The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-01-02
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You'll find out?" he queried, In
credulously.
YES. I'll get your mail that day,
myself. I'll tell that monument of
pomposity. your butler, Mr.. Checka-
beedy, that I am to see every letter
that comes to the house and know
how and by whom it is delivered. Let
tiers can't get here without hands, you
know" .
"Other things seem to be done
without hands," was his conclusive
comment; and l had no reply for him.
Concerning Murphy and the muir
dered Chinaman, Cameron did not
ask, and l was glad he did not. For
Murphy had been discharged from
custody, for lack of evidence; and
though there were some desultory ef-
forts making to place the blame for
the Celestial's violent t%aking-of, l
doubted that they would have prac-
ticable result.
The precautions against surprise on
the fourteenth, which l had outlined
so briefly to Cameron, l carried out
with added detail. For instance, I in
structed Romney to report to me ev.
cry person who passed in or out of
the gates guarded by his Lodge. l
had Kilgour, the superintendent of
the Cameron acres, issue similar or
ders to his men concerning any stran-
gers seen on the estate that day.
And, finally, when not fetching the
mail from the post Office, myself
and four times l made the trip sat
or guard in Cameron's study, waiting
and e%xpectant.
But the day passed, it seemed,
without the looked-for incident. Ev-
cry letter, by post or by hand, which
came that day, inside the Cragholt
limits was by me personally inspect
ed, and amongst them all there was
no one which bore the faintest re.
semblance to those two baleful mis-
sives of the two preceding four
teenths.
When l had made my last trip to
the post Office, finished my final in
spection, and was almost jubilant
over the significant cessation of the
threats which, in their ultimate fulfil
ment at least, had brought my friend
so close to dissolution, 1 made haste
to carry to Cameron the glad news.
Oddly enough, his condition in the
past fortyeight hours had materially
improved, and as DR.. Massey attrib'
uted this, in part at least, to the influ'
ence exerted by my brief visit, / was
now permitted to repeat the treat
ment at pleasure.
1t wanted but a few minutes OF
eight O'clock, and Checkabeedy
seized the occasion to inform me. as
I passed through the hall, that din.
ner had been waiting for nearly a
h%alf-hour; a fact which I knew quite
as we'll as he, but when l had chosen
to disregard in favor of more press
ing and important employment. New
ertheless l had dressed before going
for the last mail, and as a moment
would suffice to assure Cameron that
all was we'll, I relieved the mind OF
the distressed butler, by assuring him
that dinner should not wait w five
minutes longer, so far as I was con.
cerned.
A very light tap on the chamber
door was answered by Miss Collins,
who came out into the passage and
| closed the door behind her.
II fear it is not advisable for you
to, see him, now, MI. Clyde" she
said. "He has suddenly had a return
Of some of his worst symptoms, and
l am sure DR.. Massey would object
to his being at all excited"
"But I shan't excite him." ex'
panied. II have the very best of rews
for him. 1t is his anxiety over a GER
tain matter, no doubt, which has
brought about the symptoms you
speak of. l know l can relieve his
mind, which l have reason to believe
has been all day under an unusual
strain"
But still this ef1cient-looking,
white-clad woman was not wholly
convinced.
ut must be only for a minute then
she finally allowed. "You can go in
alone. But at the end Of sixty sec.
she added, as she glanced at
the little gold watch she wore pinned
to her spotless waist, II shall inter.
rupt you; and then you must leave"
Yielding, p%erforce, to her condition,
II entered. And as l did so, Cameron
half rose on his elbow, regarding me
with what l thought was anxiety for
my report.
"It's all right" l said, quietly. "All
right. Not SO much as a line from
the enemy. They have withdrawn,
Just as l."
But he interrupted me.
Here, quick!" he was saying. Take
this!" And l saw then that one hand
was drawing something from beneath
his pillow. The next moment he had
given me a long envelope of that thin.
waxy texture l had learned to loathe.
For a heartbeat I stood appalled,,
transfxed.
"Quick!" he insisted, excitedly.
"Open it! Read it! She'll not leave
MS long and l must know its con-
tents"
But how" 1 began, an I tore the
end of the envelope.
God knows" he answered, before
l had put my question into words. Il