Democratic messenger., 1902-05-24
ICoryri.ht. Issi. by Eobsrt Donners sons.:
CHAPTER VIII.


spiratorS. who were couspirin- with
ont CliHor.Is knowledge. To cure him
of his infatuaticn. was 10 keep this
luckless adventure from coming TO his
ears. But ii 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.
II was in vain they tried To prove to
him how laudable their intentions
had been. how much for the good of
the young lady herself 1t would have
been IL 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 H. retorted Cliff
ford. whose face had grown haggard
with anxiety. with unhappiness on
Nelrs account. But TO send young
fool. without tact. without delicacy.
like Lowndes spying about. and max.
ing a laundering idiot of himself
why II was more what you would ex-
pect of a couple of schoolboys than of
two full-grown men out of Hanwell.
'As TO that" replied Conybeare.
mildly. Il don't know that Lowndes
has less tact than anybody else. I
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 q female one"
Nell Claris is not a thiefw cried
Clifford. with excitement. Il would
not believe 1t 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 a story which showed him in such
a ridiculous and undignified light:"
''I think that IL he had been a man
Of 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 un-
reasonable. as all persons suffering
from your ailment are" said Cony-
beare. rising. and standing in a judi
cial attitude In front of the fire. Be
cause you admire this young woman.
you think she is incapable of a crime
which has. in my opinion. been traced
clearly home to her. II the woman
whom Lowndes saw and followed was
not Miss Claris, how was it that she
ofrb 90 NTfSc
Claris's room: Could Miss Claris have
a bedfellow-there was only one bed
I'm the room-without knowing il? II
che had a bedfellow. would not some
person in the house have been ac-
duail-ted with the fact. and would not
the sudden disappearance of this per-
son arouse suspicion even in the inno-
cent mind of Miss Claris?"
But | don't believe a word of the
whole story. Lowndes had too much
whisky before going to bed. AMI hav-
ing his mind full of tales you had told
him. he dreamed that he saw woman
in the room. and started in pursuit of
wholly imaginary figure You know
he admits he had nothing stolen. The
only part of the story which 1 do be-
lieve is his own idiotic flight through a
door and n window. and the bath in
the river which sobcred him."
''.All right" said Conybeare. "It's
no business of mine whether you be-
lieve Lowndes or not. Let us drop the
subject"
Bur 10 Clifford there was only one
subject in the world, and rs 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.
II We don't manage to bring matters
to 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 failure. Let's try profes-
siOnal one"
But Willie hung back.
Il don't quite like to do that OBJ
jected he. 'SuppOsing the girl didn't
do ii. 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
We'll. 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 | should" persisted Willie. "If
you hadn't persuaded me TO think her
a thief l should have liked her to be
Mrs. Jordan And if she does turn
out to be innocent"
''She won't" replied Conybeare.
placidly. Il am not in love with the
girl. and / can see with clear eyes.
But she's so previously artful that it
would take a clever chap to bring her
to book 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
young barrister was shrewd enough to