The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-03-07

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perience she proved herself a girl Of a
thousand?
Bryan was waiting for me in the
passage outside Cameron's door
II left him sleeping" he explained.
"and, IL possible, don't wish to dis.
turb him; 30 Wen go in quietly to
gether."
Slowly and with infinite care lest
he make the least noise he turned the
knob. Quite as cautiously he opened
the door, and tiptoeing softly, we en-.
tered.
1t was the first time had been in
the room since the day of that terrible
outburst and It still held for me an at.
mosphere as grewsomely forbidding
as that of tomb.
Only one lowered light burned. over
tall, antique bureau between the
darkly curtained windows; the cham
Der was in semi-gloom. But scarcely
had l passed Bryan. who stopped to
close the door with the same adroit
silence with which he had accom-
plished it's opening, than a stealthily
moving white figure defined Itself, Is
suing, apparently from a massive
carved wardrobe. which stood against
the wall opposite the huge, testered
bed
+ The spectacle was at least arresting.
know halted abruptly as II stricken
all at once with total paralysis. For
heartbeat or two think l stopped
breathing. But my eyes meanwhile
were strained hxedly upon the appari-
ton, and seeing 1t pass with almost in
credible swiftness beneath the one
dim light above the bureau, l recog-
nized Cameron.
At the same moment the room was
flooded with a sudden glare. Bryan too,
had seen, and had switched on the
electrics. simultaneously he flashed
past me and was at his patients side. =
What does this mean?" heard him
say. What did you want? Can't l
trust you alone for ten minutes?
told you. Cameron, that you must not
leave your bed unless l am with you"
l saw Cameron cover under the up
braiding. In his eyes | read terror
and all my sympathy was aroused on
this instant. Bryan might be carrying
out DR.. Massey's orders, but ne APP
peared to me unnecessarily harsh.
What we're you doing?" he insist
ed; and then saw him roughly grasp
his patients arm, and hold it up. re-
vealing a tightly clenched hand.
"Mr. Bryant" cried in remon-
STRANGE. Gently, gently. Remember
But the nurse paid small heed to
me. He was busy opening the doubled
fist.
stood now where could look Cam
eron> squarely in the face, but my gaze
was elsewhere. 1t was his left hand
over which Bryan was engaged, and
from his wrist to his elbow the sleeve
of his white night robe had been
pushed back, exposing a sinewy fore
arm, marked precisely as Bryan had
described 1t.
Scrutinizingly l bent forward. The
tattooing was indisputable, and. as the
nurse had said, 1t bore no evidence OF
being recent work.
Up to that moment l had hoped
against hope that in some way or 9th.
er a misconception had occurred.
had hoped. suppose, for the perform
ance of some miracle which would ex.
onerate this man. And now that hope
was obhterated by those blue-pricked
letters D. NJ. ~ beneath an almost ex.
act facsimile of the black smudge
which had taken the place of signature
on each of the three threatening let
ters-the black smudge, of which Cam
eron, wearing 1t then indelibly upon
the cuticle, had dared to feign utter
ignorance.
And yet, asked myself once more,
how was 1t that l had never noticed
1t before? Again and again had seen
that forearm barred. Surely I would
have observed so odd a mark: certain
ly | would have been perplexed by
those three uniting initials.
There, now!" Bryan was saying.
Back to bed with you, Cameron What
did you want this letter for, anyway?
If 1t was necessary for you to have 1t.
couldn't ! have got it for your"
Give 1t back to mel" Cameron was
pleading. piteously. Give 1t back to
me! 1t is a private matter. Give It
back to me, or destroy 1t before my
eyes. Burn it, here. before me-"
Let me have it, Mr.. Bryan"
asked, and turning to the unhappy gen.
tleman said: You'll trust me, won't
you, Cameron? I'll destroy It, unread,
If you wish it."
mo. ne no." he objected. earnestly.
"Give 1t back to me-"
But even as he demanded II, BRYAN