The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-06-12

tan, antique eaFe&s kakrsen tho
darkly curtained windows: the cham
Der was In semi-gioom. But scarcely
had passed Bryan. who stopped to
close the door with the same adroit
silence with which he had accom-
plished its opening, than a stealthily
moving white figure defined itself. Is
suing. apparently from q massive
carved wardrobe, which stood against
the wall opposite the huge. testcred
bed.
The spectacle was at least arresting.
| Know ! halted abruptly as n stricken
all at once with total paralysis. For q
heartbeat or two think stopped
breathing. But my eyes meanwhile
were strained fixedly upon the appari-
ton. and seeing It pass with almost In
credible Bwiftness beneath the one
dim light above the bureau, / recog-
niSed Cameron.
AT the same moment the room was
Hooded with sudden glare. Bryan too,
had seen. and had switched on the
eiectrics. simultaneously no flashed
past me and was at his patients side,
What does this meafi?" heard him
say. What did you want? Can't I
trust you alone for ten minutes? J
told you, Cameron, That you must nos
leave your bed unless am with you"
saw Cameron cover under the up
braidlng. In his eyes | read terror,
and all my sympathy was aroused on
this instant. Bryan might be carrying
out DR.. Masseys orders, but he ap.
peared to me unnecessarily harsh.
What were you doing?" no insist
ed; and then ! saw him roughly grasp
his patients arm, and hold II UP, re.
vealing tightly clenched hand.
Mr. Bryant" l cried in remon-
STRANGE. Gently, gently. Remember"
But the nurse paid small heed TO
me. He was busy opening the doubled
fist.
stood now where could look Cam
eron squarely in the face, but my gaze
was elsewhere. II was his left hand
over which Bryan was engaged. and
from his wrist to his elbow the sleeve
OF his white night robe had been
pushed back, exposing a sinewy fore
arm, marked precisely as Bryan had
described II.
scrutinizingly | bent forward Tho
tattooing was indisputable, and, as the
nurse had said, 1t bore no evidence OF
being recent work.
Up to that moment had hoped
against hope that In some way or 9th
err misconception had occurred. I
had hoped, | suppose. for the perform
ance OF some miracle which would ex.
onerate this man. And now that hope
was obliterated by those blue-pricked
letters D. NJ. N. beneath an almost ex.
act facsimile Of the black smudge
which had taken the place OF signature
on each OF the three threatening let
ters-the black smudge, OF which Cam |
eron. wearing It then indelibly upon |
the cuticle. had dared to feIgn utter
ignorance.
And yet. asked myself once more,
how was II that | had never noticed |
1t before? Again and again had seen |
that forearm barred. Surely would |
have observed so odd n mark; certain.
ly | would have been perplexed by
those three uniting initials.
There, nowi" Bryan was SAYING.
Back TO bed with you, Cameron. What
did you want this letter for, anyway
II 1t was necessary for you to have II,
couldn't ] have got It for your"
Give It back to mel" Cameron was
pleading, piteously. Give It back TO
me! 1t Is private matter Give II
back to me, or destroy It before my
eyes. Burn II, here, before me-"
Let me have 1t, Mr.. Bryan"
asked, and turning to the unhappy gen
tleman said You'll trust me. won't
you, Cameron? III destroy It. unread.
II you wish It,"
No, no no" he objected, earnestly.
Give It back to me-"
But even as he demanded II. BRYAN
put 1t In my hands: and spreading II
1t had been crumpled to n pei
let In the invalid's clutch--I was about
10 humor him, when the superscriptlon
caught my eye and held It.
Tho envelope bore the name and nd.
iress: Donald McNlsh, Taylor's Ho-
.ei. New York City. u S. A."
CTo BE coNTINUED)