Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-09-13
coexeIoy7z HaNx n. {. ..zccl1eeo u co.

FRANKLY, mad forgotten nef, absolute
ly, in the stress of the emotional tenn
pest raised by that revelation in tho
darkened bedchamber.
Back and forth, I strobe from book
tral-tinted Persian rugs; and all the
while there echoed those repeated de
malls Of Gameron's that he had ever
been in China. Never nearer than
Yokohama" he had said. Once | ate
chop suey in a Chicago Chinese restau-
rant" q have always been interested
In China and the Chinese, but | know
only what 1 have read" And the
words of his qlondam friend camo
back to me now, too. with redoubled
emphasis: ''He refused to admit what
l knew to be the truth"
Nevertheless had chosen to believe
that Cameron, should he ever return
to us, would be able to clarity this
turbid stream Of circumstance, and
prove the fallibility of appearances.
The illusion to which l had chung,
however, was now in shreds. Cam
ercn, returning, with body enfeebled
and brain confused, had spoken in his
unguarded delirium. The mask was
dropped, the screen thrown down, and
barcfaced and stark ne stood revealed
woeful figure in the impartial glare
of truth.
At the moment could see no extern
uation. He was liar and he was q
coward; and all the sympathy, all the
friendship / ever felt for him died ut
terly, as | thought how, probably,
every untoward incident of the past
month, with its chain of yexatious
consequences, might have been avoid
cd had he been brave to the point OF
confession.
It was now plain enough for tho
least astute to see that at some time
he had committed an act which had
aroused certain of the Chinese to re-
taliation. 1t was this which l had
feared from the first. It was this
which he had chosen to hide
As l paced to and fro, his craven
words rang once more in my ears:
NO, no, for Gods sake, not that!
didn't kill them! I swear didn't kill
them! 1t was an accident" And l
knew that he was lying. The very
tone of his disclaimer convinced me
Of his guilt. He had killed, and he
covered before the avengers.
Disgust, adherence, anger, all were
mine in turn.
AT length I paused before a window,
and remained there, with my back to
the room, looking down on the with
cred garden behind the house, yet see
ing nothing but the red of my own pas
sion.
A touch upon my shoulder aroused
me to a realization of my surround
inSs, and informed me that | was not
alone. Startled as one awakened abb
ruptly from a dream, I turned, and
turning, there came reyulsion. Every
surcharging emotion that had held
and bound ne gave way Instant
~ to a violent self-reproach, excited
by the pathos Of Eyelyn's sad, ques-
tioning eyes and sadder, quiyering
mouth.
My impulse was to take her in my
arms, and pacifying, to plead pardon
for what must have seemed to her an
inexcusable churlishnoss. But the con.
ditions which so recently she had set
upon me forbiddng the coveted en-
brace, I compromised on a hand-clasp
My dear child" began, earnestly,
I'm sorry. But then you must know
how what We just saw and heard dis
tressed me. think l have been mad
since We left that room. l hardly
know what l have been doing. To see
him SO unstrung, demented, raving.
To hear him"
But she would not allow me to fin
ISL.
'Philip!" she cried, passionately.
"Oh, Philip! Can't you see? Don't
you understand? 1t is a mistake, an
awful nightmare of mistake. That
creature over there is not my uncle.
am convinced that he is not my
Uncle Robert"