The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-02-14
CHAPTER xI.-A HARDENED SINNER.

was. To bask for one half an hour
in tropical sunshine, to be plunged
the next into the rigours Of an En-
glish east wind could not be more
trying than to pass from Clement
Dunraven's passionate embrace into
the arms OF an intruder, who threw
them round her, whether she would
or no.
Vainly she sought to free herself
from them, they held her as in a
vice.
$50 you would try and get away
from me, you mink, and I who have
been longing and waiting for this
hour for wears and years"
81 coul1 not answer him for a
ALE, she d no breath, when at
inst abe par.!ally regained it, she
bigrted u o~rokenly:
49, are you come hereP How
dare you kiss me, you have no right"
"No right. Haven't l pretty one?
I'll soon let you see who in the whole
world has a better"
By that time he had let her go,
and she was standing against the
wall painting and looking at him
askance.
$50 you don't know me Or pretend
you do not,' he said in answer to the
question thai was SO apparent on her
face. "Speak honestly if you know
how, and say whether you could put
a name = me if y'- chose"
g. All not answer him for a Sec
ond or two theu sac said, 81 am
AFRAID can guess who you are, but ]
Uisn most %tervently that you had
never come" and she shivered.
A fearful oath issued from his lips,
that staggered even Lisbeth, accus-
toned as she had been to hear pretty
free swearing from old Josh.
81 suppose You would have had
me rot in prison." he went on, "and
then pretend with your fine lady airs
that you belong to omeone else"
"If you had one grain OF fatherly
Affection" she replied, "you would
not seek to blast my existence as
you have blasted your own"
"No blasting about it girl. l shall
do well enough now I am a free man
again. Nowadays peoples antece-
dents don't count as they used. Be
as bad as you like, you get white
washed after a time"
"Don't believe it," she said shak-
Ing her head, "there are some stains
that nothing will %obliterate, once let
your past career be known and all
those who bear your name are
doomed. Thank God, grandfather
died before your return. He, like
myself, believed you were dead"
"And why should you think 1 was
dead, pray who told you SOP"
''Some man who came from the
prison gave grandfather an account
of your death"
81 am very much obliged to him.
And OF course both you and the old
chap were only too glad to believe
It,"
She made no reply since she could
not t~ruthfully contradict the state
ment, and he continued gruf1y.
What little g%entleness and tender
ness, crime and the fellowship of
criminals might have left in the man
Lisbeth's reception of him efaced.
Yet how could he expect her to be
glad to see him beck again?
He looked round the cottage lin
%geringly. Was he thinking of the
time when he was a happy careless
boy, and a loving, devoted mother
sought to lead him into the paths OF
Christian virtue?
Alasl Sentiment had no abiding
place in Jim Glendinning's callous
heart or he would scarcely have had
30 little regard for the feelings of
those who had once loved him very
dearly,
The glance that rested on the
cottage and its appurtenances was
the glance of a master,
$780," he grunted, "believing me
to be dead, you have appropriated
this house and its contents as next
heir. But you'll have to turn out
young woman or else, If I let you
e,ay on as a sort of servant, you'll
have to make the place deuced COM
Portable. / shouldn't wonder though
II / sell. I've got a nest in London
and it's devilish dull here"
Lisbeth drew herself up and q
sontemptuous hard look came into
her beautiful eyes.
"Yon have no more right here
than any tramp or hedger who
chooses to modest my door. This
house and everything that is in it is
mine, left me by my grandfather's
will. 1t "a not likely that he was
going to bring me up and then not
leave me what there was to leave"
$50 there was a will, Ell? Zoos Of
course you would inherit it II I was
dead, and you say he believed I was
dead"
"Josh Glendinning was not the
man to trust to belief and hearsay.