Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-09-02

turned on the table before me, I was
conscious of stim ulated concern, and
so made inquiry.
81 wish you would tell me, first,
whether anything really did occur on
the seventh day"
81 was coming to that" he replied;
but it seemed to me that prompt
though his response YVES, there was
shade of reluctance in his manner; for
he relapsed into silence for what must
have been the better part of min
ute, and with eyes lowered sat seem
ingly lost in thought.
Then he rose, abruptly, and saying:
Suppose We 80 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
of his indoor hours 1t was always a
rather gloomy room at night, with its
high dark ceiling, it's heavy and vol
luminous olive tapestry hangings,
wholly out of keeping, it seemed to
me, with the seas0n-and its shaded
lights confined to the vicinity of the
massive polished, and gilt-ornamented
writing table of the period of the First
Empire. And it impressed me now,
in conjunction with CamerOn's prom.
ised revelation, as more than ever
grim and awesome.
| remember helping myself to a
cigar from the humidor which stood
on the antique cabinet in the corner
near the door. l was in the act of
lighting it when Cameron spoke.
81 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.
l did as he babe me, while he re-
manned standing.
'Do you, by any chance" he asked,
remember a portrait which hung
above the book-shelves?
remembered it very well. 1t was a
painting of himself. done some years
back But now my gaze sought it in
vain.
Certainly" I answered. at hung
there" pointing.
quite right Now I want you to OBJ
serve the shelf-top. You see how
crowded it isl
It was indeed crowded. Bronze
busts and statuettes; yachting and
golf trophies in silver; framed photo
graphs; a score of odds and ends, SOU
yenirs 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 a curiosity shop. When
| had nodded my assent, he went on:
con the afternoon of Friday, August
twenty-first, seven days after the re-
where you are sitting now. l was
reading, and deeply interested. l had
put the letter, as I told you, entirely
out of my mind. I had forgotten it,
absolutely. That seventh-day business
/ had 'regarded-if | 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 I paused in reading to ponder a
paragraph that was not quite clear to
me, and that while in contemplation /
fixed my eyes upon that portrait. l re-
member that, because it struck me,
then, that the flesh tints of the face
had grown muddy and that the thing
would be better for cleaning. l 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,
l lowered my book, and once more my
eyes rested on the portrait. But not
on the muddy flesh tints, because"
Re 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!"
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 10 collar And the hands
Of the clock pointed to twelve min.
utes past three"