The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-07-04

seems to me to be ready to commit
any awful act from sheer despair.
He has taken to a beard, which is
never combed or trimmed, dresses
in a ~slovenly fashion, wears whim-
steal Tyrolean hats, and is altogether
as unlike the trim highly civilized
specimen of masculinity We used tc
know as a man can possibly be. Nc
one would recognize him, and ]
cannot help thinking that he is going
out of his mind. As for Lady Ger
trude, she gets weaker and more
inert every day. If this state of af-
fairs goes on she cannot live long,
and the worse she looks the madden
Clement becomes. Lady Marcia and
l are having a real bad time of it,
and l can think of no alternative but
to ask you to come. 1t does not
sound complimentary, and yet it is
for if l did not regard you as a true
friend, l should not turn to you in
trouble. So please come and be
kind. l will be nice to you, indeed
/ will, but do not try to bind me by
nasty promises which may be hard
to keep. Lady Marcia sends you no
end of messages. The Dunravens do
not know | am writing.
Ever your loyal friend,
Elvira Delane.
Sir Miles was sitting in the Snug
gerry library when this slapdash,
hayward communication was given
to him. He had just been wonder
ing why he had not heard from Sir
Clement, and was considering
whether it would be wise to start off
to Wiesbaden and see what was GO
ing on.
The thermometer of his spirits rose
many degrees when he saw Elvira's
writing, but 1t fell again somewhat
as he read her letter. He loved Ell
vira as he would never love another
woman, and was prepared to WOO
her persistently; still he felt he was
a very long way from having won
her, since he was compelled to own
that Elvira was quite capable O.
sending for him as a friend, and yet,
having used his services, OF dismiss
ing him as a lover.
However, here was a point gained,
He would be near her, he would see
her every day and do her bidding in
everything. 1t would be strange if
fortune favoring him-he did not
conquer her in the end.
Would Sir Miles have cared as
much for Elvira Delane if she had
been more easily subjugated? Prob
ably not, most men love the difficult.
After a few minutes he. got up
and rang the bell, taking himself
meanwhile severely to task for hav.
ing forgotten his friend Dunraven.
and the lamentable condition il
which Miss Delane described him tc
be.
When the servant entered he was
desired to tell Mrs. Bett to pack Sil
Miles, things, as he was going abroad
for a few weeks.
Sir Miles had never INDUCED in the
luxury of a valet. Since childhood
faithful old Bett had waited on him
and as long as she was able to do go
he would, he said, have no one else
The servant merely asked wher
Sir Miles intended to start, and being
told by the four O'Clock train ant
that he would take the night express
for Victoria, the preparations, SO fal
as Sir Miles vas personally con
cerned, were at an end.
Mrs. Bett would not let "her boy,'
as she still called him to herself, e
without everything that he coult
possibly require especially as sh,
had a shrewd suspicion that it woult
not be very long before he joined
Miss Delane.
Old Bett might not, perhaps, hav,
been so elated over his departure
had she known that as soon as h,
had given his orders he betook him
self to Lisbeth's cottage to say a few
words of farewell and tell her som,
of the contents of his letter.
AS usual he found her busy in he
her little kitchen. Since the Dun
ravens left, now nearly six week
ago, Lisbeth had felt calmer and les
worried, and her domestic duties hat
received her undivided attention, tn,
monotonous routine of her everyda,
life being only occasionally interrup
ted by calls from DR.. Watson, VIII,
never made any charge for visiting
the patients under Lisbeth's care ant
therefore considered that ho had
perfect right to come and look aftc.
them as often as he pleased.
He never yet said a word to Lis
beth that demanded yes or no for al
answer, there vas always something
in her that repealed hin
whenever he arrived with the full
intention of speaking out, and h,
went on living from time to time
very like Sir Miles-on hope.
Lisbeth had begun almost to drea,
the good little DOCTORS visits, an,
when she heard a mans step cominj
through the wilderness at the bacl