Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-04-10

! w SAAN Tue ltoUOhNlDlllAN W Oiutl
shoulders. had small excuse tc
make for myself in confounding Nc
Nish with Cameron, yet ! confess
had much less for the family physi
clan, who had been so easily deceived
Or. Massey greeted me almost jo
vially, but checked himself as he OBJ
served the seriousness, the GOODNESS
even of my manner.
"Our-our patent is not worse?"
he questioned, taken aback.
mo, doctor" | answered tempted
TO a grim humor, that would be i'm.
possible, fancy"
For a second he regarded me with
frowning incomprehension.
Our patient" | repeated with a
sarcastic emphasis that could not be
misunderstood, long ago. fancy.
reached the limit of blackguardism. i"
The doctors eyes widened, his lips
| parted and he stood aghast
"But-but--I don't quite see." he
stammered. You have quarreled with
Mr. Cameron You have"
mo, no." | returned, interrupting
| ''ihi' "Ouid W NOu L Udu llIu mere
to quarrel with. Miss Grayson was
right. The man you have been using
your skill upon is no more Robert
| Cameron than / am"
| | hardly knew whether to be irritat-
ed or amused by that which followed
DR. Massey threw back his head and
roared with bolsterous laughter.
sTIof 10 hnt h. -
est kind OF a Joke, my dear fellow!"
he exclaimed. as his mirth subsidized
Not Robert Cameron? Why do you
know, Mr.. Clyde, how many years
have been his physician? No. OF
course you don't. Ten years and over,
and | know Cameron as l know my
self"
Then tell me-" said. irritation
having its way, why on earth he
ever had the initials d. VI. N. tattooed
on his left ARM"
The doctors quick changes Of ex-
preston were becoming an interest
ing study. The smile which had lin
gered after the laughter now gave
way to a lowered brow and pursed
! lips
"A tattoo mark on his left ARM"
he repeated. slowly. There's no such
thing there"
But there is" insisted; there is,
at least. on the left arm of the man
you've been treating"
Dir. Massey was still thoughtful
There is some mistake" he decld-
ed
No, there is no mistake" as.
sured him. Miss Grayson's eyes
were better than either yours or mine
She saw at once that this outlaw was
not her uncle, and you and fancied
we knew better. If you are still I'M
convinced, doctor I'll run you up in
my car, which Is at the door, and
you shall satisfy yourself Meanwhile
I'll give you some of the confirma.
tory evidence"
He went with me; and to him and
O'Hara. at the same time related
the dumfounding occurrences OF the
previous night
"And what did this McNish say?"
the doctor inquired, when | had fin
ished. did he admit the masque-
rade?"
"He became delirious. There was
no getting a sensible word from him.
My own idea is that the delirium was
feigned."
Possibly"
Isn't 1t equally possible. doctor"
asked that he has been feigning
since the frst?"
NO" was his answer 81 don't
think so. lie may have exaggerated
his symptoms, when conscious, to
gain time; but IL he had been able to
think clearly he would have secured
that letter before last night. You may
rest assured that that was the first
opportunity he had, after regaining
the power Of thought continuity And
STILL" he continued, Il am not en-.
tirely convinced that he is not Rob.
ert Cameron II 1t is merely a resem-
blaEce. as you claim, then IL is the
most remarkable case OF likeness that
have ever encountered. Moreover,
there Is one thing we must not lose
sight Of His abductors. as has been
demonstrated by everything they have
done. are an unusually clever and
cunning lot Of men. To counterfeit
age. so FAR ss the tattoo mark is con.
cerned, IS not so difficult as you might
imagine; and should have to see the
scar before admitting that It is not OF
recent origin. The letter might have
been a forgery, or a real letter, Sc
cured and placed in Camercn's pocket
for this very purpose. And hypnotic
suggestion would easily explain his de-
sire TO secure and destroy It. The use
OF foreign tongue in his dementia
even, could be accounted for in the
same way"
IL was natura that Or. Massey
should exert his ingenuity TO reconcile
these divergent points. To him It
seemed, as T. had 10 me. that a mis-
take az to he identity OF the patient
was Incredible. But now | simply
81. IL