Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-12


morrow. Between now and then there
is night, young lady, and for you a
long one, or am fool and coward. "
Then he sauntered on to the conserva-
tory by himself and smoked thoughtful
" for some minutes. Afterward he went
out and walked round the house, look.
ing at the position and height from the
ground Of the bedroom windows in the
wing where he knew Beryl's room was.
and he was pleased with what he saw.
"It will do" he muttered. And now
there must be word or two with Sir
Jaffray's wife. She must take her part
in this scene, and che will want very
careful handling. Let me think it out a
bit. D."
He turned into a side path in the
grounds and walked for some time,
plunged in close, concentrated thought.
When he returned to the house, he had
his plan completed, and he went to find
Lola. In the hall he met Mrs. De Witt,
who assumed an air Of Gisconsolate
trouble.
where is everybody" she asked. II
am all alone. Won't you take pity on
me, M. Turrian?"
where is Sir Jaffray?" he asked,
wishing the woman at the bottom Of
the sea.
"Sir Jaffray and Lola have gone out
riding. Sir Jaffray had sudden sum-
mons to a meeting of county folks about
some political business or other, and
Lola has ridden off with him. They're
like couple of ridiculous lovers III
their first calf love, those two. Isn't it
absurd? They must always be together. I"
"Time will change all that" said the
Frenchman. "It is not the sort Of folly
Of which you would be guilty, ma
dalne?'
"Do you mean that nastily?"
"No, indeed. But you know 30 well
how to keep at cool distance from
your admirers, even from your hus-
band" And be bowed. He felt vicious
at Lola's absence, and Mrs. De Wits
pertness irritated him.
"Men are like mites under the micro
scope, requiring to be kept at focus
distance.
Possibly, but be careful. The micro
scope may serve as the burning glass OF
passion and warm them into life, he
answered insolently, looking at her
with an expression in his eyes which
made her flush. Come" he said, pass
ing his arm through hers and leading
her away to the music hall; "let me
sing to you. "
"Anything to kill the time till to-
night" was his thought.
"What shall sing to you?" he asked.
putting her close to him by the piano,
so close that he could step and touch
her hand when be pleased. He ran his
fingers over the keys with the touch Of
master and broke into long Italian
love song, running through all the
phases of emotional love and singing
the softest, sweetest words in his Won
derful voice that rose and fell in the
cadences of the air, now wild, now roll
licking, now joyous and again soft like
the plaint of dove, and ending with
strain that made even Mrs. De Witt her
self forgetful and emotional and all but
brought the tears to her eyes.
"You see what you can do with me, y
he said in a gentle, caressing tone, lay
ing hand on hers, which she did not
shake off, while he looked right into
her eyes.
She made a movement then as if to
take her hand from his, and quickly he
turned to the piano.
"You are cruel" he said without
looking at her, and then he burst again
into song in which his whole heart
and soul seemed to be caught in a
strong, irresistible swirl of emotion.
He was like one beside himself till the
end came suddenly and quickly, and
then, as if obeying an irresistible im-
pulse, he turned to her swiftly, and,
catching her in his quick, 1.-the embrace,
he held her close to him while he kissed
her three times passionately right full
on the lips.
She half screamed and struggled
back, frightened at what she had
deemed his sudden passion for her and
yet not wholly displeased at having
fred the man. Then she found her
voice and cried:
"How dare you?" And in tumult of
mingled emotion she fled out of the
room.
When the door closed behind her, he
laughed and shook his head and cried
to himself in a tone of glee:
"Serve you right, my lady, for try
ing to play with fire. % And, turning to
the piano, he ratified out q gay French
chanson in a tone Of sheer devil may
care humor.
At the end Of it he jumped up i'm
petuously from the piano, and with a
frown on his face swore volubly in
French as he crossed the room to one
Of the windows which opened on to the
terrace in front of the house.
"What day! How l hate this in
fernal suspense! wish the night would
come and get the thing over"
But he forced back his light, laugh
ing, devil may care manner for the rest