The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-04-11


his father" said the ELUSIVE Mrs.
Curtis.
The shadow m more passed over
Clement Dunraven's brow.
''NIay he be a better man than /
am, oil may he die before he reaches
mans estate" replied Sir Clement
50 earnestly that his hearers were
startled.
"That won't do, Sir Clement"
said Brown, ''you are much too hum
BILE. There amt a better master nor
a kinder landlord in all the country
side than you are"
And Brown was right. From his
standpoint there was nothing to be
desired, beyond this he did not look
and he suspected no evil.
Sir Clement was grateful for his
want of suspicion, grateful always
now, when he met anyone who testi-
fed belief in him. He held out his
hand to Brown and shook the bailiti's
rough palm cordially.
"Thank you, thank you, Brown.
# | am a good master, it is perhaps
because | have the advantage of hav-
ing a good servant. AS l found you
chatting with Mrs. Curtis | hope you
have been carrying II my orders
about the dinner that is to be given
to all the Coleshill folk in honor of
event.
1--WE have just been settling it, Sir
Clement and Mrs. Curtis is going to
lend us her big room at the back of
the hotel, in case the night should be
wet
''That is right, Mrs. Curtis, you are
always thoughtful" and then, after
arranging a few details about the
coming fetes Sir Clement passed on
and Brown also turned to go on his
way to his men and his work at the
Court, Mrs. Curtis observing as he
wished her ''good morning."
There's something more in that
there Sir Clements life than we are
even with. If he was my son, I'd
cry my eyes out of my head with
grieving over him."
Brown did not reply to this but he
was very thoughtful all the way as
he walked up to the house where he
was going to interview the butler
about the festivities in connection
with the suspicious event. Deep
and intricate roblems such as had
never troubled his brain before were
so perplexing him that he was abso-
lutely dazed-so much so that the
servants at the house thought that
for once Brown the SOBER" as he
was invariably called had been drink
ing the young heirs health and taken
his liquor somewhat too strong.
Meanwhile, Sir Clement strolled
on through the town receiving con
CALCULATIONS right and left as he went.
Having reached the farther end of
the peaceful street he turned into a
by path which by a circuitous route
would bring him back to Lisbeth's
cottage which was situated, be it
remembered, at the end of Coleshill
nearest to Aboyne Court. Why he
had chosen this round about means
of coming there would be ineXplica-
BILE were it o for the existence of
his ever troublesome conscience. No
one, now Pierce Vaughan was out of
the way, suspected him of any excep-
tional intimacy with Lisbeth.
Certainly Lady Gertrude did not, for
the very last drive she took before
the birth of the heir, she went to the
cottage to enquire after its mistress
and her little family of boarders in
all of whom she took a keen interest.
Yet when Sir Clement reached the
door, having crept like a thief
through the wood, the expression on
his face was of such intense fear that
Lisbeth, who was standing at the
door, little Lisa in her arms, could
not refrain from uttering a cry.
''What is it, Glenn, what is it, my
daring, that makes you look so sad.
To-day, above all others when your
heart should be full of JOY"
"Joy, Lisbeth! How can you o.
all people talk of joy. 1t is the
thought of that newly-born boy that
is driving me mad. Will he not live
to curse me, for the truth will come
out, never fear, the truth must come
u and the boy who believes him
self to be heir of Aboyne Court, will
be proved to be illegitimate. Ger
u WV ny ohptb 'Ci utC, "hi'
will she think when she knows ALI
1t will kill her, Lisbeth, and wonder
some times whether it would not be
kinder to kill her at once with my
own hand.n
"Hush, Clement, hush, for mercy''
sake. Don't say such dreadful things
Lady Gertrude will know.
pray God day and night that she may
never know, nor the boy either
How can they know unless you anc
! lose our reason. There is no ON
else to tell.n
"You forget the church books
Lisbeth. Oh, my God! Why dit
you ever let me take this first falls