Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-09-05
CHAPTER VI.


HID vi lUt IuOHtll, WHICH Is u say
the seventh day following Cameron's
receipt of the second letter, l OBJ
served in him growing nervous rest
lessness, which with praiseWorthy ef-
fort he was evidently striving to over
come. OF my visit to the red giant
and the tragedy which followed 1t, he
was, of course, informed; as he had
been of the incident in the wood, in
Guiding the finding of the bullet
pierced piece of canvas. Every
thing, save only that Evelyn was the
discoyerer Of the portrait remnant
which | thought best under the cir
eumstances to keep secret-was told
to him in detail, and with all the cir
cumstantiality necessary to an intel
ligent discussion Of even the minutest
point.
My description Of Murphy ELECTED
from him recollection. He remem-
bered having seen the man once. 1t
was on the Fourth of July. Evelyn
and Mrs. Lancaster, Cameron's house
keeper, had accompanied Cameron to
what Is called "The Port of Missing
Men," a resort for motorists, on the
summit of Titicus mountain. They
had lunched there and were returning
by a route which took them over a
succession of execrable roads, but
through some of the most glorious
scenery in the whole state of Con-
necticut. For a while they had been
following a stream, willow-girt, that
went babbling down over a rocky bed
which at intervals broke the waters
into a series of falls and cascades. At
the foot of one of these they had
stopped the car and alighted for
better view, and SO had come upon
the unexpected.
Seated upon a great bowlder, his
easel planted between the stones of
the streams shadows, was a red
loaded, red-bearded Colossus, in a
soled suit Of khaki and monstrous
straw hat such as is worn by harvest
ing farmers. Cameron told mo that
al three Of them made bold to peep
over the painters shoulder at his
work, and then, though it was of the
most mediocre quality, to shower him
with laudatory and congratulatory
phrases.
F. Il can fancy how he thanked you"
| broke in, smiling. Il suppose he
said something very rude"
Gle said nothing at ALL He simply
stopped painting, and turning, fixed
his eyes upon me. 1t was as II he
saw no other one of us. He seemed
to be making a careful appraisement
of my every feature. After a mo-
ment it grew embarrassing, and
though l did not resent it-feeling
rather that we, ourselves, had been
in the wrong-I very speedily with
drew. To my surprise he rose from
his stone seat; and. palette and
brush in hand, followed US up the
little activity to the road, watching
in silence, until we got back into our
car, and wheeled away"
Ibid you gather from his inspection
that he recognized you, or thought he
recognized your" I asked.
II gathered only that he meant to
be insufferably rude" was Cameron's
answer.
"And you have never seen him
since?"
Never"
He has evidently seen you. He
spoke of the Russian wolf-hounds
that go about with you"
Cameron made no response.
We'll" l added, in tone meant to
be reassuring, II think we need have
little fear of a continuance of this
singular method of annoyance
Though We can't trace 1t directly to
Murphy and his unfortunate Mongoli-
an, l thoroughly believe that one or
the other was responsible With the
Chinaman dead and Murphy in jail,
the persecution will cease. The threat
contained in the second letter will
never be executed. See if I'm not
right"
My hope Of putting Cameron at
ease, however, was not rewarded. He
continued to exhibit signs of an al
most constant apprehension. There
was, indeed, sympathy-stirring
pathcs about the nervous disquiet of
this man, usually so impenetrably
self-contalned. And at moments, in
spite Of me, a suspicion gripped and
held that he had not been entirely
frank; that somewhere in his past
there was something unrevealed
which might serve as a clue, If not
an explanation, to the present. But
these doubts Of him were always
transitory.
The twenty-first OF September fell
that year on Monday. My office de-
manded my presence, but ! arranged
affairs as well as possible by tele-
phone and devoted the entire day to
Cameron. When | told him ! meant
to do this he protested, pretending
that he was quite without foreboding;
while the unconscious tapping Of his
foot on the rug, even as he spoke, be-
lied his words.
We spent the better part OF the day
golfing over the Apawamis links at
Rye. lunching at the club house be-
tween rounds, for as specific for
nerves l have ever found that game
of rare benefit. In the present in.