The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-10-25

sadly trying part OF the Incluent'
would gladly have retreated. but Eve
Ign begged me to walt.
Just until he is quiet, she pleaded;
Just until he falls asleep"
At length he lay quite still and we
thought from his regular breathing he
had succumbed to the narcotic, and 80
we're about to go, when he started up
9Th little feeble cry, low-voiced, but
clearly distinct.
mo, no, for Gods sake. not that! I
didn't kill them. | swear | didn't kill
them. 1t was an accident. She stove
on a rock. I--I-didn't, sayI | didn't
Il"
His voice trailed into silence. He
dropped back, heavily. upon the pill
lows, He slept.
1t is one thing to have your faith
in a friend shaken. That Is serious
enough In all conscience. But your
faith may tremble, and sway and rock,
and still there Is always the POSSIBLE
ity Of its being resteadled and made
firm again by explanatlon-by extenu-
alton even. It Is quite another thing
to have your faith toppled headlong,
by the snatching away Of the last vest
ge OF support, the last silver OF under
plnning. That is more than serious.
It is calamitous; 1t Is catastrophe; 1t
Is tragic.
Back in the library again, I set to
pacing the flOor. think Evelyn re-
sumed her seat In the big leathern
chair. | am sure. For a time | was
not conscious that she was In the
room. That 1t was inoonsiderate of
me, | admit. 1t was, perhaps, unpar-
donable. And yet 1t was not wilful.
Frankly, had forgotten her, absolute
ly, In the stress OF the emotional tenn
pest raised by that revelation In the
darkened bedchamber.
Back and forth, strobe from book
case to bookcase, over the soft, neu-
tral-tinted Persian rugs; and all the
while there echoed those repeated de-
malls of Cameron's that he had ever
been in China. Never nearer than
Yokohama" he had said. "Once | ate
/ chop suey In Chicago Chinese restau-
rant" II have always been interested
in China and the Chinese, but know
only what l have read" And the
words OF his quondam friend came
back to me now, too, with redoubled
emphasis: "He refused to admit what
| knew to be the truth"
Nevertheless had chosen to believe
that Cameron, should he ever return
to us, would be able to clarity this
turbld stream of circumstance, and
prove the fallibility of appearances.
The Illusion to which | had chung,
however, was now in shreds. Cam
eron, returning, with body enfeebled
and brain confused, had spoken in his
unguarded dellrium. The mask was
dropped, the screen thrown down, and
barefaced and stark he stood revealed,
woeful figure in the impartial glare
of truth.
AT the moment could see no extern
uation. He was liar and he was
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 vexatious
consequences, might have been avoid
ed had he been brave to the point OF
confession.
1t was now plain enough for the
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 / had
feared from the first 1t was this
which he had chosen to hide.
As l paced to and fro, his craven
words rang once more in my ears.
mo, no, for Gods sake, not that! l
didn't kill them! Iswear didn't kill
them! 1t was an accident" And
j 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
nina in turn.
At length paused before 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 realization Of my surround
lngs, and informed me that was not
alone. Startled as one awakened alb
ruptly from a dream, | turned, and
turning, there came reVulsion. Every
surcharging emotion that had held
and bound ME gave way instant
ly to a violent self-reproach, excited
by the pathos OF Evelyns sad, ques-
tionlng eyes and sadder, qulvering
mouth.
My impulse was to take her In my
arms, and paclfying, to plead pardon
for what must have seemed to her an
inexcusable churlishness. But the con-
ditions which so recently she had set
upon me forblddlng the coveted EN-
brace. l compromised on hand.clasp.
"My dear child" l began, earnestly,
I'm sorry. But then you must know
how what we just saw and heard dis
tressed me- think have been mad
since we left that room. l hardly