The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-01-03

=
ing he was under the influence OF opi-
ates, SO ordinarily l doubt that II !
would be safe to accept as fact a good
deal said under such circumstances. IL |
appears to me, however, that In his
case, these very conditions only |
strengthen the probabilities; for his
mind seemed to hold only the one
theme, and his statements could hard
ly have been either spontaneous or
studied inventions. On the other
hand, they were rather sort of invoi'
untary recital Of the particulars OF a
subject which had ensrossed him for
years to the exclusion Of almost every
thing else"
DIR. Addison nodded his head, en-
cOuraglngly. 81 quite understand,
Miss Clement" he said. And /, too,
assured her that her reasoning ap'
peared to lne logical.
at was significant she continued,
that so far as | could fix dates, he
made no referencestat all 10 any hap,
pening prior. to sixteen years ago. The
tragedy Of that time was the begin
ming of what think may Gail his
mania. Everything he told me had to
do with 1t. 1t came at the beginning
al the apex. and at the end OF every
revelation.
"The tragedy Of sixteen years ago"
inquired the physician.
THE tragedy of what has been
called The Sable Lorcha," l remind
ed him.
och, yes, Of course"
you know Of that, then?" asked
Miss Clement, And briefly ran over
what Yup Sing had told ME.
John Soy, | understand, was the
cook whom McNish imprisoned In the
galley ! added.
ut seems he broke his way out just
IS the lorcha was sinking. McNish
Lad waited until he had gone to his
bunk for his usual hop. and had
chosen tho hour he was sleeping to
get away and scuttle the vessel. For
five days Soy foatcd about oil bit Of
wreckage without food or drink, and
was finally picked up by proa and
taken back Macao at the mouth OF
he Canton river, where, after weeks
CT delirlum, he told his story OF the
lorcha's fG;e. From that day the search
for McNish began. 1t seems that h.
had partner sn Irishman, named
Moran, who for Tina was suspected
OF having been IN tie conspiracy; for
you must remember, 1t vas thought
then that the sinking Of the lorcha has
, been planned from the tirst, the idea
being that it was simply scheme tC
get the passage money from the poo
, coolies, and then drown them"
'HoCrible!" calculated the ply
stefan.
But the Chinese are just" the mis-
g sionary continued. "Thoy discovered
5 that a certain United States cruise
D that had been warned OF the attempt
ed smuggling. did, on that particula
l., day, give chase to a lorcha, whlcl
:, eventually disappeared in the fog. 5,
the enmity against Moran subsidized
and, ultimately, this same Moran be
/. came the most openly bitter OF all tn
a avenging horde that for over a decad
q and a half secured the four corners o
n the globe; for 1t seems that McNisI
n had not only made off with his ehar
). Of the receipts of their joint enter
|. prise, but had left him with ruinln
lot Of debts 10 settle as we'll. Their
was something, too, | believe, about
?. Chinese woman whose loyalty to Nc
a ran, McNish undermined, but cor
e TESS that part of the story was no
very clear to ME. AT all events Soy
II the half,breed, and Moran, the lrisI
man, who appears to have been a ro'
Ing blade, a sort OF soldier Of forum
4. with some talent for painting, becam
the prime movers in this RELENTLESS
"a quest, in which they were backed b
a. what is known as the Six Companies
~ All the tongs, no matter how much a
variance on other points, were a uni
4 In this instance, and unlimited none
was always available to prosecute tn
4 search"
st A footman. appearing at this jun,
It ture with the inevitable tea paraphe
10 MALTA, interrupted temporarily the Gu
rent OF Miss Clements narrative. Br
"a our interest was such that We Unite
the cessation to the briefest possibI
"a period. DR.. Addison, whose prcfe
Ar sional engagements were being to-
ID pled over one after another, politel
urged her to continue, directly her Gu
IN was in her hand.
n. think, Miss Clement" he sal
h. with an ingratiatIng smile, "of the RAJ
"a audience you have! trust 1t is
cnce an inspiration and eompens
~ ton"
IN ut surely is," was the good lady
n. prompt acknowledgment. "And, by u
to way, must not forget to tell you no
| this man, McNlsh, actually had Il
is temerity to return to China o fe
years ago. He appeared to THU
mt either that his crime had been forge
d. ten or that knowledge Of 1t was iii
I'd tied to the Southern provinces, for
the early fall of 1908, under one OF b
It many aliases, he arrived at Pekin
en- by way OF the Trans-Siberian Ra
e. way"
The doctor and exchanged glance
us II was odd how confirmation OF d