The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-12-27

condemned %felon, and Pierce Vaughan
was more than ever certain that i
he directed his detective proclivitie'
Alright, he would discover something
that might prevent the marriage.
He had not much time to do it in,
worse luck. III only he had come
down to Aboyne Court a little earlier
But he had been detained in town by
some business which, after all, would
not bring any great amount of grist
to the mill. It would have been
much better to have followed matters
up at Aboyne Court and tried to
GUST Clement both from his uncle's
and his lady loves affections. He
had, however, nearly twenty days
before the wedding, and a good deal
might be accomplished in twenty
days.
Sir Louis received him with much
show of affection. He was always
rather gushing to Pierce, perhaps he
thought in this way to make up to a
certain extent for the absence of
of coin. Not but that he fully in
tended to leave him something,
though by no means SO large a sum
As greedy Pierce would appreciate.
For a few seconds while he stood
talking to his uncle, Clemens having
left them, he was inclined to tell the
old man his suspicious abollt Gle
ment's affairs, but he decided that it
would probably make him wish to
hasten instead of delay the marriage.
No, he thought he might accomplish
Clement Dunraven's ruin in some far
more effective way, and he smiled to
himself as he suddenly decided what
he would do il other means failed.
But this was n last resource.
Before he fired a final shot he would
watch Clement closely, bride SER
wants, pay detectives if need were,
in order to discover whether he held
any further communication with the
houri of the cottage, whose address
he had so angrily protested that he
did not know.
But had Clement spoken falsely
when he made this statamentp 1t
was quite true that Lisbe,h had gone
to London, money having been sup
piled by Clement, and that during
several interviews they had had after
that agonizing one, it had been
decided that it were better for them
both that he should for the present
ignorant of her whereabouts.
There was little doubt that he
would know his fate quite soon
enough.
Watching Clement was, Pierce
Vaughan decided, very unsatisfac-
tory since he found out nothing that
he did not know before.
Clement, in his lonely hour, when
thought himself unmatched and
unnoticed, waa the very picture of
and despair; when he vas in
society, especially in the presence
Of Lady Gertrude, he managed to
himself up to a state of excite
nent bordering on frenzy.
Yet all this time he never went to
London, 80 Pierce's plans for watch
ng him were absolutely useless.
The day was fast approaching for
The wedding, and as it gre%..nearer
both the cousins became more and
more re-occupied, but athwart the
happiness of Sir Louis and Lady
Gertrude there lay no clodd.
Clement was evidently expecting
'ome communication, as whenever a
etter II telegram was brought into
he o he changed color and
ooked intensely uncomfortable; this
Pierce Vaughan would have found
almost without watching him as
as he did.
Yet nothing came, no means were
Afforded of solving the MYSTERY that
hung over Clement.
In consequence of his disappoint-
in not finding out something
tangible that would mai his Cousins
prospects, Pierce Vaughan took to
up at night in his own room.
is, he wrote one short note over
and over again, each time being
more dissatisfied with his hand writ
ing. After a second night, however
spent in the same fashion, he accom-
.lished his task to his liking, and the
note was finally written and ad
dressed. All the copies of it were
carefully burned.
On the following morning he said
he was going up to town for o few
could he do anything for any
one?
His uncle gave him one or two
commissions in connection with the
wedding which was to take place in
days, and he went of in high
Z
Clement had gone to Lord Melbu-
ry's place, Crichton Towers, for two
Or three days, and was not to return
to Aboyne Court until the evening
the wedding. 1t was prob
ably because he was not there to be
watched that Pierce Vaughan had
that moment for going To