Mexico Missouri message., 1913-04-03
n tan, antique bureau b.twoen tho

tan, antique buness between the
darkly curtalned windows; the cham
Der was in semi-gloom. 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 massive
carved wardrobe. which stood against
the wall opposite the huge. testered
bed.
The spectacle was at least arresting.
l know i halted abruptly as II stricken
all at once with total paralysis. For Il
heartbeat or two l think l stopped
breathing. But my eyes meanwhile
were strained fixedly upon the apparl-
ton, and seeing 1t pass with almost in
credible swlftness beneath the one
dim light above the bureau, l recog-
nized Cameron.
AT the same moment the room was
flooded with a sudden glare. Bryan too,
had seen, and had switched on the
electrics. simultaneously he flashed
past me and was at his patients side.
What does this mean ?" heard him
say. What did you want? Can't
trust you alone for ten minutes? l
told you. Cameron, that you must MOI
leave your bed unless / am with you"
/ saw Cameron cover under the up
bralding. In his eyes | read terror,
and all my sympathy was aroused on
this instant. Bryan might be carrying
out DR.. Massey's orders, but he ap-
peared to me unnecessarily harsh.
What were you doing?" he insist
his patients arm, and hold It up, re-
vealing a 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.
l stood now where | could look Cam
eron squarely In the face. but my gaze
was elsewhere. 1t 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 n sinewy fore
arm, marked precisely as Bryan had
described it.
Scrutinizingly I bent forward The
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.
er a misconception had occurred.
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 upor
the cuticle, had dared TO feign uttel
ignorance.
And yet, ! asked myself once more
how was It that | had never noticed
It before? Again and again had seer
that forearm barred. Surely l would
have observed so odd a mark; certain
ly l would have been perplexed by
those three uniting initials
There, now!" Bryan was saying
Back to bed with you, Cameron. What
did you want this letter for, anyway
II it was necessary for you to have It
couldn't | have got it for your"
Give 1t back to mel" Cameron wa,
pleading, piteously. Give it back t.
me- II is a private matter. Give 1
back to me, or destroy 1t before N!
eyes. Burn It, here, before me-"
Let me have 1t, Mr. Bryan"
asked, and turning to the unhappy gen
tleman l said: You'll trust me, won
you. Cameron? I'll destroy 1t, unread
II you wish It."
mo, no no." he objected, earnestly
Give II back to me-"
But even as he demanded IL, Bryal
put It in my hands; and spreading |
out-for II had been crumpled to pc
let in the invalid's clutch was abou
to humor him, when the superscriptlo
caught my eye and held II.
The envelope bore the name and at
dress: Donald McNish, Taylors He
tel, New York City, U. S. A."