The San Francisco call., 1913-08-17


j neuritis. | saw great deal of beri-
beri in China and on the Malay peninr
sula'
DO remember to have heard Cam
eron say he contracted it in the east -
! asked, plunging for connection.
Il don't recall that Cameron ever
had it, was his response. Are you
sure that he told you that he had.
and that be was attacked while in
/ in Asia?"
| "N-n-no. can't say definitely.
I But | had an impression that"-And
there | paused. Then when con-
tinued: do you happen to know, doc
tor, whether Cameron was ever in Pc
king? 1t seems to me 1t was
/ He interrupted almost sayageiy,
He was in Peking Ia September. 1908.
| Has he ever admitted to you that he
was there?'
Now I come to think of it," / re-
piled, @he hasn't. But | had the in
formation from some one, am pretty
sure"
With an effort the physician COM
manded himself When he spoke
again he was comparatively composed.
i MIR. Clyde he said, apologeticaliy,
Il am not given to discussing per-
sonal matters with my patients, but
the fact that you and Cameron are
friends, and the fact that this subject
has come PIP. make 1t almost impera-
tive, / suppose, that should explain
briefly the feeling | have just exhib-
tied. Five years ago Rob Cameron and
were about as near counterparts OF
Damon and Pythias as ever existed.
While Cameron was in Europe | had
an opportunity to go around the world
with a patient. | never knew just
where / should be at any time. Con-
sequently number Of letters were
missed by both of us. | was still
thinking of Cameron as in England
or on the European continent, when
10, and behold. | saw him one morn
ing hurrying along the principal street
of the inner city of Peking. ! was in
a carriage myself and Cameron was
afoot, walking in the opposite direc-
tion { Instantly / had the carriage
turned about, but before ! could over
take him he was lost in the crowd. |
was leaving Peking that afternoon and
SO had no chance to look. him up. |
wrote him afterward and told him of
the incident. TO my amazement he
not only denied having been In Pc
king. but In the Chinese empire at all.
When we met in London the following
spring and | recalled the matter, ask
Ing Why uc udu iCiuocd W duhiit nh0t
knew to be the truth, he became icily
indignant, and that was the beginning
of the end. If had conceded the pos
sibility of mistake on my part all
might have been well, suppose; but
there was no such possibility. / had
known Cameron for 20 odd years and
RI could not have made an aerror.
/ had seen him distinctly, clearly, at
midday in the open. From that time
to this / have been unable to conceive
why he lied to me, and why he chose
to end our friendship rather than ad-
NIT what was indubitable fact"
/ When he had finished his explana-
Etion be wrote out my prescription. l
thanked him and departed, tearing up
the little piece OF paper as reached
the sidewalk.
4 At ! o'clock that day Evelyn Gray
son Joined me at luncheon at Sherry's
She had news of her own.
Captain Macleod, after careful In
vestigation, had been unable to dis
cover either hair or hide of Peter
Johnson in Gloucester or elsewhere.
As for my interview with "Pythias.''
Addison, we discussed it In all its
phases, without reaching anything
like definite conclusion
4 I'm crazy to know what you learn
tonight from Yup Sing" she went on.
I'm to meet him at 8 o'clock l
told her, 'in public restaurant Do
you want me- ITO telephone you when
I get uptown
"Of course. want you to telephone
me-, she returned, emphatioally.
That night found me in the heart OF
Chinatown. Finding had anticipated
my appointment by about 10 min
utes | stood outside watching the
kaleidoscope scene. There was the
] playhouse with its plain rectangular
doorway, unadorned save by q quar-
tet of rude signs. To the left OF this
was a quick lunch restaurant. with
white painted bulk window, beneath
which q pair OF cellar doors spread
invitingly. one Of them resting against
4 rofsvp nfionaI Arnprfcan milk ran On