The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-14
THE wATCHMAN AND soUTHRoN DECEMBER "a, 1912.

favorable collateral conditions. And
the collateral conditions here were
quite the reverse. That which had af.
fected Cameron had exerted an inf,u.
ence upon me as well, knowing, as ]
did, all the circumstances and being
interested, as | was, in my friends
problem. And so while his plisbt
tore at my heartstrings, my own in.
ABILITY to grapple with the mystery
contributed an added mental dis
tress.
To my dismay found Cameron
quite incapable OF anything approach.
Ing a calm, cOmmon-sense discussion
or the matter, and realized to the full
the mischief which this last perfor.
nance, coming as climax upon
week or more or less disquietude. had
effected.
He sat most OF the time with head
bent forward and knees doubled. his
toes touching the floor but his heels
raised and In constant vibrating
movement, as though stricken with
palsy The fingers OF one hand toyed
necessarily, too, with the fingers of
the other, in a variety OF twisting,
snakelike involutions. In vain | en-.
deavored to arouse him; to stir in
him spirit Of retaliation. Some one
was playing tricks upon him, and that
some one must be discovered and
brought to justice. Common sense
told us that, however mysterious
these happenings appeared, they
could not have occurred without hu.
man agency. It was our task to dis
cover the agent and punish him. This
was my line OF argument; but
through it all, Cameron sat unmoved
and unresponsive
And then there came to me again.
that unwelcome suspicion that all
along he had been hiding something
from me; that he OWNED the cause
and the source OF the persecution
but for some reason of his own would
not divulge them.
/ rang for one OF the footmen and
1ad :u..e brandy brought, and forced
CAMERON to swallow a stiff drink of
t, in which l Joined him. But even
this stimulant had small effect upon
him. And when, finally, I reluctantly
Dade him goodnight, l was over
Whelmed by the pathos of his condi.
ton. So wrought and tortured. in.
deed, was /, by the sad picture OF de-
throned courage which followed me
home, that sleep fled me and left me
wide-eyed until the dawn.
The tidings which came to me with
my coffee that morning were more
than half expected. Cameron was Ill,
and his physician had been sum.
moned from New York.
When / reached Cragholt the doc
tor had come and gone, and
trained nurse was In attendance.
Evelyn, meeting me in the hall, con-
veyed this intelligence In a breath,
and then. laying hold upon me, a
slender hand upon each coat sleeve,
her big eyes pleading and anxious,
she ran on:
1T is shock. DR.. Massey says. De-
ferred shock, he called it. He says
Uncle Robert has suffered from some
sudden grief, fright, or other dread
fu. mental impression. His tempera.
ture Is way below normal and his
pulse is sort OF rapid feeble flutter.
Oh, do tell me what you know about
1T. What shock has he had? You
were with him last evening. He was
gay enough when you and he went
from the music room. What hap
pened afterward"
Caressingly rested my palms upon
her shoulders.
MY dear little girl" 1 said, sooth.
ingly. II am sorry l can't satisfy
your very natural curiosity"
But it isn't curiosity" she correct.
ed, promptly. Its interest"
We'll, interest then. I'm sorry.
say. Something did happen; but to
tell you just what 1t was, and why 1t
was q shock to him, am not able.
Not now, at least Maybe, some day,
you'll know all about it,"
There never was a more reasonable
young person than Evelyn Grayson.
Most Girls, ! fancy, would have teased
and grown peevish at being denied.
But she seemed to understand.
(TO RE CONDINI1ED)