The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-03

mot for me. SURELY
did ! use the word conceit q mo
ment ago? Are you the only mar
love-"
Il hope no" ! answered. Impudeptly.
There 10 another" she confessed,
In mock tragedy. Behold his facsl"
had not noticed that she held a
little roll in her hand, for my eyes had
been ever on hers; so. when abruptly,
she spread out and held before me the
missing head from Cameron's portrait.
! was doubly unprepared. | know !
was startled, She said afterwards
that ! went very white. | suppose |
did; for with the rush OF realization
came such a chain Of suppositiOn as TO
drive me ~momentarily dizzy, For a
second or more | stood dumb. while
my hand vent out In eager reach for
the scrap Of canvas, which, | had OBJ
served, lns~tantaneously. bore four per
f~orattons, all OF a size-the size Of a
rife bullet. With that discovery had
REQUIRED the shots | had heard; and
Following this, came q maze OF N.
lecture, going back TO that first letter,
then TO the paintings mutilation, and
on through devious ways TO the mor!E
ing's target practice; and always with
one or another OF CRmeron's trusted
servants as the chief actor.
When | recovered my composure |
found Evelyn backing wilfully away
from my covetous hand.
1T Is the picture Of the man | love-"
she was saying. teasingly. "A very,
very good man"
But where did you get it?" | asked
seriously. "Do you know where II
came from?"
Suddenly she wss az grave as |
could wish.
u found II nailed to a tree she an
swered. Wasn't 1t odd? How do you
suppose It came there? 1t looks like
the portrait that hung In Uncle
Roberts study, Do you suppose he
grew to dislike It, and cut 1t up and
threw 1t away?"
Now ! found myself In some little
embarrassment. II / was to obey
CaIneron's injunction ] could not tell
Evelyn the truth. Yet | was in no
position TO make light OF her find. On
the other hand ! must learn from her
just where she had come upon It, and
SO trace. II possible, the person who
had fired the shots which riddled It.
my dear girl" ! said, adopting a
tone Of cajolery, we have here,
think, q matter in which we both can
be OF s~eryice-yery valuable service,
indeed, to that beloved uncle and
guardian OF yours. But, you must trust
me, absolutely. and, for the present at
least, you must give to him no hint Of
what we have In hand. DO you WI
d~erstapd?"
She laughed IN that merry ripping
fashion which / had found not the
least Of her charms.
DO | understand" she repeated,
laying a hand on my arm In emphasis
OF her amused tolerance. DO | un.
derstand7 or course | don't, and I
shan't, until you have answered at
least a h~alf-dozen why's and what's"
"But you must trust me-" | insisted,
and as primary evidence OF that trust
you will proceed at once to hand over
to me, for examination, that somewhat
damaged piece of portraiture which
you are holding behind you"
Very wide her eyes opened In an In
nocent, almost infantiLe stare, an she
asked.
do you really mean It, Philip7'
"Really," ! answered. g~ravsiy. "Td
like TO tell you all about 1t, right here
and now, but that might spoil every.
thing, 30 you must show what q strong
womanly woman you are. by keeping
silence and waiting"
In token Of compliance she gave
me the oval piece OF canvas.
II wonder who punched the holes
In TT" she remarked, ruefully. Who
ever 1t was, they were shockingly dis
respectful"
/ tried to fancy what she would
have said had she known they we're
bullet holes. Evidently that POSSIBLE
ity had not occurred to her and was
glad that It had not,
CTo RE CoNTfNUED3