The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-03-27

| coUn'erpane. IL cracked as I touched
II; and | knew then, even before /
| recognized the feel OF IT,"
sixty seconds, Was there ever such
an in'orminable period? Sixty long
| seconds before that door would open
with the interruption that would
spar" me ! fumbIed with the devil.
ISL paper, let II slip through my
! fingers, tore bit here and bit
there, finished the tearing; and then.
assembling, began tearing the other
| end And st!Ii the seconds Jagged .
Sill. the door remained stationary.
My God clyde" Cameron cried.
IN % frenzy OF Impotence. What's
IN" matter with YOU tonight Are
yod never going to get that thing
OPEN
Ard then 7, desperate. too, with
eyes fScd imporingly on the door,
was about to answer him with the
truth that | did not want to open IT;
thar ! would not, could not read the
contents; that he must wait and trust
me. absolutely-when. quite without
design on my part, the envelope fell
TO the rug at my feet And as I
stopped 20 recover II. ! heard the door.
knob turn.
When regaIned tho upright, Miss
Collins was entering. and the letter
was IN the pocket OF my dinner jack
ct
And 30 you see, Cameron" said.
speaking distinctly and with double
purpose, the nurse being in ear.shot,
everything ID quite right. The mat.
ter you spoke OF shall be attended TO,
at once, and III report to you, to-
night-before ten o'clock, surely"
The reproach I'm his eyes stung me.
and the pain OF II followed me from
the room and stabbed me at inter.
walls during dinner And yet It was
not the part Of sanity to lave acted
Otherwise than did. The tempta.
ton had occurred 20 me to invent
phrases and sentences expressive OF
satisfaction over the effort OF the
previous communications But |
doubted that In my agitation. /
should BE- successful the deception.
And so, my only course had been de-
lay-stupId, bungling. palpabe delay
II Was. suppose, hut after all il had
served, and. though Il left Cameron
in doubt, II gave me time and oppor-
tunIty to arrange some plan for OK.
tractlng the fangs of this eplstolary
adder before It could strike It's prey
Purposely delayed reading the let.
ter, myself, until after | had dined.
chose uncertainty as to its contents
as less likely notiCeably 10 affect my
demcanOr than an exact knowledge OF
the mlnatory message which | felt
sure Il carried
think ! fanCled | should be able
to conceal my real state OF mind Ger.
tainly ! willed to do so. But | was
very soon conscious that Evelyn had
OWNED my discrimination Her eyes
became suddenly grave and question.
ing. her laughter quieted, and her con
yersation, which had been glad and
gay. reapsed abruptly into the serl.
Gus. When the coffee and iqueurs
had been brought on. Mrs. Lancaster
asked to be excused. and left us
alone together
There followed then a moment OF
silence between us, while ! selected
a cigarette and lighted It. She had
edged her chair a little closer to me
she was sitting on my right. as us.
uai--and leaned forward, her slen-
der but divincly rounded foroarms ex.
tended across the shining damask OF
the tablecloth.
As dropped my match upon the
tiny silver tray which the inimitable
Checkabeedy had placed convenient.
ly at my elbow | turned to her and
saw her question In her imploring
gaze and attitude even before she
voiced II.
Tell me-" was what she said And
| knew that she would de-
mand 1t was unprcpared. To gain
time rather than information | babe
her be more explicit.
Everything" she pursued, inclu-
sively. with n peremptory emphasis
which indicated her determination not
to be denied.
My hesitation resulted In some am.
plication on her part. She was i'm
patient as well as resolved, and re.
sented what she interpreted as my re-
luctance to crafty her.
Everything" she repeated. "Ev.
erything that you have been hiding |
from me from the first. am entitled |
to know. What about the head that |
was cut from the portrait? What was |
L that caused the shocks which |
brought on Uncle Roberts illness? |
Why did you 40 for the mail four
lines today. and sit all the rest of the |
lime in Uncle Roberts study? What
mas happened to make him worse
his afternoon? What Is troubling
you, now? I'm not a child, I'm n
woman, and ! refuse to be kept In lie.
lorance any longer"
She was glorious as she thus for.
nulated her demands. her cheeks
blazing. her eyes brilliant. her voice
crescendo. She must have seen my
Certainly ] made no at.
eE.p. 20 stIa IL: and befora aha haa