Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-06-12
lCOpyrl,
CHAPTER VIII.
yht, 1895, by Robert Bonner's Sons.

CHAPTER VIII.
Now She intention of the two con-
spirators, who were conspiring, with
out Cliffords knowledge, to cure him
of his infatuaton, was to keep this
Mckless adventure from coming to his
ears. But it leaked out in spite of
them, and one evening, when they
were enjoying their pipes in the rooms
! they shared together, they found
| themselves confronted with King him.
self, in state of boiling indignation.
1t was in vain they tried to prove to
him how laudablc their intentions
had been, how much for the good of
the young lady herself it would have
been if they could have cleared up the
ugly mystery.
IF you could have cleared it up, no
one would have been more thankful,
more grateful than t. retortcd CliI-
ford, whose face had grown hagcard
with anxiety. with unhappiness on
Nelrs account. but to send young
fool, without tact. without delicacy.
like Lowndes, spying about, and max.
ing laundering idiot of himself
why il was more what you would eX-
pect of couple of schOolboys than of
two full grown men out of Hanwell"
"As to that" replied Conybcarc,
mildly, II don't know that Lowndes
has less tact than anybody else. |
must say that in the circumstances, |
should have acted very much as he
did; at least as far as following the
woman to the room and through the
window was concerned. One doesn't
stand upon strict ceremony with a
thief even female one"
Nell Clars is not n thief. cried
Clifford. with excitement. Il would
not believe it if all the Judges and
magistrates in England told me So"
"Ah, that's it! You will not believe.
But my dear fellow, do you think
Lowndes had anything to gain by tell
ing story which showed him in such
a ridiculous and undignilied light"
Il think that if he had been man
pf more Judgment and tact he would
have found out something worth find
ing out and not have made an ass OF
himself during the proceedings
"Now, my dear Clifford. you are I'M
reasonable, as all persons suffering
from your ailment are" said Cony-
beare, rising, and standing in judi
rial attitude in front of the fire. BE
cause you admire this young woman,
you think she Is incapable of crime
which has, in my opinion, been traced
clearly home to her. If the woman
whom LowndeS saw and followed was
not Miss Clars how was it that she
made, when pursued, straight for Miss
Clarss room? Could Miss Claris have
a bedfellow-therc was only one bed
In the room-without knowing it? If
lhe had bedfellow, would not some
person in the house have been ac-
Iuah. ted with the fact, and would not
the sudden disappearance of this per-
con arouse suspicion even in the lnno-
cent mind of Miss Claris?'
but | don't believe word of the
whole story. Lowndes had too much
whisky before going to bed, and hQV-
ing his mind full of tales you had told
him, he dreamed that he saw II woman
IN the room, and started in pursuit of
n wholly imaginary figure. You know
he admits lie had nothing stolen. The
only part of the story which do be-
Iicve is his own idiotic flight through a
door and window, and the bath in
the river which sobered him."
"All right" said Conybeare. ITS
no business of mine whether you be-
lievc Lowndes or not. Let us drop the
subject
hut to Clifford there was only one
subject in the world. and as he could
not talk about that he would not talk
about anything. He sat moodily 81.
lent for ten minutes, paying no heed
to the conversation of the other two,
and then abruptly took his leave.
AS soon as he had gone Conybeare
showed great excitement.
Look here" said he, with deter
mination, that fellows being ruined
by his infatuation for this little jade,
If we don't manage to bring matters
to a climax he'll be beforehand with
us by going down and marrying her,
or some such folly. We've tried send.
ing down an amateur detective, and
it's been a failure. Let's try Il profes'
sional one"
But Willie hung back.
Il don't quite like to do that" OBJ
jected he. "Supposing the girl didn't
do it, after all, you know? 1t would
make us feel rather small, wouldn't
it? And then, of course, Clifford would
be more madly infatuated than ever.
He would rush down with n license in
one pocket and ring in the other, and
she'd come back Mrs. King in the
twinkling of an eye
"Well, and why on earth shouldn't
he, IL the girls all right? said Cony.
beare, composedly. Il should have
nothing to say against that"
but 7 should" persisted Willie. "If
you hadn't persuaded me to think her
thief | should have liked her to be
Mrs. Jordan And if she does turn
out to be innocent"
"She won't" replied Conybcare,
placidly. II am not in love with the
girl, and l can see with clear eyes.
But she's so previously artful that il
would take a clever chap to bring her
to book l shall call round at a detec-
tive agents tomorrow"
Now although both the friends were
careful to keep the fact of this deter
mination from Clifford's ears, the