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

CHAPTER X.
n Woman Of intuition.

one tnhn on me that dismal, rainy
Sunday morning, on which / stepped
from the Sibylls's launch to the stone
water steps OF Cragholt. For two days
we had searched The bays and inlets
from Provincetown TO Plymouth and
from siasoonset to Providence; ques-
tonins at every pier and landing
stage; making inquiry In every town
and hamlet; but without a thimbleful
OF prcnt for our pains. As that black
craft. with diUmsd lights and muffied
engines. had eluded our pursuit on
the night OF Cameron's disappearance,
90 for forty-eight hours succeeding
she had baffied our quest. No one
knew her: no one had seen her.
As for that shaken. frayed, pallid
nshennan. Peter Johnson. he ap-
peazed below. rather than above, sus-
picion- IL my knowledge Of men went
for anything he was too inferior both
mentally and physically to be a par.
ucipant In any such plot as was here
involved. He seemed TO me woefully
weak and wasted, and with as little
brains as sinew. So, with enough
money for new mast and sail, we
had put him and his dory ashore at
our hrst landing. and had forthwith
forgotten him.
Macleod had been inclined to con.
tinue the search. but I argued that
any further efforts In that direction
would be only waste OF time. The
craft wc were looking for might have
come from any one OF thousand
places and returned to any one OF a
thousand more. Some more effective,
general and far-reaching steps must
be taken. l held. and taken quickly.
Indeed i felt now that to keep secret
longer Ire conspiracy, as indicated In
those mystic letters, would be little
short OF criminal. The aid Of the po-
lice and the press must be invoked at
cnce. and nothing left undons 10 trace
the crime TO its source.
Bu' my first and most onerous task
was to acquaint Evelyn Grayson with
the facts as I knew them. How
shrank from that duty Is beyond any.
thing can put into words. know
II would have been far easier for me
TO have carried her definite news OF
her uncle's death. What I had 10
tell was horrible in It's stark obscurity.
And yet. II could have foreseen just
what was 10 follow. I might have
spared myself a goodly share OF dis
tress.
imagined knew Evelyn Grayson.
before this. thought had sounded
the profundities OF her fortitude and
courage on the night that I spread be-
fore her and read with her that third
and last letter. But my fancy did her
an Injustice. She was even more Of
n woman than dreamed.
Recently I chanoed upon these lines
BY Thomas Dunn English, which must
have been inspired by such a one as
she:
So much n clear.
Though little dangers they may fear,
When greater perils men environ.
Then women show a front OF iron:
And. gentle I'm their manner they
DO bold things In q quiet way.
, Evelyn Grayson did a bold thing in
quiet way that morning. have not
yet forgotten how marble white she
was, and yet how bravely she came,
with springing step and lifted chin
and fearless eyes. had waited her
coming In the music room. with it's
score OF reminders OF happy evenings
In which he had participated. The
chair he usually chose, In the corner,
near the great bow window against
which the east wind was now driving
the rair In gusty splashes, took on a
patnos which moved me TO weakness.
The Baudelaire lyric, spread open.
PACED upon the music rack OF the pl.
ano. stirred memories scarcely less
narrowing. A photograph, an ash
tray. a paper knife. all commonplace
objects OF themselves. but so linked
10 him by association, became, sud.
denly, instruments OF emotional tor.
ture.
In this environment. under tbeeo
Influences. rose to meet her, word
less. Yet my expression and attitude
must have spoken loudly enough 10
confirm tho dread that was in her
heart. for even before she spoke wax
sure that she knew. And then she
had taken my two outstretched hands
In hers and raised her brave eyes 10
mine. and low.voiced. but sure and
tremorless. was saying:
Il feared II. Philip. From the very
"rst. | feared IT,"
And when / told her all. 10 the
smallest detail. II was as though sAc
were the man and the woman: for
the recital had been for me a very
painful confession ot my own incom.
petence. and is conclusion LEFT me
more ueUously mslruug than at any
time since the uight Of tho strange
catastrophc. With what heroic forti.
tude she heard tho narrative may bes,
hn indicated hr lLn rlnlnr,,rL ~.