Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-09
By
HORACE
HAZELTINE


and social import. For the time be |
ing my consideration OF Cameron and |
his strange problem was suspended. |
Now and then the subject required TO
me, dragged into the mental light on
the train OF Evelyn Grayson but al
most Immediately It was buried be
meath a question OF editorial policy
or debate regarding a contract for
white paper at an extortionate in.
crease in price.
When. however, my business day
was ended, and | had boarded the
train for Greenwich, the whole In
volved enigma spread itself again
| before me, demanding attention. And
| in the midst OF Il, dominating Il,
| stretching his great shadow over It
! TO the farthest limit, appeared that
frowsy red giant, Murphy. a mystery
within a mystery; for, though he
seemed to pervade 1t, there was no
point at which | could discover him
quite touching 1t.
In vain | tried to detect real con-
nection. l started with the letters
| They bore no single characteristic
mark Of this uncouth creature. AS an
artist he might have devised the curl
GUS silhouette signature. but there
was something about that-some cum
ming, inventive subtlety-which !
could not reconcile with the ogre l
had played upon. stung to anger and
aroused to curiosity.
That he could either have con
celved or executed the ruin OF the
portrait | did not believe possible.
The conception, like the letters and
tho signature, bore evidence OF
craftiness too fine for such as he; and
to fancy him, mammoth that he was,
stealing unobserved into Camerons
stury, was to fancy the incredible.
And so, though the impression OF
intimate relationship persisted,
could find no point Of coztsct, closer
or more definite than through his
servants rife practice, which after
all might have been quite without mo-
tive.
j., There was little, therefore, in the
line Of reason, to convict Murphy of
any knowledge OF the matters which
had so disturbed us. And yet, as /
have said, | felt intuidvely that he
possessed an intimate acquaintance
with the whole affair.
At the Greenwich station. ] found
my touring car waiting; my mother
in the tonneau. My chauffeur touched
his cap as ! approached.
You may drive, Francois" / said,
and | took the place at my mothers
side.
You look tired. Philip" she an
p nounced when had kissed her. Was
it very warm in the city," Her eyes
were ever quick to note infnitesimal
changes in my appearance of we'll
being.
Not uncomfortable" answered.
indulgently Il had a very busy day,
though. But I'm not the less fit be.
cause OF it,"
We have had some little excite
I ment here" she fastened. eager to
give me the news. "Old Romney
called you up on the telephone about
. noon | happened 10 answer II, my.
, self, and when ! told him you were in
New York. and would not be back
until six, it just seemed he couldn't
wait TO unburden himself Won't you
d. please tell him, Mrs. Clyde he said,
that Mr.. Murphy's Chinaman was
p found at daybreak this morning, lying
p dead, Just outside Murphy's back
door,"
Found dead" cried, in amaze.
, ment.
That IS what he said Then he
! added that the poor fellows head had
been crushed with some heavy instru.
ment, and that Mr.. Murphy had been
arrested on suspicion and was in the
Cos Cob lookup"
For a full minute, | think. sat in
silent amaze. Then theories and con.
p lectures in infinite variety gave
chase, one after the other, through
J my excited brain. But Il was more
= than ever difficult, ! found, to reach
anything like a satisfactory concIu.
sion concerning the position the now
lffeless Celestial and his accused mas.
ter held in the chain OF mysteries |
wished so much to solve. That they
were both OF them more or less i'm.
portant links, however. had small
doubt
Did you know Mr.. Murphy" nv
mother asked. And all at once |
realized that her question was a
repetition. In my absorption ! had
not needed the original inquiry
Nobody knows him." answered,
unconsciously echoing the words
voiced by the man in the catbost on
the previous night. Nobody knows
him. But I've met him in a rather
casual way"
CHAPTER VI.