The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-02-27

Tying the authorities. Even now I am
inclined to lay the matter before them.
Anything would be better than uncer-
tainty. A few arrests and the third
degree might work wonders"
Where would you start?" she asked
in a blunt, logical way that reminded
me OF Evelyn's faculty Of going to the
root Of things. "You see, you know so
little. The story about the portrait
and the mirror, the police would re-
gard as more amusing than convinc-
ing. And besides, you haven't any
proof. Yur Sing, you tell me, has the
only original letter, and by this time
he may have lost it or have forgotten
that he ever had 1t. If you had seen
as much Of the Chinese as I have, you
would appreciate how willy they are.
My belief is that the police would con-
clude that Mr.. Cameron fell overheard
from his yacht and was drowned. In
deed 1t would be fortunate If they did
not take the view that he jumped
overheard and committed suicide. Or,
worse still. 1t would not be beyond
them, Mr.. Clyde. to charge that you
pushed him over. The yellow papers
would almost certainly intimate such
a possibility" Had some one else
voiced this suggestion I should prob.
ably have resented it, but I UNDER
stood Miss Clement. She was as kind
as her eyes indicated; and that is
speaking very strongly.
Nevertheless" I said, with growing
determination, II shall make the case
public. It is my duty. and I am will
ing to run all the risks you point out.
l shall start by making a complaint
against Peter Johnson. Well have
him arrested, get his record, and fol-
low along that trail until we turn up
the other conspirators. If poor Cam
eron's shares fall in the market, they'll
have to fall. If the notoriety precipi-
tates a delayed fatality of which Cam
eron is the victim, it cannot be helped.
l simply will not longer shoulder the
responsibility of silence"
The way she had Of silent. delibera-
ton was almost masculine. I can see
her, even now, as she sat there that
afternoon, her hair the same shade
Of gray as her cloth gown, her fresh,
clear complexion lined in thought,
her kindly eyes half closed. For the
better part Of a minute she pondered.
Then, suddenly, her face awoke, and
she asked me:
"Will you wait three days longer?
That Ia all. I have channels Of infor,
nation that are closed to the police,
even. There are men in Chinatown.
and women too, who would lay down
their lives for me. l think some of
them would eve betray their friends,
which is still a greater sacrifice. Wait
three days. MI. Clyde, and II at the
end of that time I have not learned
for you what you want to know, go on
with your publicity idea" !.
1t was now my turn to be thought:
full. Evelyn believed in the woman's
ability to aid. She had said as much
to me. And I myself possessed a Ger
tain degree Of faith in femiaine intui.
ton. Aside from that, though, Miss
Clement had demonstrated that she
welded a certain power In her baili-
wick-was not my watch, at that mo.
ment, in my pocket?-and her whole
personality proclaimed inherent ca
pacity for accomplishment.
Very well. Miss Clement" I agreed.
II will wait three days. 1t is now Sat
urday, November IA. If by this time
Tuesday afternoon we are not, at
least, on the track Of something tan
gible, I shall be on my way to Null
berry street."
Sunday was with me a day Of i'm.
patience. fretted now at confine-
ment, for my ankle was quite strong
again, and l was perfectly we'll in
other respects, too. But my physician
had set Monday for my first day out,
and he refused to concede even q
twenty-four-hour change OF plan. Bst
| chafed more even at the inactivity
to which I had agreed concerning
Cameron than at the confinement. All
at once, l had become imbued with a
necessity for prompt and strenuous
measures. Some awful thing, I knew
not what, seemed ominously immi-
nent, and remorse tore at me torment
Early Monday, I telephoned Miss
Clement for tidings of her progress.
but she could only implore me to wait.
She had nothing to report, but she
was encouraged. With my hands thus
tied diversion was my only refuge, and
an accumulation of office work into
which l plunged served, in part at
least, this purpose. T..
Evelyn and Mrs. Lancaster had
come in from Greenwich and opened
the Cameron town house, a great
white granite Renaissance affair, on
upper Fifth avenue, facing the park;
and because the girl had made me
promise, l lunched there; but I went
with less grace than ever before, un-
certain as I was of my %self-control.
Evelyn's faith in Miss Clement, how
ever, was contagious She spoke of
little else. and when I came away it
was with strengthened hope Of speedy
1t is my habit to glance over the
earlier editions of all the evening pa
pers before leaving my Office. and lat.
err, either on the train to Greenwich
or, when In town. at my club, to read
l