The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-06-27

of course she is worried. Do you
and she have engagements in pri-
vate9 You will say that 10 not my
business, but IL any one gives me
the idea OF an unhappy wife, it is
poor, dear Gertie."
"on my honour, Lady Marcis, we
have never had q word Of disagaee-
ment in our lives. We are always
most affectionate. II Gertrude is
worried the cause Ia unknown to me,
except of course, the poor baby's
death, and that is q sorrow, not
q worry"
"She was worried before the baby
died. was saying so to Elvie only
just now, Naturally, 1 thought you
knew all about it,"
81 assure you I know nothing.
Ever since l married her I have
made strenuous endesvours to do the
best I can for her, and to keep
her as much as possible from every
thing that might annoy or vex her.
Nor do l think she is worried, but I
fear she is very delicate"
And SO saying, he laid his head on
the table on his folded hands, and his
whole frame shook convulsively.
Elvira got up and went to him.
"Good old Clement" she said,
"don't take OF, we must cleer up
Gertie, and abe will be III right. She
can't so sitting Il tlk3f& 10 rE~s
ing to fret about"
He did not look up, hut be took
II of his hands from under his
head and held it out to Elvira.
eff ever anything should happen
to me you will be good to my Gertie,
you and Miles Berkeley; eh, Ell
vira?"
She did not answer for a moment.
The coupling of her name with that
of Sir Miles Berkeley startled her,
but she pressed Sir Clements ex-
tended hand.
Then she tried to toss the subject
from her.
"Why do yon talk like that to
frighten one. Nothing is the matter
with you. 1t is Gertrude who is in
danger, not you"
1--WE never know where danger
lies," he answered. "Only promise
me you will look after Gertrude"
"Of course I will, but for goodness
sake don't let us have any more dis
NAL conversation tonight. We talk
about horrors until we imagine they
really exist"
"Yes," said Lady Marcia, rising.
"Let us go to bed, and get up in the
morning prepared to enjoy this de-
lightful place"
And SO they left him, both thinking
they had discovered where the
mischief lay. Sir Clement had some
mortal malady, and Lady Gertrude
knew or guessed it.
Ay, so he had, but not Of the sort
they suspected. If Singleton fol-
lowed him up and chartered out the
whole CHASTITY past there would be
nothing for it but suicide.
Was that to be the end, he won
dered. And how selfish an endl
Vas he to die for his own selfish
pleasure as he had lived, leaving
Lady Gertrude all alone to boar the
brunt of the revelations that would
be made.
Danger for Gertrude, what did
Elvira mean by danger for Gertrude.
Did she think she was going to die2
His Gertrude to be taken from him,
as the child had been, as everything
he loved in life would be taken in
punishment for his sin.
With Gertrude's death the aveng-
ing angel must stay his hand, as,
come veal or woe, it would be all
the same to him then-Singleton
might say his say, the law might do
its worst.
When morning dawned the OLE
ment Dunraven was still sitting there
thinking out the problem of the
future, nor was he aroused from his
miserable contemplation of what
might n day happen, until Lady
Gertrude herself, in a long, white,
trailing gown, stood on the threshold
of the door, so startling him by her
spectre-like appearance that the
strong man cried aloud in fear.
(To be continued.)