The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-11-08
CHAPTER XXI.
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CneckaDeedy met us in the hall--an
unusually agltated Checkabeedy, with
his full-jowled, rubicund face rudy
beyond the common, and his tiny gray
eyes tWinkllng like twin star sapphires,
Our adventure, thrilling as 1t had
been, was subjugated, II not indeed
for the moment forgotten, In the pres
ence OF this unwonted suscitation. For
the buffers aplomb was sort OF fam
lily fixture which nothing short of the
most extraordinary happening could
either unsettle or upheave. To find
him In such case, therefore, argued
either cognizance Of exceptional de-
velopments or possession Of mon.
strously important tidings; and at
sight Of him We both paused in mute
expectancy.
There Is person, sir" he began,
making vain effort to control his voice
to dispassion, "a foreign person--what
Is called Chinee, l think, sir-in the
reception room. II I understand him,
sir, he Is a consul or something like
that. And he has brought with him
a tall, thin, elderly man, as yellow as
himself, sir. | was In doubt about al.
lowing them to wait, but they told me
they must see you, sir, tonight with.
out fail; that 1t was a matter to your
interest, sir. They have been here
over an hour, now, and | have never
taken my eye off the reception.room
door. Seeing as how those mysterI-
GUS things happened at Cragholt, sir,
was fearful lest something more of
the same sort might be contemplated.
And poor Mr.. Cameron lying up there
with that nurse, Bryan, who, between
you and me, sir, don't trust, nohow."
Evelyn was scarcely to be blamed
for a trepidatlon equallng, II not sur.
passing, Checkabeedy's.
Don't see them, Philip" she urged
with nervous vehemence. "r:---
don't see them! It Is some trlcI. 1
feel 1t ia. Checkabeedy will get them
out OF the house at once, Won't you,
Checkabeedy?"
But | was In far different mood. OF
late matters had been shaping them
selves, apparently, towards climax.
In quiet way, avoiding the spectacu-
larry aggressive, and aided not little
by chance, we had drawn nearer and
nearer to the veil which hid the truth.
II there had come to me now the OPP
portunity for another step, it must not
be dlsregarded. My whole inclination
was to welcome 1t. Therefore I smiled,
reasSurlngly, at Evelyn, as said
Really, my dear girl, you are UNI
necessarily alarmed. There Is not
cannot be, In fact-the slightest pos
slbility Of danger. On the contrary
their visit, whoever they may be, Is
In all likelihood pacific. But II It would
make you any less uneasy, Mr.. Checka.
beedy shall wait near the open door,
and you yourself shall stop here in the
hall, where you can practically see and
hear all that goes on"
That she yielded promptly to my
argument, pretended, at least, to put
aside her fears, and returning me
smile for smile, confessed to a con-
Stunning curiosity which she had mere
ly endeavored to disguise, was an cpl
sode as characteristic Of her as any
that can remember.
On entering the reception.room-a
somewhat formally furnished, square
room, which jutted from the hall, on
the left was mildly surprised to dis
cover that one of my visitors was none
other than the Chinese merchant, Yup
Sing. At sight Of me he rose and
zane step forward, the same tall,
spare. dignifled AsIatlc l had met In
he Mott street warehouse, save that
he no longer wore the dress Of his
country. but dark. well-eut suit OF
American clothes.
permit me, Mr.. Clyde" he said, in
hat chill lelsurely toAe / 30 well re-
ito present to you the vice
consul OF China at New York, Mr..
then Mok." And then | saw that his
a much shorter man than
le and younger. had risen too, and
vas holding out a hand In tentative
greeting.
My first impulse was to Ignore the
,rotler. for Of late had come to abhor