Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-30


fresh from convsntual ssclusion. And
then her Judgment seemed to keep
pace with her auEuries; for when l
spoke OF inviting the aid of detectives
and the newspapers, abe begged me
to consider.
4 am afraid for him." she pursued
grsvely. Publicity might mean death.
II they discover they are being sought,
they may murder him. Somehow,
feel he is still alive; and so we must
do nothing that will incite them to
further violence"
But" l returned, conscious OF the
force Of her argument. yet failing to
see how this caution could very well
be exercised, I'VE can't find him with.
out seeking"
No, but we can seek him in So
cret. The newspapers must not tell
the world"
"The police would OF course tell the
newspapers" added.
We can do some things. without
the police" was her next assertion.
There are some things that can do;
and there are more that you can do"
She was thoughtful for a moment, and
then: Il am so sorry about Peter
Johnson! You should never have lost
sight of him"
I'VE gave him money and God
speed" ! reminded her.
Captain Macleod must go back
there, where you left him. Where
was It? Siasconset? He must trace
him. His trail won't lead to Glouces-
ter, I'm sure of that"
Ny self-esteem was not being vigor-
ously stimulated by the young lady
at this juncture. Indeed, l was being
made to feel more and more my stra-
tegical inferiority.
And l." she continued, with the
methotical eXpediency of a command
er-in-chief, so curiously inapposite in
one so young and inexperienced as
she: "and I shall find out about those
| letters"
Find out what?" asked in aston
| ishment.
Find out what manner of man
wrote them" she amplitied.
but how can you?" | inquired.
| AldN SSNillb a plGlNy blS
Of itself, for one so small"
Il have thought Of way" she de-
! clared, noncommittally.
And what am | to do?" was my
next question, feeling miserably small
beside this efficient child.
You must give me the letter you
have, and help me look for the 9TH
ers."
The first part Of the command was
easy enough Of obedience; for the
letter was in my pocket at the mo-
ment. But my assistance in searching
for the first two communications was
more energetic than successful. To
gether We ransacked desks, bureaus,
| tables, closets, trunks, clothes. In
deed, every possible hiding place both
at Cragholt and on the Sibylla was
carefully and Systematically delved
into and exhausted without reward.
Either Cameron had destroyed the let
ters, or he had them on his person
when he vanished from the yacht.
At Evelyn's request, however, l
wrote copies Of those two strangely
couched, malevolent eplstles, as near
ly as / could remember them; and
save, perhaps, for possibly two or
three verbal errors they were, l think.
quite accurate.
"And now" asked again, what am
to do?"
1t was nearly midnight, and I was
leaving her, my car waiting in the
sopping driveway to carry me home.
You are not to worry any more
than you possibly can help" she told
me. with a brave little smile, "for we
are going to succeed. And tomorrow
you must go to your office, and keep
very, very silent about what has hap
pened. And then you are to come to
me again in the evening, and l will
tell you all have learned"
With which she gave me her hand
to kiss, in the odd little French way
she had-a way that could scarcely
have been a part OF her convent teach
ing.
AS come to review these matters
now, It seems singular that | should
have so readily consented to be guild
ed by this girls will in a case of such
grave importance; yet l cannot but
believe there was something providen-
tial both in her assumption of leader
ship and in my own unquestioning &C.
uuiescence. For the day of office
work and silence, which she enjoined,
was exactly what needed to restore
my nerves to their normal tension. II
was, In fact, sort Of counterirritant,
which brought me up standing. with a
revived self-confidence and recuperat-
ed energy.
So when, little before five o'clock
that afternoon, Just as / was making
ready to run for my train, / heard
Evelyn's voice over the telephone, l
was fairly tingling with ardor for the
game; and her request to call on Pro-
fessor Griffin, the expert in Oriental
literature, who occupied chair in Co
lumbia college, and lived a mile or