The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-11-22


Nor has Checkabeedy, who sorts the
mail here at the house. But each OF
them lay beside my plate at break
fast-the first on the fourteenth oil
August; the second, this morning, the
fourteenth of September"
And they were not delivered by
messenger"
$50 far as can learn, no"
at Is very odd" commented, with
feeble banality.
took the letters from his hands
once more, and held them in turn be
tween my vision and the candle-light'
hoping, perchance, to discover a wa
ter-mark In the paper. But was not
rewarded
you examined the envelopes care
fully, presumed" was my query as
returned. the sheets to the table.
More than carefully" he answered.
But you shall see them, If you like.
l found no trace Of any identifying
mark"
Thus far he had made no further
mention of the "puzzling happening"
which followed the receipt of the first
letter, and in the interest provoked By
the letters themselves had foreborne
to question him; but now as the words
seventh day hence" fell again under
my eve, standing out, as IL were, from
the rest Of the script which lay up
turned on the table before me, | was
conscious Of a stimulated concern, and
so made inquiry.
81 wish you would tell me, 6rst,
whether anything really did occur on
the seventh day"
81 was coming to that" he replied;
but 1t seemed to me that prompt
though his response was, there was
shade of reluctance In his manner.
Then 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
of his indoor hours. 1t was always a
rather gloomy room at night, with It's
high dark ceiling, it's heavy and vol
luminous olive tapestry hangings,
wholly out of keeping, 1t seemed to
me, with the season-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 1t impressed me now,
in conjunction with Cameron's prom
ised revelation, as more than ever
. grim and awesome.
. remember helping myself to
I. cigar from the humidor which stood
=, on the antique cabinet in the corner
near the door, l was in the act Of
7. lighting 1t when Cameron spoke.
IT want you to sit in this chair" he
), said, indicating one Of sumptuous up
i holstery which stood beside the writ
= ing table, facing the low, long book
: cases lining the opposite wall.
!. I 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-shelvesT
remembered 1t very well. It was a
q painting Of himself, done some years
l. back But now my gaze sought 1t in
Q vain.
Q Certainly" 1 answered. ut hung
there" pointing.
quite right. Now l want you to OBJ
d serve the shelf-top You see how
i crowded 1t is"
L 1t was indeed crowded. Bronze
1t busts and statuettes; yachting and
golf trophies in silver; framed photo
g. 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
IL semblance of a curiosity shop. When
y had nodded my assent, he went on:
ION the afternoon of Friday, August
le twenty-frst, seven days after the re
lie ceipt of that first letter, l was sitting
1t where you are sitting now. | was
g. reading, and deeply interested. l had
ID put the letter, as / told you, entirely
out of my mind had forgotten it
d. absolutely. That seventh-day business
n | had regarded-if regarded 1t at al
In as idle vaporing. That this was the
g, afternoon of the seventh day did no
10 occur to me unth afterwards. l recal
that paused in reading to ponder {
b, paragraph that was not quite clear I,
me. and that while in contemplation
ne fixed my eyes upon that portrait. l re
OF member that, because 1t struck me
then, that the flesh tints of the fac
y. had grown muddy and that the thini
~ would be better for a cleaning. l re
tn call, too, that at that moment, the lii
IS tie clock, yonder, struck three. l re