The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-04-25

be at your very happiest?"
And Lady Gertrude twined her
arms round her husbands neck and
kissed him. .
He had just carried her downstairs
into the library, her favorite room.
1t was her first appearance there
since the birth of the heir, now a fat,
bonny boy of nearly a month old.
$40 | look more i'll and pre-occu-
pied than usual?" asked Sir Clement
with a sigh, as, having released him
self from her tender embrace, he sat
down on a footstool beside the sofa
on which he had laid her.
"Not more than yesterday or the
day before, dear, but all the time |
have been upstairs | have been o
dering what allied my Glen? They
told me you came back very i'll from
the supper at the Royal Arms"
"Was that all they told you,
Gertie?"
eyes, dear, what more was there to
be told?n
"Oh nothing-that isl thought
they might have told you what
caused my illness"
"What was it, dear?" and Lady
Gertrude jumped of the sofa in her
excitement.
He held her back.
''If you are going to get so excited,
Gertie, | shall not dare to tell you,
although the doctor has given me
leave. Now that you are stronger
and will be going about and seeing
people, it is only right that you
should know"
"Know what; for mercy's sake
speak,"
"Watson had better tell you him
self, but after all. | don't think you
will mind very much. 1t is true,
dear, Pierce Vaughan is dead.n
Lady Ger rude lay back; she did
not attempt 10 spring up now.
Why should he fear lest she would
mind SO very much. Perhaps it was
n relief to her to know that Pierce
Vaughan could not poison her mind
with any more tales against Clement.
Why did Clement himself seem to
take it so much to heart, surely there
was no love lost between the cousins,
that she had discovered long ago.
For these and further reflections
Lady Gertrude had abundance of
time, for having announced his
Cousins death, Sir Clement was silent.
He was waiting for his wife TO
enquire as to its manner, and this she
did after a minute or two, when her
nerves had recovered somewhat from
the shcck of the first announcement,
she was drowned was the reply
she received, CURLY given, as though
Clement would gladly tell her more
tudu liz was dCludIN OpliStt'
"Drowned, where and when?'
"Down in the lake yonder, prob
ably on the day of the storm"
Again there was a silence, and then
Lady Gertrude burst out crying.
"My poor dear Glen. | am so
sorry for you"
"For me, Gertrude, why for me?'
And Sir Clement started from his
lowly position and his attitude
became almost menacing.
Had all his efforts then counted for
nothing. Had she learnt the truth
in spite of them?
She seemed surprised at his sudden
violence.
swell, DEAR" she answered,
"even if Pierce were not your cousin,
it could not be otherwise than a
dreadful thing to feel that anyone
had been drowned Just in front of
your windows and you had no oppor-
tunity of giving him help
.'Oh, of course ! see what you
mean,'' said Sir Clement, very con-
STRANGELY, in fact his whole manner
was so odd that anyone but Lady
Gertrude, his loving, believing,
trusting little wife, must perforce
have guessed that there was some
thing wrong.
She, however, had not a suspicion
of anything beyond annoyance and
worry for her beloved Clement.
She took his hand and made him sit
down once more beside her. She
was still crying, that is, her eyes
were full of tears and there were
sobs at intervals, but this was more
the result of physical weakness than
on account of any deep sorrow she
felt about Pierce V%aughan's death.
The sight of her tears, however,
had the effect of irritating Clement,
into whose heart, notwithstanding
his remorse, there came a jealous
pang.
81 did not think you cared for him
or would have felt it so much, or |
should not have told you-just now"
81 did not care for him, Glen. |
rather disliked him if the truth be
told, but that only makes one all the
more sorry to think-now he is gone
One was not always quite just to
him. l wish we could not see the
waters of the lake from the windows.
! wonder If the day will ever come
-la. L nlau Iarxot 10 lnnhr M L. a-l