Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-09-17

Why did you let them go away again .
Aren't those Cinnamon ever
going? What on earth did you
want with Mr.. Bryan? What
are you going upstairs for, now"
How tactfully I answered these gues-
tons and others l shall not attempt to
decide. I know only that set my
teeth to guard the one problem which
absorbed ne, and which for worlds
would not have her know.
at Is all right, Evelyn" assured
her, over and over again. There is
not the smallest danger. E. They
came to give me information.
You must be very tired, little girl.
Go to bed, now. and forget it
all until morning. Yes, I'll
tell you everything, then
l wonder how many women there
are who, burning with curiosity as she
was, would have obliged me as she
did! Is it pardonable, then, II again l
say that throughout all this trying ex-
perienco she proved herself girl of a
thousand?
Bryan was waiting Tor me IN the
passage outside Cameron's door.
81 left him sleeping" he explained,
land, if possible, I don't wish to dis
turb him; so we'll go in quietly to-
gether."
Slowly ard with infinite care lest
he make the least noise he turned the
knob. Quite as cautiously he opened
the door, and tiptoeing softly. We en-
tered.
1t was the first time I had been in
the room since the day Of that terrible
outburst, and it still held for me an at
mosphere as grewsomely forbiddlng
as that Of tomb.
Only one lowered light burned, over
a tall, antique bureau between the
darkly curtained windows; the cham
Der was in semi-gloom. But scarcely
had l passed Bryan, who stopped to
close the door with the same adroit
silence with which he had accom-
plished its opening, than stealthily
moving white figure defined itself, is
suing, apparently from massive
carved wardrobe. which stood against
the wall opposite the huge, testered
bed.
The spectacle was at least arresting
! know | halted abruptly as if stricken
al at once with total paralysis For a
heartbeat or two | think | stopped
breathing, But my eyes meanwhile
we're strained fXedly upon the appari.
ion, and seeing it pass With almost in.
redible sWiftness beneath the one
dim light above the bureau, l recog-
pi2ed Cameron.
AT the same moment the room was
flooded with a sudden glare. Bryan too,
had seen, and had switched on the
electrics. simultaneously he flashed
past me and was at his patients side,
what does this mean?" heard him
say. "What did you want? Cant
trust you alone for ten minutes?
told you, Cameron, that you must not
leave your bed unless I am with YOU"
l saw Cameron cover under the up
>
and all my sympathy was aroused on
this instant. Bryan might be carrying
out DR. Massey's orders, but he APP
peared to me unnecessarily harsh
"What were you doing?" he insist
ed; and then l saw him roughly grasp
his patients arm, and hold 1t up, re-
yealing a tightly clenched hand.
''Mr. Bryant" l cried in remon-
STRANGE Gently, gently Remember"
But the nurse paid small heed to
me. He was busy opening the doubled
fist.
stood now where I could look Cam
eron squarely in the face, but my gaze
was elsewhere. 1t was his left hand
over which Bryan was engaged, and
from his wrist TO his elbow the sleeve
of his white night robe had been
pushed back, exposing a sinewy fore
arm, marked precisely as Bryan had
described it,
Scrutinizingly l bent forward. The
tattooing was indisputable, and, as the
nurse had said, It bore no evidence Of
being recent work
Up to that moment l had hoped
against hope that in some way or 9TH
er a misconception had occurred.
had hoped, l suppose, for the perform
ance of some miracle which would eX-
onerate this man. And now that hope
was obliterated by those blue-pricked
letters D. NJ. n. beneath an almost ex-
act facsimile Of the black smudge
which had taken the place Of signature
on each of the three threatening let
ters-the black smudge, of which Cam
eron, wearing it then indelibly upon
the cuticle, had dared to feign utter
ignorance.
And yet, I asked myself once more,
how was 1t that l had never noticed
it before? Again and again l had seen
that forearm barred. Surely l would
have observed SO odd mark; certain
ly I would have been perplexed by
those three uniting initials.
There. now" Bryan was saving.
Back to bed with you, Cameron. What
did you want this letter for, anyway?
If it was necessary for you to have 1t,
couldn't I have got II for Won ."