The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-04-11

whereas Lisbeth would stand by him
through life until death whatever
befell.
Knowing this, he, selfish as ever,
had sought her, ay and would seek
her again, she was his only prop, his
only sustenance, and to cast re-
proaches on her for having permitted
him to take a first false step was
about the only consolation the
wretched mar had for the anguish
which haunted him day and night.
He did not stop to count the cost
to her If suspicion should be awak-
ened in her heart, it was enough that
he considered her part of himself and
that she too must suffer If he did.
He had thrust her out of her posi-
ton as his lawful wife, but he did not
forget to regard her as such when
trouble well-nigh crushed him.
She sat for some time after he left
her wrestling with the awful thoughts
that came crowding into her brain.
Lisa at last began to cry, the tight
clasp of her mothers arms oppressed
her, but Lisbeth neither relaxed it
o appeared to hear; it vas not till
the chimes of Coleshill church burst
out to celebrate the recent advent at
Aboyne Court that Lisbeth started
up.
"Of course he is crazy to-day, the
birth of the heir nnder these conflict
ing circumstances has temporarily
turned his brain, my Clement, my
poor troubled darling how l have
wronged you"
Then she soothed her baby who
was soon happy again now that her
mother was attending to her and
finally went into the house to go
about her work and see to her help
ltsS luInduSSj VI WuOul but dlltdhN
had four or five.
She would not listen to the suspi-
cion that had arisen in her mind as
Clement Dunraven and she fingered
there in the porch looking eyes into
eyes, she would put it from her as a
foul and loathsome thing unworthy
to have crept into the mind of any
woman who could love Clement Dun
raven as she loved him.
''Was it not impossible for a true
woman TO love an unworthy man?'
Lisbeth asked herself this question
more than one that day, but she,in-
variably answered it with another:
"Can anything kill true love?'
And then she sighed. The conun-
drum was too diff for her to
solve. She must be content and 90
on living and leave theories and
thinking to clever folk. So she bus
led herself about her house and made
it spick and span, smartened up her
little family, gathered flowers and
set them on the table, saying that
they must not be backward in cele-
brating the birth of the heir. In all
of which she was seconded by Lady
Gertrude's old nurse, who, devoted
though she was to the family of Mel
bury, could find no fault with Lis
beth's IL of welcoming the new
born heir.
She concealed her latent jealousy
of this boy 80 well that even this ole
body never guessed it, in truth it wal
only unfolding very gradually as Lis
beth looked at her poor fatherlesi
little Lisa; and fervently was it to b.
hoped that her own good ant
motherly kindness would teach he
to nip it in the bud.
Till the birth of the heir occurred
to divert their thoughts into another
channel, Pierce Vaughan's disappear
ance had been the sole topic of gen
eral discussion in C%oleshill. Fo
since Griffith had put in an appear
ance at Lady Marcia's garden party
the public had been on the alert
their every movement followed witt
interest by the townsfolk. The lax,
had been dragged unsuccessfully a
Brown told Mrs. Curtis. The wan
of success being on Clement Dupra
vents part attributed to the fate tina
was destined to shield him from pun
ishment, but in reality the case wa
partly a want of efficiency in inexpe
rienced draggers, also there was
deep hole at that part of the waite
into which Pierce Vaughan wa
plunged, while round about it grey
number less rushes and water plant
and weeds which impeded the actio
! of the machine.
Sir Clement might have had tn
whole water cleared, had he chose
r and the investigation much more ef
fectually carried out, but he pro
, fessed himself 80 totally to disbeliev
. in his Cousins death that he said b
+. did not consider it was worth Will
to do anything further than had bee
done, and in this the authorities con
Cured. All Coleshill had full fait
l in the idea that Pierce Vaugha
, would one day put in an appearance,
, having just arrived FROM some for
! eign land. The police then had
late relaxed their efforts and like tn
400. ra.o tl;alr;,,x ,,ona about A.