The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-04

men he rose, abruptly, and saying:
suppose we go into my study, Clyde"
led the way from the dining room.
across the great, imposing, grained
and fretted hall to that comparatively
small mahogany and green symphony
wherein he was wont to spend most
or his indoor hours. 1t was always
rather gloomy room at night, with its
high dark ceiling, its heavy and vol
luminous olive tapestry hangings,
wholly out OF keeping, It seemed to
me, with the seasOn-and It's shaded
lights confined to the vicinity Of the
massive polished, and gilt-ornamented
writing table Of the period of the First
Empire. And 1t impressed me now,
IN conjunction with Cameron's prom
ised revelation, as moro than ever
grim and awesome.
l remember helping myself to a
cigar from the humidor which stood
on the antique cabinet in the corner
near the door. I was in the act Of
lighting 1t when Cameron spoke.
i want you to sit In this chair" he
said. indicating one Of sumptuous up-
holstery which stood beside the writ
Ing table. facing the low, long book
cases lining the opposite wall
did as he bade me, while he re-
mained standing.
DO you, by any chance" he asked,
remember portrait which hung
above the book-shelvesT
remembered It very well. It was a
painting Of himself, done some years
back. But now my gaze sought It in
vain.
Certainly" I answered. 1T hung
there" pointing.
Quite right. Now want you to OBJ
serve the shelftop. You see how
crowded it is."
1t was indeed crowded. Bronze
busts and statuettes; yachting and
golf trophies in silver; framed photo
graphs; a score OF odds and ends, SOU
venirs gathered the world over. There
was scarcely an inch OF space unoc-
cupied. / had frequently observed this
plethora OF ornament and resented It.
1t gave to that part Of the room the
semblance Of curiosity shop. When
l had nodded my assent, he went on:
"On the afternoon Of Friday, August
twenty-frst. seven days after the re-
ceipt OF that first letter. I was sitting
where you are sitting now. I was
reading, and deeply interested. I had
put the letter, as told you, entirely
out Of my mind. I had forgotten It,
absolutely. That seventh-day business
/ had regarded--if I regarded it at all
AS idle vaporing. That this was the
afternoon OF the seventh day did not
occur to me until afterwards. l recall
that / paused in reading to ponder a
paragraph that was not quite clear to
me, and that while in contemplation I
fixed my eyes upon that portrait. I re-.
member that, because 1t struck me,
then, that thu flesh tints Of the face
had grown muddy and that the thing
would be better for cleaning. I re-
call, too, that at that moment, the lit
tie clock, yonder, struck three. ! re-
sumed my reading; but presently, an
other statement demanding cogitation,
/ lowered my book, and once more my
eyes rested on the portrait. But not
on the muddy flesh tints, because"
he paused and leaned forward, towards
me, speaking with impressive empha-
sis. "Because," he repeated, there
were no flesh tints there. Because
there was no head nor face there!"
l sat up suddenly, open-mouthed.
speechless. Only my wide eyes made
question.
"Cut from the canvas" he went on,
IN lowered voice, clean and sharp
from crown to collar And the hands
OF the clock pointed to twelve min,
utes past three"