The Forrest City times., 1913-04-25

---S~N l'tt -1lAA- FtII4s Dt44th C EF "OA4Q willingly have suffered martyrdom to serve her. As he withdrew We fell aYidly upon the contents of the box, yet with small hope Of finding what We sought; for the letters 1t contained were all. ap- parentIy of distant date; letters. for the most part. of a private. personal nature, carefully assorted. and ar ranged in red-taped or elastic-banded bundles
 It was no mere idle curiosity which impelled us to read many Of them We were in a position which may best be described as anomalous. Though Cameron was my dearest friend I knew little of his life prior to our 1 meeting. and Evelyn. his niece and ward. was scarcely less uninformed than myself. In the letters just brought to light there might, we de- cided. be found some clue of incal- ' culable service in the task now before us. And so We united the tapes and stripped off the bands and set our selves to careful panstaking exanina- ticn.
 Seldom have I engaged In labor so l deadly unintcresting at one moment 1 and so keenly expressing at the next. There was correspondence here which meant nothing to HIS whatever. and there was correspondence which threw {. search-ight upon portions of Cam. 1 aron's career barring good deeds and follies alike without discrimination It was only natural. I suppose. that we should dig up a romance-a gem of luster shining amidst dun. sordid surroundings. Evelyn and I came up on two Of it's facets. simultaneously. and paused in our work to question it's disposal. It seemed to us a holy thing l too sacred for 8 strange touch. and even at the risl; of passing over what might prove our enc agent of revela- ton, We folded it away again with sense of guilt at having dared to lift even the corner of the veil
 For a full hour I had scanned one letter after another In absorbed in tentness, but with small profit Eve lyn. across the table had been quite as busy Rarely had VIC interrupted our employment with exchange Of words. But now the writing which held provoked exclamation.
 Addison" I cried, so sharply cut ing the silence that the girl started. Addison, Did you ever hear of him ?"
 She gestured negative. "Not that remember" she qualified. "Why?"
 iy1 5a clared a little excitedly, I imagine; for the letter seemed wonderfully i'm portant.
 Instantly she was all alert.
 What is it?" she asked, sprnging up and coming to my side. What have you found?"
 Look" commanded, the sheet of paper n one upraised hand, finger of inv other hand pointing to pas sage Look In 1903, your uncle Rob ert was in Peking; and vet he gave me his word that he had never visited China"
 Resting an arm on my shoulder and bending forward she read for herself: Just to think, We were in Picking together and neither of us was aware of it until too late. What foregath- ering We missed, Even five minutes chat would have been something; but I no sooner saw you, than the crowd on Legation street swallowed you up"
 Have you read 1t all?'
 Not to the end" l told her, just the beginning and the signature Come" added. well read 1t from first to last, together"
 It was written from Cairo, and bore date of December ', 1903.
 My dear Cameron 1t began. "T am wondering whether yCu are back In New York again. However, you will probably be there for Christmas and therefore this letter will not long await you We have been making a rather leisurely tour of the east. Ar rived here two days ago and shall re- main until some time in January"
 The writer then gave a general out line of his travels. You will prob ably be surprised to learn that once you and I passed each other as ships in the night, save only that we did not even speak each other in passing" he Went Cll- II N dh - last OoN iHQGtu my last hour-in northern China. Otherwise I should have made search for you. Just to think! We were in Picking together. and neither of us was aware of 1t until too late What a foregathering we missed! Even five minutes chat would have been some thing; but no sooner saw you. than the crowd on Legation street swal- lowed you up. Half an hour later was On the train for Ticn-tsin." 1 The rest of the letter was rather confusingly personal in its references to mutual friends and interests, IL was signed Always with warm re- gard. Addison"
 Do you suppose that is his first name or his last?" Evelyn asked me as We came 10 it:
 T refuse to suppose" I returned. smiling Its an even chance. What 1 is mere 10 the point is. how long has Lcuis been your uncle's yale.?"