The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-04


pailor and recurrent tensing Of her
small white hands. At the end
leaned forward and with left elbow on
Knee rested my forehead In my palm.
SIe sat beside me on the same settee
and now she drew closer, and LAYING
her cool right hand over my own dis.
engaged one. began stroking my hair
with her left. For a full minute she
said nothing. Then, In soothing &C.
cents:
II am glad you didn't find the boat.
That means he Is on 1t. II you had
found It. 1t would have been some or.
dinary thing having no connection
with this affair, whatever"
Ii was odd reasoning, but very fem.
inins, and in an esoteric way, forceful.
But you made one mistake. Philip"
she went on. you should not have
let that fisherman. Peter Johnson, CO."
AT this | raised my head and regard
ed her with something like astonish
ment.
He was one Of them," she explained
In a tone Of conviction.
How can you say that?" I asked,
a little nettlsd. 1t annoyed me that
she should be so positive, knowing no
more OF the man than that which
had told her.
II feel It," she answered. And that
was all the reason she could give.
had not expected to find such de-
velopment OF intuition regarding world
ly matters in one so young, and 80
fresh from conventual seclusion. And
then her judgment seemed to keep
pace with her auguries; for when ]
spoke OF inviting the aid Of detectives
and the newspapers, she begged me
TO consider.
II am afraid for him." she pursued
gravely. Publicity might mean death.
II they discover hey are being sought,
they may murder him. Somehow, l
feel he is still alive; and so we must
do nothing that will incite them to
further violence"
But" / returned, conscious OF the
force OF her argument, yet failing tc
see how this caution could very well
be exercised, I'VE can't find him with.
out seeking"
mo, but we can seek him in &C.
cret- The newspapers must not tell
the world"
THE police would Of course tell the
newspapers" I added.
I'VE can do some things, withou,
the police" was her next assertion.
There are some things that can do:
and there are more that you can do."
Sic was thcughtful for a moment. ard
tEen: Il an so sorry about Peter
Johnson! You should never have lost
sight or him."
We gave him money and God
speed" / reminded her.
Captain Macleod must 20 bacl,
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. / was being
made to feel more and more my stra-
tegical inferiority.
And /, she continued, with the
metho6ical expediency Of a command
er-in-chief. so curiously inapposite in
ose so young and inexperienced as
she: "and I shall find out about those
letters"
Find out what?" I asked In aston.
ishmert.
Find out what manner of man
wrote them" she amplified.
But how can youT" I inquired.
THAT seems pretty big undertaking
OF itself, for one so small"
II have thought of a 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
Tor 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.
wrote copies OF those two strangely.
couched. malevolent eplstles. as near.
ly as l 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?"
In Was nearly ynidnight ona MN