The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Observation-Disclosures

-gl= -gl=
; There had been a moment of silence
between us, and these reflections were
dominant with me. as six bells, ring
ing out musically, announced that
midnight was but an hour distant. At
that instant, while in time to the BELLS
strokes, there echoed in my brain the
words: Know then, that before the
morning of the eighth day hence
Cameron. lowering his cigar, turned to
me with:
Clyde. | wonder if you have for
gotten what day this is?''
don't know why. coming at just
that particular juncture, the question
should be more upsetting than If 1t
had come at some other time of day,
but know it seemed SO to me.
For a little space my tongue refused
its ONCE. At length l answered, a
bit lamely.
mo, i haven't forgotten. It's
| Wednesday, the twenty-first of Oc-
tober.''
He returned his cigar to his lips and
smoked in silence for full minute.
Then he said quietly:
Its seven days since that empty
envelope came"
sv>~u ->x,.~.>a
There was another slight pause and
he went on:
Il have been thinking that possibly
you we're wrong about the Significance
Of that empty envelope. Possibly those
enismatical persons intended that abb
sence Of definite threat to imply the
inconceivably terrible"
Now that he had started to talk
about 1t l wished that he had con-
tinued his silence.
Whatever they intended" I ven
tured. yielding q fraction Of a point,
1T seems to me that they'll have some
difhculty in carrying it out. There
are no portraits here to mutilate and
no mirrors to smash. Neither you nor
| believes in the supernatural; there
fore. the things that happened at Crag-
holt were brought about by natural
means. Now no natural means can be
brought to bear to perform any such
legerdemain on this yacht. There's
not man here, except that poor old
fisherman. that we don't know all and
everything about. So. say no mat
ter what they planned, this time they
are outwitted And even as I said it
saw clearly before my vision those
words: Say not heaven is high
above. Heaven ascends and descends
about our deeds, daily inspecting us
wheresoever we are"
Then you agree with me? You
think something may have been
planned?"
I wouldn't pretend to interpret
their symbolism" answered evasively.
The empty envelope impressed me as
synonymous with saying, Nothing
more at present."
Cameron smoked on quietly for a
while In a ruminative mood. Event
ually he threw the end his cigar
over the rail and leaned forward.
Il don't know" he said, perplexedly.
II don't know"
This hoped was to be the end Of
the matter, for tonight at least: but
presently he began to talk of those
nrst two letters.
Seven bells had struck and we were
still talking. But now and then there
were pauses in our converse, during
which I sat with my gaze stretching
out over the black waters and my
hearing strained for any unusual
sound. More than once during the
evening ! thought had detected far
oil the pounding note of a motorboat
exhaust, but had put the notion aside
as too improbable for entertainment.
Now. family, seemed to hear n
again; not so distant. but mufhed.
! got up and stood close to the rail
and listened with ear bent. Then
determined to go to my cabin for a
night glass, which I had included
among my traps. But at that moment
the sound, which had made sure Of.
ceased. and I stood a second or two
longer, expecting 1t to resume.
Altogether 1t was not more than
minute or two that stood there. II
seemed much less than that. Then
turned with q question for Cameron
Il say. Cam began, and stoned
startled. with his name half uttered.
His chair was empty. He was net
on the deck. ran to the saloon. He
was not there. flung open the door
of his ststeroom. He was not there
either. had the yacht searched for
him. He was not on the yacht.
ITO BE Continued Next SundavA