The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-10-25

/
But you can't get down to the roots that
| start
From The yellow base of his yellow
heart.
And les very true. There are those
here who pretend to adore me, who
would think nothing Of treating mel
as they treated poor Ling Fo, If they
suspected l knew anything and gavel
information"
~ don't want you to think I'm q
coward, Miss Grayson," she went on,
turning to Evelyn. Il think I've proved
to you that I want to help you and
mean to, but I'm rather upset tonight,
and I'm so afraid we shall have to let
matters rest little longer. There 10
one thing, though. that you can do
for me, II you will"
The last sentence was addressed to
me, and made haste to assure her
that she had only to command me.
As she had spoken she had been
folding and refolding the paper In her
hand, until 1t was now tiny, one
inch square.
take this" she said, handing 1t
to me, her voice low murmur, "and
after you have read It, destroy It. /
shouldn't want 1t found In my pos
session."
''I understand, Miss Clement" re-
turned and the folded square went
into my walstcoat pocket.
at may mean more to you," she
added, in whisper, than anything
could say"
When once more In the brougham,
speeding northward, Evelyn, who had
been unusually taciturn throughout
the interview, asked me q question.
did you mean what you said,
Philip"
What did l say?" queried.
"That you understood"
81 understood that 1t might not be
well for her to have this letter Of
Ling Fo's about"
But the rest? Her refusal to talk?
Her uneasiness? Her fear of possible
,raltors% she persisted.
Once more she had gone straight to
the heart Of the situation. had been
as puzzled as she by the mlssionary's
attitude Of constraint, which l could
not attribute wholly to the tragedy she
had told us Of; and l admitted as
much to Evelyn.
IF she suspected eavesdroppers,"
the girl argued, "she said too much.
II she didn't fear being overheard, why
couldn't she tell us all she knew"
For want OF a better answer said:
Perhaps the letter will solve the
enigma" and plucklng 1t from my
pocket with thumb and forefnger l
began carefully to unfold 1t.
The interior Of the vehicle was brill
liantly alight, and though we were
already far beyond the Chinatown
zone and the chance observation OF
any lurking spies, nevertheless chose
discreetly to draw the shades prior
to outspreading the written page. Is
Before the sheet with its network Of
ereases was quite fiattened, Evelyn,
who was bending attentively near, ex1
claimed In surprise, ut is her own
handwriting! See, 1t is written by
Miss Clement herself"
Already absorbed, made no re-
Spouse. Avidly my eyes were racing
over the lines; greedily, my brain was
dlgesting them.
"Tldlngs Of the cruel murder Of
Ling Fo have just reached me. When
you come, as know you will, shall
not dare to speak what have written,
and which Is all that the poor boy
ever told me. Already there are spies
about me, and your visit is risk to
US both. would have prevented 1t, If
I could.
Three weeks ago, according to Ling
Fo, white man was abducted by or
der Of the Six Companies, and shipped
to China for punishment, aboard
tramp steamer. Ling Fo would not
give me the white mans name or any
Of the particulars, save that sixteen
years ago he had committed crime,
known to every Chlnaman in America
as The Crime Of the Sable Lorcha,'
or black funeral ship, by which near
ly one hundred Chinese coolies lost
their lives.
1T seems now that this man, who
they thought was on the ocean, sud
denly reappeared in New York, few
nights ago. He was recognized and
set upon by two Cinnamon. but he
escaped, and the Six Companies and
all the tongs are In ferment over the
mystery"
Evelyn's hand was on my arm as |
read, her face close to mine, reading
with me. Having finished, held the
sheet for a moment, waiting for her
to slgnify that she, too, had reached
the end. And in that moment the
brougham came to a sudden halt.
Before either of us could voice a
word the door on my side was
wrenched violently open, and the blue
steel muzzle OF a revolver covered me.