The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

MY God, Clyde" Cameron crleo, ~
frenzy of impatience What's the
matter with you tonight? Are you
never going to get that thing open?"
And then. quite without design on
my part, the envelope fell to the rug
at my feet. And as stopped to re-
cover it / heard the door knob turn.
When / regained the upright, Miss
Collins was entering. and the letter
was in my pocket.
And SO you see, Cameron said,
speaking distinctly and with double
purpose, the nurse being in earshot,
everything is quite right. The mat
|ster you spoke of shall be attended to
at once, and I'll report to you, tonight
before 10 o'clock, surely
The reproach in his eyes stung me,
and yet 1t was not the part of sanity
to have acted otherwise than did.
My only course had been delay. which,
though it left Cameron in doubt, gave
me time and opportunity to arrange
some plan for extracting the fangs of
this epistolary adder before it could
strike its prey.
Purposely | delayed reading the let
ter myself until after I had dined
think fancied l should be able to
conceal my real state of mind. But
was very soon conscious that Evelyn
had OWNED my discrimination. Her
eyes became suddenly grave and ques-
tioning. her laughter quieted and her
conversation. which had been glad and
gay, relapsed abruptly into the serious.
When the coffee and liqueurs had been
brought on. Mrs. Lancaster asked to
be excused. and left us alone together.
There followed then a moment of
silence between us. while selected a
cigarette and lighted 1t.
AS ! dropped my match upon the
tiny silver tray at my elbow. turned
to her and saw her question in her
imploring gaze and attitude even be-
fore she voiced it.
Tell mel" was what she said To
gain time rather than information I
bade her to be more explicit
Everything" she pursued, inclu-
sively.
| My continued hesitation resulted in
some amplification on her part
Everything that you have been hid
ing from me from the hrst am en-
titled to know. What about the head
that was cut from the portrait? What
was 1t that caused the shock which
brought on Uncle Roberts illness?
Why did you so for the mail four
times today and sit all the rest of the
time in Uncle Roberts study? What
has happened to make him worse this
afternoon? What is troubling you
now? I'm not child, I'm a woman.
and refuse to be kept in ignorance
any longer"
She was glorious as she thus formu-
lated her demands. her cheeks blaz-
Ping. her eyes brilliant, her voice cre-
scendo.
And her argument prevailed. She
knew too much not to know more.
! Cameron's wishes in the matter could
no longer be regarded. Just how tact
fully managed the disclosure 1t Is not
for me to judge. was guided solely
by the wish not to alarm her unduly.
When | had finished the story
drew from the envelope the third let
ter, which had been so mysterjously
received that day, and we read it to-
gether by the light OF the pink shaded
candles, our chairs touching and her
cool little left hand clasped hard IN
my sinewy right.
AS l spread the sheet that sinister
appearing black daub at the bottom
smote me with 4 sense Of III as acutely
| poignant as 4 rapier thrust, and the
heavy. regular. upright chirography.
with It's odd rs and p's, was scarcely
less disturbing.
| Silently the girl and ! ran through
| the dozen lines.
| Like its two predecessors the letter
began with the sentence:
That which you have wrought
| shall in turn be wrought upon
| you
No longer could this be regarded as
idle boastinx. And what followed only
emphasized the proven force behind
! this series Of singular communications
All having been performed as
foretold. our power Is demon
! strated."s
| Then, simply, almost crudely. but Of
horrid poignancy. ran the words:
| Know then. that before the
| morning Of the eighth day hence.
| as passed the face from the por-
trait, az passed the reelection from
the mirror, 50 you, physically, will
! pass from sight of men into tor
/ n,anf =