which affected
both in common some one knocked at
the door, and when it was opened Mr.
Clifford came in.
May 1 come in. Sir Jaffray?" he
asked rather needlessly.
"Well, what is it, Mr. Gifford?" said
the taronet little sharply, in conse-
quence of the interruption coming at
such a moment, but the detectlve's 8
glance of reproachful surprise at such a
reception recalled Sir Jaffray to him
self, and he made haste to add: Come
in? Of course you can. You have done
US the greatest service that any one
could have rendered, and we all want to
thank you. I didn't like and didn't un-
derstand your methods, mind you" he
said, holding out his hand, "but you We
made me your friend for life. y
And me-" said Lola, shaking hands
with him as we'll, land without any
reservation as to your methods don't
know how you did it and don't care
The result is enough for me-"
"As for the methods" answered Mr..
Clifford, with a smile, 1--WE can't al
ways please everybody, and this case
looked very puzzling. saw nothing for
it but to 90 my own road. I couldn't
even let you know what was doing,
Sir Jaffray. That is a sharp young
woman, and if we'd overdone the part
we should have spoiled everything and
scared her. But didn't come in to talk
about myself. came to say that she's
given up the whole thing. She's better
a bit, though the doctor who's been
looking her over to fetch her out of that
fainting fit says her heart amt worth a
pinch of snuff, and she's told the whole
story. 1t isn't pretty one. That fellow
was a rare scoundrel. He'd been carry
ing on with this girl under the pretense
that be meant to marry her and had
had all her savings out Of her and had