The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-05-02

IL.
This and much more did Lady
Marcia's active brain evolve, having
given her coachman the order to
drive to Bellagranda.
Lady Marcia was one of those
m who always must tell some
one when any new oil startling event
occurred. In the present instance
she elected to inform Elvira that
Lisbeth had been SEN for to Aboyne
Court.
In Elvira's strangely bewildered
and illogically condition
nothing could be worse for her than
to have any gossip of the sort con-
veyed. But this, Lady Marcia did
not consider, it pleased her to goad
Elvira and to listen to Elvira's indig-
nation, and beyond that she did not
look.
III fact, as severely as Lady Marcia
at times took Elvira to task for ''her
absurdity in behaving as though she
were Pierce Vaughan's widow" the
very extravaganza of the girls in
fatuation amused her. 1t was the
only bit of excitement to be got out
of the CHASTITY business now that Jim
Glendinning had been removed from
Coleshill, and in her fippant thought
less way she rather encouraged 1t
by her constant prating and talking
on the subject, even while che ssssnd
fault with the girl for constantly
harping on the same. string. Never
theless she thought she had Elvira,s
interest at heart.
Lady Marcia as a rule craved
''from want of thought rather from
want of heart" She certainly did
so on this occasion when, without
waiting to be announced, she dashed
impetuously into Elvira's room and
exclaimed;
''Lisbeth Glendinning has been
sent for to Aboyne Court, and the
Dunra n are going to help her to
get her father off,
Elvira had been alone for more
than two hours, and her thoughts
had been feeding on themselves,
nothing have occurred to produce
fresh matter for consideration apart
from the dreadful subject which had
of late taken such a terrible hold on
her. She was totally unstrung.
Lady Marcia's ill-advised and au-
thentic announcement brought the
nervous excitement under which she
was laboring to a climax. She
stated up from her seat and began
TO walk about the room with rapid
strides, very different from the calm
monotonous pace in which she usually
INDUCED.
She called Jim Glendinning by
names Lady Marcia never expected
to find in her vocabulary, evoking the
wrath of heaven upon his head with
terrible vindictiveness, then she
transferred her ire to the Dunravens,
saying Lady Gertrude was a fool to
be hoodwinked, and that she believed
that Sir Clement, who had always
had a spite against Pierce Vaughan,
had paid this miscreant Glendinning
to put him out of the way since ono
motive" was tie plea on which it
was said the suspected man would
get off.
This trade cane forth in a torrent
which Lady Marcia was powerless to
stem. 1t absolutely took her breath
away, nor, when at last she did
succeed in speaking, did she by any
means check it since her suggestion
that it was more to Pierce Vaughan's
interest TO get rid of Sir Clement
than for Sir Clement to wish his
cousin out of the way, only served
to render Elvira still more violently
wrathful.
Lady Marcia was growing alarmed
and kept her eye on the bell. She
had W. seen Elvira so excited
before, brisk and sensational though
some of their interviews had been
since late events had ongrossed their
attention.
She decided that she would drive
home by DR.. Watson's and consult
him since Mr.. Delane was too stupid
to see that there was some danger in
the girls condition. This was the
most sensible conclusion to which
Lady Marcia had arrived for some
time and probably had she been
longer sighted, she would have
reached IL sooner.
Before however she had time to
carry it into effect, Elvira's illness,
illness it unquestionably was,
became more serious. She gave one
piercing shrek and then full length
on the floor, to all appearance in a
dead faint.
Now the bell vas really rung and
DIR. Watson sent for in hot haste.
Lady Marcia and the maid succeeded
in lifting Elvira on to the sofa and
here she lay unconscious until the
doctor arrived.
He ordered her at once to bed and
said that a trained nurse must be