The San Francisco call., 1913-08-10


the police and the press must be in.
voked at once, and nothing left undone
to trace the crime to its source.
But my most onerus task was t.
|acquaint Evelyn Grayson with the fact.
rs | knew them What I had to tel
was horrible in its stark obscurity
And yet might have spared myself !
goodly sare of distress.
| imagined I knew Evelyn Grayson
before this, but my fancy did her an
injustice She was even more OF I
woman than dreamed.
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 its score of reminders of happy
evenings in which he had participated
| In this environment. under these In.
f1uences, rose to meet her. wordless
Yet my expression and attitude mus,
have spoken loudly enough to conflrnl
! the dread that was in her heart And
| then she had taken my two out
stretched hands in hers and raised her
brave eyes to mine. and low voiced
but sure and tremorless. was saying
Il feared 1t, Philip From the very
/ first, feared 1t.
! And when ! had told her all, to the
! smallest detail, 1t was as though she
were the man and the woman
Throughout 1t all she sat calmly at
tentive, but unqucstioning. and with no
sign OF emotion beyond her continued
pallor and a recurrent tensing Of her
small white hands. At the end leaned
forward and with left elbow on knee,
rested my forehead in my palm. For
full minute she said nothing. Then,
in soothing accents:
II am glad you didn't find the boat.
That means he is on it. If you had
found 1t, 1t would have been some
ordinary thing having no connection
with this affair whatever"
1t was odd reasoning, but very femi-
nine.
But you made one mistake, Philip
she went on. 'sYou should not have
| let that fisherman, Peter Johnson, co.
At this l raised my head and re-
garded her with something like as
tonishment
He was one of them," she ex-
planned in tone of conviction.
How can you say that?' / asked, a
| little nettled.
Il feel it." she answered. And that
was all the reason she could give.
When I spoke of inviting the aid of
detectives and the newspapers, she
begged me to reconsider.
Il am afraid for him. she pursued
gravely. Publicity might mean his
death. Somehow, / feel he is still
alive; and so we must do nothing that
will incite them to further violence. .
But ! returned, I'VE can't find
him without seeking"
NO, but we can seek him in secret.
The newspapers must not tell the
world"
The police would of course tell the
newspapers" / added.
I'VE can do some things without the
police" was her next assertion. There
are some things that | can do; and
there are more that you can do She
was thoughtful for a moment, and
then: Il am SO sorry about Peter John
son! You should never have lost sight
of him.
I'VE gave him money and God
speed, / reminded her.
Captain Macleod must go back
there, where you left him. He must
trace him. His trail won't lead to
Gloucester, I'm sure of that"
My self-esteem was not being vigor-
ously stimulated by the young lady at
this juncture
And /" she continued, with the
methodical expediency of commander
in chief, and / shall find out about
those letters
'3Find out what?' asked in aston
ishment.
Find out what manner of man wrote
them" she amplified
But how can your | inquired.
Il have thought of way" she de-
clared, committally.
And what am to dor was my
next question, feeling miserably small
beside this efficient child.
You must give me the letter you
have, and help me look for the Others Z
The first part of the command was
easy enough of obedience; for the let
ter was in my pocket at the moment.
But my assistance III searching for the
first two communications was more
energetic than successful. Either Cam
eron had destroyed the letters, or he
had them on his person when he van
ished from the yacht.
At Evelyn's request, however. /