The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03


pomposity. your butler. Mr.: Checka-
beedy. that | am to see every letter
that comes to the house and know
how and by whom IT is delivered. Let
ters can't get there without hands,
you know
Other things seem to be done with
ment; and l had no reply for him.
Concerning Murphy and the mur-
dered Chinaman. Cameron did not ask,
and l was glad he did not For MUIR
ply had been discharged from custody
for lack of evidence.
The precautions against surprise on
the 14th, which / had outlined so
briefly to Cameron. carried out with
added detail | instructed Romney to
report to me every person who passed
in or out of the gates guarded by his
lodge, had Kilgour, the superintend-
ent of the Cameron acres, issue sim
liar orders to his men concerning any
strangers seen on the estate that day.
And, finally, when not fetching the
mail from the postof1ice myself-and
four times l made the trip-I sat on
guard in Cameron's study, waiting and
expectant
But the day passed, it seemed. with
out the looked for incident. Every let
ter which came that day inside the
Cragholt limits was by me personally
Inspected, and among them all there
was no one which bore the faintest
resemblance to those two baleful mis-
sives of the two preceding 14ths.
When 1 had made my last trip to the
postoffice, finished my final inspection.
and was almost jubilant over the sig
nificant cessation of the threats,
made haste to carry to Cameron the
glad news.
A very light tap on the chamber
door was answered by Miss Collins
who came out into the passage and
closed the door behind her.
Il fear it is not advisable for you
to see him now, Mr.. Clyde" she said
He has suddenly had return of some
of his worst symptoms and l am sure
Doctor Massey would object to his be-
ing at all excited
But shan't excite him. | ex--
planned. j have the very best of news
for him. It is his anxiety over a cer-
tain matter, no doubt, which has
brought about the symptoms you speak
OF. ! know can relieve his mind"
But still this efficient looking. white
clad woman was not wholly convinced
It must be only for minute. then" !"
she finally allowed You can go In
alone. But at the end of so seconds. :
she added, as she glanced at her little
gold watch. Il shall interrupt you, and
then you must leave
Yielding perforce to her condition, 1
entered And as I did so Cameron half
rose on his elbow, regarding me with
what | thought was anxiety for my re-
port.
Its all right | said quietly. o"All
right Not so much as line from the
enemy They have withdrawn, just
as r.
But he interrupted me.
/ Here, quick!p he was saying. Take
this!" The next moment he had given
me d long envelope of that thin. waxy
texture had learned to loathe.
+ For heartbeat stood appalled,,
Etransfixed
Quick" he insisted, excitedly.
open it. Read it, She'll not leave
US long and must. know its contents. :
But how began, as tore the
end Of the envelope.
God knows, he answereds before |
had put my question into words. Il
had 8been doing; about an hour ago.
! stretched out my hand, uncon-
:sciously, and that aay beneath it. on
the counterpane. It cracked as /
touched it; and knew then. even be-
fore ! recognized the feel OF it.
Sixty seconds! Was there ever such
an interminable period? | fumbled
With the devilish paper; let it slip
through my fingers; tore a bit here
and bit there; finished the tearing;
and then. assembling, began tearing