Mexico Missouri message., 1913-04-17
l.0RCHA
CoeNNoHZ LsA2. 4 c .zrczAz7c s CO.

We're Just starting in a taxicab."
came at length from O'Isra over the
wire. Wen be there In less than half
an hour"
And in less than half an hour they
came, an ignoble. vulgar quartette
against stately. pompous back
ground
! ! met them in the great hall, stand.
Ing before the broad. scuiptured chin
ney piece
! The three detectives were more or
less OF a piece-gross, coarse, red
faced men whose hands and feet
seemed out OF all proportion TO their
size, bulky as II was. or the three
| O'Hara, possibly because OF familiar
ity. struck me as the least offensive
But after all 1t was not the detectives
who claimed and held my chief inter
| est, but the shrunken, shadow-like
creature they had In charge, whom |
recognized instantly as the supposed
castaway the sibylla had picked up
! that warm October day somewhere
east OF Nantucket-the sinking figure
had followed through the press OF
Doyers street almost to my death.
My conjecture was thus in part veri-
fed; John Soy and Peter Johnson
were the same, and II only remained
now to prove that the rest OF my
| guess was as we'll founded.
Stepping to the door OF the recep-
ton room, made brief apology for
my detention and bade my two Cath
ayan visitors Join the others.
81 think. Mr.. Yup," observed, that
we have here the Eurasian cook OF
the Sable Lorcha about whom you
| told me-"
! suppose | was foolish enough to
I fancy that the merchant would at once
make the Identification / desired.
| should have known better. In sub.
tlety We are no match for the ancient
race TO which Yup Sing belonged. as
was evidenced by the absolute impene-
tration OF his manner, as, after gag
ing sharply at John Soy, he turned to
me with visage as blank as the mar
BILE wall. and. in voice without a
] shade of infection, said
Il do not know him. ! have never
seen him until now"
Had a white man dared TO make
such denial, ! should have laughed in
his face. But the dignity OF the
Oriental. the perfect aplomb OF his
manner, including an utter absence Of
all that could be construed as feign.
ing, forbade such rejoinder; yet I
knew that he had lied.
Come, gentlemen" said, denying
myself even the satisfaction OF
shoulder shrug, land we shall decide
whether the man upstairs is the viii
lain you claim he is, or" but was
in no mood to finish the sentence.
The seven OF us, crowding into the
elevator, were lifted to the floor above.
where | preceded the others to the
door OF what We were wont to call
Cameron's bedchamber. There l
| paused.
Pardon NE Just a moment" I
begged, with my hand on the knob,
until ! see whether everything Is
| ready"
had instructed Mr.. Bryan TO have
McNish up and dressed, and wished
to make sure that these preparations
were completed. But I was hardly
prepared for the scene which greeted
my entrance.
| McNish. clothed in the suit he had
worn when found him, was In the act
/ or closing a drawer OF an old-fash-
| Toned rosewood secretary which oc.
cupied a place against the right wall,
| beneath one Of the medallioned win
| dows. And the nurse was nowhere in
| sight.
Startled by the sound Of the omen.
ing door. the trespasser half turned.
his hands still on the brass drawer.
handles; then, at sight OF me, he
wheeled completely and stood defiant
with his back TO the antique desk.
What are you doing there?" cried.
I Indignantly. What were you look
/ ing for?"
Even before be spoke / saw the
look OF cunning come into his small.
furtiye eyes.
i was looking for some papers OF
I mine, Clyde" he answered boldly
and his voice was so like Cameron's
that, for just a moment. a shuddering
uncertainty assailed me. Only the
crafty leer weighed for the truth.
Papers Of yours?" / snarled, ignor.
ing his familiar use Of my name "I
have the only paper you brought into
this house, Donald McNish, and that's
evidence enough to put you where Won
belong. Where's Mr.. Bryan?"
But at that moment the nurse. ap-
/ pearing from the adjoining room. an.
sWered for himself, and McNish. with
a capltally assumed nonchalance. said.
| smilingly,
Il didn't think you could be so cas-.
lily imposed upon, Clyde. The letter
TO Donald McNlsh was given 10 me by
McNish himself. He wanted me 10
answer il. It was his last request
He"
"silence!" ! cried; and then. mfr.
Bryan, get him into that chair before !
the bureau. facing the door. These 1
| people outside must not be kent walt