The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-19
The
Sable
L.orcha

1srsos xassjelne

explained 10 him what / meant by
using this admittedly inaccurate term.
lncrediblel" he exclaimed. "Can II
be possible that there is such an an.
aesthetic as this. and We have never
even heard OF II before?"
There can be no doubt about it's
existence" I answered. 'T myself have
experienced its effects, though I have
never actually seen It put IN opera.
tion-"
But II was Miss Clement who was
most convincing.
Il have never seen either II or it's
effects. Doctor" she said, "but am
willing to believe eyen more marvel.
ious things than that where the Chi.
ness are concerned. You must remem-
Ger that as race they are most lea
lous or their knowledge as well as
their possessions. Just now, aftes all
their many centuries Of a civilization
greater In some respects than our
own. We are beginning to learn some
thins OF them and their ways, and I
should not be at all surprised TO dis.
cover that In chemistry, in medicine
even, they have forgotten more than
We know. Soy assured me that not
only for days, but for weeks, he him.
self came and went about Mr.. Cam.
eron's-or, as he called II, McNish's-
country place without being either
seen or heard, simply by using this
ether OF invisibility. 1t was he who
delivered the three letters. 1t was he
who cut the head from the portrait,
and IL was he who broke the mirror:
and yet no one saw him on the
grounds or In the house, and indeed
there were very few who saw him I'm
the vicinity. Again and again, he as.
sured me, he could have taken his VIC
tm's life but that no was intent ON
innicting punishment more protract.
edly horrible than mere sudden DEATH"
Who wrote the lsttersf" asked.
Moran"
Il thought so. And Moran killed
tho Chinaman who worked for him"
No; there you are wrong, Mr..
Clyde"
- Then who did"
Soy himself. He learned Of how
that boy. unable TO control his hatred
of the man who had slain some one or
moro OF his kinspeople, carried back
the head that had been cut from the
portrait, borrowed a rife from Mr..
Cameron's own samekeeper, and shot
the canvas full OF holes. II seemed TO
Soy. then. that In spite CT all his and
mo-an's careful preparation this would
surely involve trouble. and that once
more their quarry would slip through
their fingers And to prevent the Dos
sioi!,.y or any more unrestrained fer.
yor on the boys part, Soy beat him to
death"
IL know Soy, or Peter Johnson as
he called himself, managed the kidnap-
ping from the yacht" said, 'but I
shall never understand how Il was
done. Did he speak OF that?"
'f.r cr over again. II was he
WIZ I,"fvtd OF the intention 10 take
the cfu.7o. AT first they thought they
would Lave 10 change their plans and
carry their enemy of before he had a
chance TO take to his yacht. But Soy
maintained that that would be too
crude a method; whereas TO let him
think that he had escaped and was
safe away. and then. at the very mo-
ment OF hls triumph, TO snatch him
from seeming security. would be the
very refinement OF cruelty the avenger
30 much desired. And so the proper
ties were secured at some fabulous
hgure-I forgot Just what they paid
Tor that fast power boat-the scene
was set, and the great act OF the
drama, with Soy still the star. was
carried to a successful climax"
But" / made question. IL don't see
how Soy could take such a risk. II IL
had been McNish instead OF Cameron,
be certainly would have recognized
him, when he was brought aboard
from the disabled dory."
He thought OF that. but you must
remember that In all those sixteen
years McNish had never once seen
Soy. He thought no had perished
with the rest when the Sable Lorcha
went down. And so Soy decided that
In oilskins. apparently unconscious. in
an open boat OF the New England
coast. there was not one chance I'm ten
thousand that McNish would connect
him with tho cook he had left for dead
in the South China sea-"
"But McNish did recognize him as
soon as he laid eyes on him in this
house. / saw that myself you know.
Miss Clement. lie recognized him and
was terror stricken"
Miss Clement smiled tolerantly. She
was armed at all points.
you did not know. I suppose, Mr..
Clyde. that that was not their first
meeting" she explained. "Soy met
McNish on the night YOU found him.
II was No who assaulted him. some
where about Seventh avenue and Fir.
tieth street. and would have killed him