The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-05-23
UNnFR THE SHADOW OF CRIME,
OR THE MYSTERY OF CLEMENT DUNRAvEN.
b. Jean Mtddlemass, author of "a Girl in a Thousdnd,' ''Seate
s'By Fair Means" &c.


self together, and behave nationally,
and face with some show of decorum
the requirements Of everyday life,
but there were no more outbursts of
crazy delight; that short summer
madness was over, and the winter of
his heart had set in with an intensity
was temporarily raging on the earth.
No wonder that Lady Gertrude
was puzzled and anxious at the
change that had come over him,
especially at times when terror so
overcame him that he would skulk
about, a frigid look of horror on his
face, and start with craven fear at
every shadow.
Nothing but brandy relieved these
abject fits of dread, and Lady Ger
trude, going unexpectedly isto the
dining room one day, and seeing him
toss off a glass of the fiery liquid,
thought she had at last read the
riddle.
Clement, her ideal, idolized Glenn
ent, had taken to drinking!
1t was a terrible revelation, and
shocked her to such a degree that il
seemed to sap her vitality and add,
in one moment, years on to her life.
Yet she was mistaken; Clement
Dunraven was no drunkard. He
fought bravely with his conscience;
it was only when despair was drag
cling him down into the very depths
that he had to spirits, and
then chiefly for Lady Gertrude's sake,
that she might not see how utterly
unnamed he was. He would not
have her know it for worlds; he
would not, if he could help it, allow
the very smallest thing to sully her
peace and purity. 1t was no easy
matter though to keep her happy
and ignorant, considering that she
was his wife, Or believed herself to
be so.
If only he could tell some one of
his agony, confess his crime to some
sympathetic human being, he felt he
should then be better able to bea1
his burden. But to whom? Not to
Lady Gertrude, since it was the CHIEF
object of his life to keep his sin q
secret from her.
Only to Lisbeth! There was nc
one else-no one in the whole worlC
whom he could trust but the woman
who had already sacrificed so much
for him.
Had he been too seltishly engrosset
to notice, or had she guarded hel
knowledge with unusual discretion
for certain y Clement Dunraven hac
no idea that Lisbeth already guessed
that he was not wholly innocent o
Pierce Vaughan's death. That the,
had quarreled and wrestled, and tina
Pierce had fallen accidentally init
tie water was what she believed
and thus she litied Clement
shielded him in her heart because
she thought he was the victim of al
unfortunate chance.
AT last the thaw came, and TN
roads and lanes, though deluged witt
mud and slush, were fairly passable
and as is often the case, the weather
from exceeding rigor, suddenl.
passed into abnormal mildness.
Communication with the otne
world would forthwith be resumed
and Sir Clement resolved to max
the first use of his emancipation b.
paying a visit to Lisbeth's cottage.
There was no occasion now to hid
his visits from Lady Gertrude, sine
she had been urging him for som
days to try and get down as far, fo
they had heard or seen nothing c
Lisbeth since the trial. She watche
Clement depart for the cottage
telling him as he did so to bid Lis
beth to come tC her soon, or sh
would be obliged to brave the ele
ments and go herself to see her.
For Lady Gertrude, too, ha
designs Oh Lisbeth's peace; she fe
that among all the women she knew
Elvira Delane included, Lisbeth VIZ
the only individual she dared trus
, or in whose common sense she ha
any especial faith. She intended
tell her, and her only, what 81
suspected she had found out abol
Sir Clement, and ask her advice
to what could be done to check it.
Sir Clement strobe along with
brisk step. He had been hous'
bound for so long, only being alb
to get on to the terrace, where Il
snow had been cleared, or into IL
stable yard, that, in spite of h
trouble, the fresh air revived hir
/ and made him feel more cheeri
than he had for days.
| He was already beginning to wav
and think it would be inexpedient
make any con6dant ever of Lisbet
A He remembered some definiti,
t about a secret that he had seen son
time back in an old French boo
where, to confde a secret W
tersely described as, "To give
another individual an example
in~discretion." No, he would try
q suffer in silence n little LONGER. IA