The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-09-06

ing farmers. Cameron told me that
all three Of them made bold to peep
over the painters shoulder at his
work, and then, though It was Of the
most mediocre quality, to shower him
with laudatory and congratulatory
| phrases.
y can fancy how he thanked you, y
broke in, smiling II suppose he
said something very rude"
HE said nothing at all. He simply
stopped painting, and turning, fixed
his eyes upon me. 1t was as IL he
saw no other one Of US. He seemed
to be making careful appraisement
of my every feature. After mo.
ment 1t grew embarrassing, and
though / did not resent it--Eeeling
rather that we, ourselves, had been
in the wrong-I very speedily with
drew. To my surprise he rose from
his stone scat; and, palette and
brush in hand, followed us up the
little activity to the road, watching
in silence. until We got back into our
car, and wheeled away"
ibid you gather from his inspection
that he recognized you, or thought he
recognized your" asked.
81 gathered only that he meant to
be insutferably rude" was Cameron's
answer.
"And you have never seen him
SINGER"
Never"
"He has evidently seen you. He
spoke Of the Russian wolf-hounds
that go about with you"
Cameron made no response.
well" l added, in 8 tone meant to
be reassuring, II think we need have
little fear Of a continuance Of this
singular method OF annoyance.
Though We can't trace It directly to
Murphy and his unfortunate Mongoli-
an, | thoroughly believe that one or
the other was responsible. With the
ChInaman dead and Murphy In jail,
the persecution will cease. The threat
contained in the second letter will
never be executed. See II I'm not
right"
My hope of putting Cameron at
ease, however, was not rewarded. He
continued to exhibit signs Of an al
most constant apprehension. There
was, indeed, sympathy-stirring
pathos about the nervous disquiet Of
this man, usually so impenetrably
self-contalned. And at moments, In
spite OF me, suspicion gripped and
held that he had not been entirely
frank; that somewhere In his past
there was something unrevealed
which might serve as a clue, II not
an explanation, to the present. But
these doubts of him were always
transltory.
The twenty-frst Of September fell
that year on Monday. My Office de-
manded my presence, but arranged
affairs as well as possible by tele-
phone and devoted the entire day to
Cameron. When / told him meant
to do this he protested, pretending
that he was quite without foreboding;
while the unconscious tapping Of his
foot on the rug, even as he spoke, be-
lied his words.
We spent the better part of the day
golfng over the Apawamis links at
Rye, lunching at the club house be-
tween rounds, for as a specific for
nerves I have ever found thar game
Of rare benefit. In the present in.
stance 1t more than fulfilled my ex-
pectations. Cameron, apparently at
least, forgot everything save his de-
sire to out-drlve, out-approach, and
output me. And when 1t was over,
and with sharpened' appetites we
drove back to Cragholt for dinner, he
appeared stimulated by a new-found
courage.
The day had passed without unto
ward event, and l felt sure that my
friend was gradually coming around
to my way Of thinking. Neither Of
us mentioned the subject, but It must
have required to him, at intervals, as
1t did to me. And as the hours went
by without sign, the conviction
grew that Murphy, with hands tied,
was fretting over the coup he was de-
TERED from comprising.
Mrs. Lancaster, whom have men.
toned merely as Cameron's house
keeper, but who was, in addition, a
distant kinswoman and acted as
sort Of duenna to Evelyn, dined with
us that evening, and our little partie
carree seemed to me more than us
ually merry, owing doubtless to the
relaxation of the strain which both
Cameron and l had been under for
the past week.
II gratlhed me to see my host 80
unfeignedly cheerful. remember
how ne laughed over Mrs. Lancaster's
recital of an incident OF the morning.
II had no idea" she said, that An
drew" referring to the kennel master,
was married. He astonished me
when he told me he had a wife and
three children. And when / told him
he did not look like a married man
he seemed rather pleased than other
wise"
1T is odd," Cameron returned, 'but |
1t seems always to Hatter a husband |
to tell him he doesn't look It." And |