Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-06-27
CHAPTER VIII.


out Clifford's knowledge, to cure him
of his infatuation, was to keep this
luckless 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 round
themselves confronted with King him.
self, in a state of boiling indignation.
1t 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 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 l." retorted Cliff
ford, whose face had grown haggard
with anxiety, with unhappiness on
Nells account. But to send a young
fool, without tact, without delicacy,
like Lowndes, spying about, and max
ing a laundering idiot Of himself
why it was more what you would ex-
pect of couple of schoolbOys than Of
two full-grown men cut Of Hanwell!''
GAS to that" replied COnybeare,
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
thief, even female One."
"Nell Claris is not thief!' cried
Clifford, with excitement. II would
not believe it if all the judges and
magistrates in England told me sou
"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 undignifed light?''
81 think that if he had been 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 I'M
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 crime
which has, in my opinion, been traced
clearly home to her. If the woman
whom LowndeS saw and followed was
not Miss Claris, how was 1T that she
made, when pursued, straight for Miss
Clariss room? Could Miss Claris have
a bedfellow-there was only one. bed
In the room-wthOut knowing it? If
she had a bedfellow, would not some
person in the house have been &C.
IuaiCted 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 1 don't believe a word Of the
whole story. Lowndes had too much
whisky before going to bed, and 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
a wholly imaginary figure. You know
he admits he had nothing stolen. The
only part of the story which l do be-
lieve is his own idiotic flight through
door and window, and the bath in
the river which sobered him."
"All right" said Conybeare. "It's
no business Of mine whether you be.
lieve LOwndes or not. Let us drop the
subject"
But 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 modify 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 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 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. if the girls all right" said Cony. /
beare, composedly. Il should have
nothing to say against that"
- But l should" persisted Willie. "If
you hadn't persuaded me to think her
a thief should have liked her to be
Mrs. Jordan And if she does turn
out to be innocent
"She won't" replied Conybeare,
placidly. II 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, 1 shall call round at detec-
tive agents tomorrow"
Now although both the friends were
careful to keep the fact of this DETER
mination from Cliffords ears, the