The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1913-03-21
By
HORACE
HAZELTINE

PTsAo04Cal WHICH ATES 20 locus pOpU
Jar sentiment 70 4 righteous view
point concerning matters Of nationa
and social import For he time De
Ing NY consideration Of Cameron anc
ais strange problem was suspended
Vow and then the subject required tC
ne, dragged INTO the mental light Oh
he train u Evelyn Graysou: but al
most immediately il vas buried De
heath a question Of editorial policy
or debate regarding = contract FOR
white paper at al extortionate IN
crease IN price.
When however, NY business day
vas ended. and I had boarded he
train for Greenwich. The whole IN
Tolved enigma spread itself again
before ne, demanding attention. And
n The midst Of It. dominating f.
stretching his great shadow over il
70 the farthest limit, appeared that
froWsy red giant, Murphy, 4 mystery
within mystery. FOR. though he
seemed 70 pervade Il. there was no
point at which I could discover him
quite touching Z
IN vain 7 tried 70 detect a real con-
nectiou, ! started with the letters.
They bore no single characteristic
mark OF this uncouth creature. As an
artist he might have devised the curt
Gus silhouette signature, but there
vas something about that-sorne cum
ming. inventive subtIety-which
could not reconcile with the ogre 7
had played upon. stung 10 anger and
aroused to curiosity.
That he could either have CON
ceived or executed the ruin Of the
portrait I did not believe possible.
The conception. ike the letters and
tho signature, bore evidence Of a
craftiness TOO fine for such as he; and
70 fancy him. mammoth that ne was,
stealing unobserved into Cameron 8
stury, was to fancy the incredible.
And so, though The impression of
intimate relationship persisted. I
could find no point Of contact. closer
or more definite than through his
servants rife practice, which after
all might have been quite without no
tive.
There was little, therefore. in he
line Of reason, 70 convict Murphy Of
any knowledge Of the matters which
had so disturbed is. And yet as 7
have said, I felt intuitively that ne
possessed an intimate acquaintance
with the whole affair
At the Greenwich station, found
my touring car waiting; nv mother
in the tonneau. Ny chauffeur touched
his cap as I approached.
You may drive, Francois" said.
and took the place at ny mothers
side
You look tired, Philip" she an
nounced when I had kissed her. Was
It very warm in the city," Her ewes
we're ever quick 10 note infnitesfmal
changes IN my appearance OF we'll
being.
Not uncomfortable, answ cred
lndulgently. y had a very busy day
though. But IN not the less fit be,
cause Of IT,"
We have had some little excite
nent here she fastened, eager to
give ne the news old Romnev
called you up on the telephone about
noon happened to answer II. my
self, and when I told him you were In
New York, and would not be back
until ak. IL Just seemed he conldu'
wait to uuburden himself Won't you
please tell him. Mrs. Clyde, ne said,
that Mr. Murphy's Chinaman was
found at daybreak this morning, living
dead. Just outside Murphy's back
door,"
Found dead" cried, in amaze
ment
THAT is what he said Then he
added that the poor fellows head had
been crushed with some heavy iustr1l-
ment, and that Mr. Murphy had oeen
arrested on suspicion and vas In the
Cos Cob lookup
For Il fuli minute 7 think, sat IN
silent amaze. Then theories and CON
lectures in infinite variety gave
chase, one after the other through
nv excited brain. But il vas mora
than ever difficult, found. 10 reach
anything like a satisfactory c0uclu-
sion concerning the position the now
Hfeless Celestial and his accused mas.
ter held in the chain Of mysteries 7
wished so much TO solve. That hev
were both n hem more or less i'm.
portant inks. however. had small
doubt
Did you know Mr. Murphy" nv
mother asked And all AT once I
realized that her question was a
repetition. In my absorption had
not needed the original inquiry.
Nobody knows aim" answered.
unconsciously echoing The words
voiced by The man in the catboat on
The previous night Nobody knows
him. But Pve met him IN q rather
casual way"