Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-09-06


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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 a climax upon a
week of more or less disquietude, had
effected.
He sat most Of the time with head
bent forward and knees doubled, his
loes 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.
snakeIike inyolutions. In vain ! en-
teayOred 10 arouse him; to stir In
him a 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 net have occurred without hui
man agency 1t Was our task to dis
cover the agent and punish him This
was my line Of argument; but
through it all. Cameron sat unmoyed
and unresponslve
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 divuee them.
l rang for one Of the footmen and
had some brandy brought, and forced
Cameron to sWalloW stiff drink of
1t, in which l joined him. But even
this stimulant had small effect upon
him. And when, finally, reluctantly
babe him goodnight, was over.
whelmed by the pathos of his condi-
ton. So wrought and tortured, il-
deed, was |, by the sad picture Of de-
throned courage which followed mo
home, that sleep fed 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 III,
and his physician had been sum-
moned from New York
When | reached Cragholt the doc
tor had come and gene, and a
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 SONG
sudden grief, fright or other dread
full mental impression. His tempefa-
ture is way below normal and his
pulse is sort of rapid feeble futter.
Oh, do tell me what you know about
It. What shock has he had? You
We're with him last evening. He was
gay enough when You and he went
from the music room. What hap
pened afterWard?"
Caressingly l rested my palms upon
her shoulders
MY dear little eirl," 1 said, sooth.
ingly. 81 am sorry l can't satisfy
your very natural curiosity"
'But it isn't curiosity" she correct
ed, promptly. It's interest"
We'll, interest then. I'm sorry,
say. Something did happen but to
tell you just what it was, and why it
was a 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 leased
and grown peevish at being denied.
| But she seemed to understand.
do you want to see uncle?" she
asked ne,
Il don't believe it would be wise"
l answered. ''Probably l, being a
reminder, might do him harm. Tell
me how he seems? He isn't uncon-
scious?"
mo. He answers questions. But
he never says anything for himself,
And, Philip, he looks so pinched and
old and pale! And his hands are so
cold. The nurse has taken away his
pillows and raised his feet, and
it's gruesome, that's the only word
that describes it."
| But he'll soon be better? The
doctor said that, didn't he?"
\ Eyes. He said that"
But the reaction which usually fol
lows shock was only partial in Cam,
eron's case, and for days his life was
in danger. Then followed a period Of
slow, general recovery.
AS the month of October pro
crossed l feared the liability to re
lapse. knew, instinctively, with
what dread sensations he must be
awaiting the fourteenth of the month.
lie had been forbidden, of course, to
receive any mail, just as he had
been denied visitors; but felt that
in an uncertainty that must of neces-
sity prove injurious. And so | took
DR.. Massey, in a measure, into my
confidence, and gained from him per
mission to see Cameron for a brief
moment.
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