The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-04-18

that unless she Wouid consent W NC
the partner of his life "doubling his
pleasures and his cares dividing"
there would be no pleasures for him
to share; and he could get no def
mite answer from Elvira.
She would not let him get near the
of matrimony if she could
help it, bnt if ever he did not leave
her in peace she would cancel their
boz d of friendship and send him to
Coventry.
The neighborhood was beginning
to say that Sir Miles Berkeley looked
as worried and haggard as
Sir Clement Dupraven, and what
on earth had happened to the two
popular baronets puzzled everyone.
Elvira Delane came in, too, for her
share of public gossip, for there was
no doubt about the matter she was
losing both her looks and her bright
spirits. When she went into society
which she never did now if she could
possibly help it she looked sad and
preoccupied, but what exercised the
mind of her acquaintance even more
than her changed appearance was
that she rarely if ever spoke, she who
used to be so full of repartee, so
ready to give a sharp answer.
The change in Elvira was by most
people ascribed to its true cause.-The
disappearance of Pierce Vaughan.
1t had dawned on the neighborhood
that she loved him, and this only
half concealed affection was much
more freely discussed than would
have been pleasant to Elvira had she
known it. As she never spoke of
Pierce except to Lady Marcia and
occaionally to Lisbeth Glendinning
she was ignorant OF the general talk
of which however, unfortunately Sir
Miles Berkeley was fully cognisant,
as it never occurred to anyone to
keep the subject of Elvira's prefer
ence for Pierce and her anxiety on
his behalf a secret from Sir Miles.
And it was this very knowledge that
was making him so utterly wretched,
since coupling the general gossip
with Elvira's changed appearance
and how could he do other
wise than believe in her affection for
the absent Vaughan and recognize
that his W chance of marrying her
was small when Pierce entered once
more on the scene of their lives. .
For Sir Miles in no way Joined in
the general belief that Pierce Nau-
CHAN was dead.
He had his w reasons for think
ing Vaughan to be more of a black
sheep in spite of his externally dee
orous mind and he thought he wa,
keeping out of the way for som,
sinister reason of his own, being ever
capable of leaving a trail of suspi'
cion around the lake if he found i
more convenient that people SHOULD
be occupied by looking tor him there,
he himself being on some quite diff
erent business bent.
The opinion, and no unjust one,
that Sir Miles had formed of Pierce
Vaughan intensified TO no small
degree the agony of finding that he
was his rival. He loved Elvira
Delane well enough to give her up.
if it were for her happiness, to a MAJ
who would make her a kind, good.
husband.
But as Pierce Vaughan's wife whaI
would her fate be?
He had ridden over to Aboynt
Court to enquire for Lady Gertrude
and offer his congratulations to hi,
old friend Sir Clement.
Not finding him at home he wa,
jogging quietly along down the car
riage drive on meditation bent, wheI
he came upon Sir Clement who OF
his way back from Coleshill had JUS
met Griffin.
They were both so deep in CONVEX,
sation that they did not see Sir Mile,
Until he was quite close to them anC
had jumped off his horse in order tC
greet Sir Clement.
"Hallo, Dunraven, what lanl
object are you contemplating with Sc
much in%terest?"
1t was Griffin who answered.
at is a hat, sir, that have jus
fshed out from among the rushes il
the lake"
"a hat" echoed Sir Miles. H,
saw from the grey look on Clemen
D%unraven's face, what the suspicion
was.
eyes, | thought it was Mr.. Vau
ghan's, but Sir Clement says it is his.
1t was a soft felt hat, dirty
weather beaten and shrunk from tn
wetting it had had, but the maker
name, Ludlow, Piccadilly, wa
plainly visible.
Sir Clement took off his own wide
awake which was of a totally differ
emit shape and showed them bot
that 1t bore the name of the sam
maker.
show did your wide awake &c
into the water" asked Sir Miles
accustomed as a magistrate to sill
the matter thoroughly.
"That l do not know, but probabl