Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-04-24
| himself had already told me. / would

have saved her this recital. but It was
new to DR.. Addison and so ] allowed
her to proceed.
at was plainly evident to Moran"
she pursued, that McNish--or at
least the gentleman he supposed was
McNish-did not recognize him. and
his delight at this discovery was un-
bounded; for II gave him opportunity.
quite unexpectedly, 10 arrange all his
plans for a most ingenious campaign
OF torture. What that campaign con-
sisted OF. Of course. you already know,
Mr.. Clyde, and I presume DR.. Addison
does, too"
Yes" I replied, 81 have told the
DOCTOR"
What you don't know, though" she
added, rs how II was managed"
We have been told something about
amyl pearls" suggested.
"Amyl pearls?" queried DR.. Addison.
curiously.
With as much clearness as possible
l explained to him what | meant by
using this admittedly inaccurate term.
"lncredible!" he exclaimed. Can 1t
be possible that there is such an an
aesthetic as this. and We have never
even heard of it before?"
There can be no doubt about its
existence" answered. II myself have
experienced it's effects, though | have
never actually seen II put in opera
ton"
But Il was Miss Clement who was
most convincing.
Il have never seen either II or its
effects, Doctor" she said, but | am
willing to believe even more marvel
lous things than that where the Chi
nese are concerned You must remem-
Der that as race they are most jea-
lous of their knowledge as well as
their possessions. Just now, after all
their many centuries of civilization
greater in some respects than our
own, we are beginning to learn some
thing of them and their ways, and /
should not be at all surprised to dis
cover that in chemistry, in medicine
even. they have forgotten more than
We know. Soy assured me that not
only for days. but for weeks, he him
self came and went about Mr.. Cam
erons-or, as he called it, McNish's--
country place without being either
seen or heard, simply by using this
ether of invisibilty II was he who
delivered the three letters. II was he
who cut the head from tie portrait,
and it was he who broke the mirror;
and yet no one saw him on the
grounds or in the house, and indeed
there were very few who saw him in
the vicinity. Again and again, he as.
sured me, he could have taken his vic
TINS life but that he was intent on
infiicting a punishment more protract-
eddy horrible than mere sudden death"
who wrote the letters?" asked
Moran"
Il Thought so. And Moran killed
the Chinaman who worked for him."
mo; there you are wrong, Mr..
Clyde"
Then who did?"
/ Soy himself. He learned of how
that boy, unable to control his hatred
/ of the man who had slain some one or
! llOlt Vi lAo hlASptOpltp CdIIlSu
the head that had been cut from the
| portrait. borrowed a rifle from Mr..
/ Camerons own gamekeeper, and shot
the canvas full Of holes. II seemed TO
/ Soy, then, that in spite of all his and
| Moran's careful preparation this would
surely involve trouble, and that once
more their quarry would slip through
thniV HnuaFG nd n hn
sibility of any more unrestrained fer.
yor on the boys part. Soy beat him to
death"
81 know Soy. or Peter Johnson as
he called himself, managed the kidnap
ping from the yacht" | said, but
shall never understand how it was
done. Did he speak of that?"
over and over again. It was he
who learned of the intention to take
the cruise. At first they thought they
would have to change their plans ant
carry their enemy off before he had @
chance to take TO his yacht. But Soy
maintained that that would be toe
crude a method; whereas to let hin
think that he had escaped and was
safe away, and then. at the very mo
ment of his triumph, to snatch hin
from seeming security, would be the
very refinement of cruelty the avengel
so much desired. And so the proper
ties were secured at some fabulou:
figure-l forgot Just what they pait
for that fast power boat-the scene
was set, and the great act of thu
drama, with Soy still the star. wal
carried to a successful climax"
But" | made question, Il don't Sc,
how Soy could take such a risk. II i
had been McNish instead OF Cameron
he certainly would have recognized
him, when he was brought ABOARD
from the disabled dory."