The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-08-30

was certainly very graphic, and hib
imitation Of the Chinaman was his
ironically artistic--I fear the stage
missed comedian Of merit when
Romney took to lOdge-keeping--but
at the frst mention Of the oriental, I
had pricked my. ears, and throughout
the narration my mind was busy with
those strangely worded letters Of
Cameron's and those still stranger
blots which looked one way like a
Chinese junk and the other way like
coolie In straw helmet. The pos.
Iibility Of q connection, especially In
view OF the rife and the perforated
painting, seemed to me the reverse Of
remote. And yet l could hardly rec
Oncile the notion Of this apparently
ignorant Monaghan being in any wise
interested in bringing disaster upon
person so far removed from him In
every way as was Cameron; much
less In evolving OS taking part In
such crafty plot as everything we
had thus far learned Of 1t indicated
this to be.
My questioning Of Romney shed
very little new light on the subject.
He had seen the Chinaman pass the
Lodge on several occasions; he had
rarely entered the grounds, however.
tried to ascertain what his rarely"
meant, and finally got him to say that
In the past six months, "John," as he
called him, had visited Cragholt, on
one pretext or another, possibly three
or four times. But Romney'S memory
for dates was exceedingly feeble, He
could not recolleet whether one Of
those times was on or about the
twenty-firSt Of August. He was equal
ly at loss concerning the fourteenth
Of August and the fourteenth Of Sep
TENDER.
What do you know of this artist,
Murphy, who employs John?" /
asked.
mot much, sir" was his answer
"They do say as he IL rather eccen-
trio, sir. He and the Chink lives alone
there In the bungalow. summer and
winter. He's q big red-headed and
bearded fellow, sir. l did hear a story
az to him. gettin' into fight up at
Garrison's hotel In Greenwich village,
and nearly KILN three young water.
men near as big as himself"
"Has he lived here longf"
Coin on two years, now. sir"
'EIe paints and sells pictures, sup
poser"
Maybe, sir. never sees any,
though. But they calls him an artist,
SIR"
determined to visit Murphy on
the pretext Of purchasing some Of his
work, and in this manner learn, II
possible, something more Of his ce-
lestial servitor.
"of course you didn't see any one
else with q rife, today" / asked, in
conclusion. "The man with life up
lOAu ulun mhlSrlAllNo
mo, sir. Not another soul, sir. I
asked some of the boys-them as has
charge Of the deer In the preserve,
over the way the shootln' sounded.
But they hadn't seen no one, either.
sir. Though they did hear the shots"
l thanked Romney for his interest
he knew was one Of the state
game wRrdens-and admonished him
to keep his own counsel AZ to my
visit, leaving the impression with him
that ! wished to round up the culprit,
and feared II my activity in the mat
ter were scented my prey would be
put on his guard and thus escape
me.
It still lacked twenty minutes Of
the hour Of my appointment with
Evelyn when issued from the Lodge,
and to occupy the time l entered the
wide gateway between the great
stone pillars with their heraldlc
shielda, and sauntered leisurely along
the smooth macadam drive, bordered
by sentinel elms.
My thoughts were busy with the
new line Of conjecture which Romney
had unconsclously opened up for me.
wondered whether by any possibil.
it, this eccentric painter. Murphy,
could be personally involved. Was
Cameron acquainted with him? Had
they ever quarrelled? From what
Romney had told me Of the affair at
Garrison's the artist was evidently Of
bellicoee disposition. He had come
here two years ago, Cameron had
owned Cragholt less than year.
Perhaps at the time he was preparing
the mansion for occupancy he had
offended the too sensitive Murphy,
Who'll was letting my imagination
run free-may have wished to take
hand at the new decoration. 1t
would probably be well for me to see
Cameron before seeing the artist. The
inVolutlons Of my hypothetical train
led me, Iffear, into many monstrous.
ly preposterous conceits; yet. as sub
sequent events proved, the cogItatlon
In which INDUCED on that afternoon
walk was not wholly idle. Although
the working out was along lines
which I was then far from foresee-
Ing. 1t was curious, In looking back,
to observe how very closely, collater-
ally, even at that stage. / came to the
truth.
In the midst Of my revery. the