Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-03-06

say tnat tHTOusucut az tut1 uyfnB -
perience she proved herself girl Of
thousand?
Bryan was waiting for me In the
passage outside Cameron's door
81 left him sleeping" he explained.
and. n possible, I don't wish to dis
turb him: so well 80 In quietly To-
gether."
Slowly and with infinite care lest
he make the least noise he turned the
knob. Quite az cautiously he opened
the door, and tiptoeing softly. We en-
tered.
II was the first time ! had been In
the room since the day Of that terrible
ou,burst, and II still held for me an at.
mosuhere as grewsomely forb4dding
as that OF tomb.
Only one lowered hight burned. over
a tall, antique bureau between the
darkly curtained windows; the cham
/ Der was In semigloom. But scarcely
had / passed Bryan. who stopped TO
close the door with the same sdroit
silence with which he had accom-
plisbed It's opening. than stealtniiy
moving white figure defined itself. 10
suing, apparently from massive
carved wardrobe. which stood against
| the wall opposite the huge. testereo
bed
| The spectacle was at least arresting
I know halted abruptly 40 II stricken
all at once with total paralysis. For
heartbeat or two I think l stopped
breathing. But my eyes meanwnhe
were strained fxedly upon the appah
tor. and seeing II pass with almost ID
credible swiftness beneath the ons
dim light above the bureau. recos-
nized Cameron.
At the same moment the room was
flooded with a sudden glare. Bryan too'
had seen, and had switched on tne
electrics simultaneously he nasIeo
past me and was at his patients s'oe.
What does this mean?" heard him
say. What did you want! Can't !
trust you alone for ten minutes!
told you. Cameron. that you must not
leave your bed unless ! am with you
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 he ap-
peared to me unnecessarily harsh.
What were you doing?" he insist
ed; and then I saw him roughly grasp
his patients arm. and hold II up. ~
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 case
was elsewhere II was his left hand
over which Bryan was engaged. ana
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 II.
Scrutinizingly I bent forward The
tattooing was .ndisputable. and. ~ the
nurse had said. 1t bore no evidence Of
being recent work
Up to that moment had hoped
against hope that In some way or 9TH
er a misconception had occurred. I
had hoped. suppose. for the perform
ance Of some miracle which would ex.
onerate this man. And now that hope
was obliterated by those ue-pricked
letters d. NJ. N. 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 It then indelibly upon
he cuticle. had dared 20 feign utter
ignorance.
And yet, l asked myself once more.
how was 1t that l had never noticed
II before? Again and again had seen
that forearm barred. Surely 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 7
; II It was necessary for you to have II.
couldn't have got It for your"
Give 1t back to mel" Cameron was
pleading. piteously. Give II back to
me! II Is a private matter Give Il
back to me. or destroy II before my
eyes. Burn 1t, here. before me-"
Let me have It. Mr.. Bryan"
asked. and turning to the unhappy gen.
tleman l said; "You'll trust me. won't
you. Cameron7 I'll destroy It. unread.
! II you wish It,"
. No. no no." he objected. earnestly.
. give It back to me-"
But even as he demanded II. Bryan
put It In my hands; and spreading Il