Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-16

cutie finished had possessed myself
OF her olasped hands, and was bestow-
ing upon them an applaudlng pres
sure.
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
tactfully managed the disclosure. It
is not for me to judge. Perhaps
told more than | should. Possibly ]
revealed too little. was guided sole
ly by the wish not to alarm her. I'M
duly. And yet, as nearly every fea,
ture Of the affair was OF necessity
alarming, It became q vexing problem
as to what TO include and what to
omit
Eventually she heard the whole
story, every phase of It, And so II is
not altogether clear in my memory
how much I conveyed that night and
how much was left for me to add ten
days later.
There is no question, however, re-
garding that third letter which had
been so mysteriously received that
day. l drew II from the envelope,
there, at the table, and we read It to-
gether, by the light OF the pink-shad-
ed 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 a sense Of i'll as acute
ly poignant as a napier thrust. and
the heavy, regular, upright chirog-
raphy, with its odd rs and p's, 80
awesomely familiar, was scarcely less
disturbing.
Silently the girl and ran through
the dozen lines.
Like It's two predecessors the let
ter began with the sentence:
THAT which you have wrought
shall In turn be wrought upon you"
No longer could this be regarded as
idle boasting 1t had become an edict
Of grave significance. And what fol-
lowed only emphasized the proven
force behind this series Of singular
communications.
"All having been performed as fore
told, our power is demonstrated"
Then, simply, almost crudely, but
of horrid poignancy, ran the words
know then, that before the morn
ing of the Eighth Day hence, as passed
the face from the portrait, as passed
the reflection from the mirror, So
you, physically, will pass from sight
of men into torment"
AS | read my breath caught in my
throat and my pulses paused. Evelyn
pressed closer to my side, and l felt
her SILVER as with cold. The final
words, solemn. admonitory, priest
like, were these:
Say not Heaven is high above!
Heaven ascends and descends about
our deeds, daily inspecting US, where
soever We are"
Instantly she turned to me. and
saw there were tears on her cheeks,
and that her long dark lashes were
wet.
You cannot tell him this, Philip"
she said, her voice low but unfalter-
ing.
No." replied, 81 cannot tell him.
In his present condition. it might be
fatal"
And now he must get WELL" she
declared, with decision. HE must be
we'll enough in n few days to be
moved. He shall not stop in this
house any longer. He shall go where
he can be protected, and these fiends.
whoever they are, cannot, or will not
dare to follow"
AS she spoke an inspiration came
to me.
The yacht" said.
Impulsively she laid hold upon my
arm, in a way she had.
The Sibylla," she agreed, delight
eddy. "Of course. 1t will do every
thing for him"
But what am I to tell him about
this?" I asked, in perplexity.
For a second she was thoughtful.
I'VE couldn't initiate the writing,
could we?" she asked
"Oh, yes" | answered. I'VE could.
| think I'd even guarantee TO repro
duce that hideous black thing, but"
"But what?"
I'VE can't initiate the paper The
paper is as characteristic as any of
the other features, II not indeed more
SO. And he knows that paper"
Then you must Just lie to him."
she decided. You must tell him the
envelope was empty; and you must
make him believe IT,"
CTo BE CONTINUED)