The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-03-21

were JUST starting In taxicaD,
came at length from O'Hara over the
wire. Well be there In less than half
an hour"
And In less than half an hour they
came. an ignoble, vulgar quartette
against stately. pompous back
ground.
met them in the great hall. stand
ing before the broad. sculptured chin
| ney piece.
The three detectives were more or
less OF piece-gross. coarse. red
faced men whose hands and feet
seemed out of all proportion TO their
| size, bulky az II was. or the three
O'Hara, possibly because of familiar
| ity. struck me as the least offensive.
But after all ii was not the detectives
who claimed and held my chief inter
est. but the shrunken, shadow-like
creature they had in charge. whom |
| recognized instantly as the supposed
castaway the Sibylla had picked up
that warm October day somewhere
east OF Nantucket--the sinking figure
| had followed through the press OF
Doyers street almost to my death.
My conjecture was thus In part veri.
fed; John Soy and Peter Johnson
were the same, and II only remained
now to prove that the rest of my
guess was as well founded
Stepping to the door or the recep-
ton room. I made brief apology for
my detention and babe my two Cath
al.
81 think, Mr.. Yup." | observed, that
we have here the Eurasian cook OF
the Sable Lorcha about whom you
told me-"
suppose | was foolish enough to
fancy that the merchant would at once
make the Identification | desired. l
should have known better. In sub
tlety We are no match for the ancient
race to which Yup Sing belonged, as
WAS evidenced by the absolute impene-
tration OF his manner, as. after gaz-
ing sharply at John Soy. he turned To
me with yisage as blank as the mar
BILE wall. and, in a voice without a
shade of infection. said:
II do not know him. | have never
seen him until now"
Had white man dared to make
such denial. I should have laughed In
his face. But the dignity OF the
Oriental. the perfect apiomb OF his
manner. including an utter absence OF
all that could be construed as feign-
ing. forbade such rejoinder: yet
knew that he had lied.
Come. gentlemen" | said. denying
myself even the satisfaction OF a
shoulder shrug, "and we shall decide
whether the man upstairs is the viii
lain you claim he Is, or" but | was
in no mood to finish the sentence.
The seven OF us, crowding into the
elevator. were lifted to the floor above.
where ! preceded the others to the
door OF what we were wont to call
Cameron's bedchamber. There
paused.
Pardon me just moment"
begged. with my hand on the knob,
until | see whether everything is
ready"
I had instructed Mr.. Bryan TO have
McNish up and dressed. and | wished
10 make sure that these preparations
were completed. But was hardly
prepared for the scene which greeted
my entrance.
worn when found him. was in the act
OF closing drawer OF an old.tash-
toned rosewood secretary which oc-
cupied a place against the right wall.
beneath one OF the medallioned witt
dows. And the nurse was nowhere in
sight.
Startled by the sound Of the open
ing door, the trespasser half turned.
his hands still on the brass drawer
handles: then. at sight OF me. he
wheeled completely and stood defiant
with his back to the antique desk.
What are you doing there?' | cried.
Indignantly. What were you look
ing for?"
Even before he spoke ! saw the
look OF cunning come into his small
furtiye eyes
II was looking for some papers OF
mine. Clyde" he answered, boldly,
and his voice Yves so like Camerons
that for just moment. n shudderipg
uncertainty assailed me. Only the
crafty leer weighed for the truth
Papers OF yours" ! snarled. ignor-
ing his familiar use Of my name. II
have the only paper you brought into
this house. Donald McNish. and that's
evidence enough 10 put YOU where you
belong. Where's Mr. Rryan?"
Hut mt that moment the nurse, ap.
pesring from the adjoining room, an
swered for himself. and McNish, with
a capitallY assumed nonchalance. said,
smilingly.
II didn't think you could be so cas-
lily imposed upon. Clyde The letter
to Donald McNish was given to me by
McNish himself He wanted me to
answer Il. II was his last request
He"
"Silence!" I cried; and then. mr..
Bryan. get him into that chair before
the bureau. facing the door These
people outside must not be kept wait.
ing any longer" With which ] turned.
and with hand on knob once more,
PAUSED until the nurse had rather