The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-01-03

| hOShny ana green study; he at hi
writing table and in the same ada
cent leather chair in which l had sa
a twelvemonth ago while listening t.
the story Of the incised portrait.
AS was not unusual we had reverted
to that time and to certain Of the in
cidents Herewith connected; and
had been trying to make clear to Cam
eron, as | had already frequently tried
to do, the peculiar difference between
McNish's expression and his.
TN individual feature" said, warm.
ing to my subject, there never was
In all the world before, believe, such
similarity. And in repose, the en-
semble, | should say, was equally iden.
teal. But when it came to-"
And there Cameron checked me.
Clyde" and his tone was strangely
grave, 1t seemed to me. you'll pardon
my interrupting you, l know. I'm.
derstand what you would say, proba.
bly, better than could from your put.
ting 1t into words. And | want to
tell you why l understand. Indeed
I've wanted to tell you for a long
while, but whenever I've got to the
verge Of 1t, l have baked"
He paused here to shake the ash
from his cigar, reaching across his
desk for receptacle, and somehow
the gesture reminded me of that of
McNish as he had thrown out his arm
which held the letter. and so exposed
the telltale tattooing.
i have never told you, Clyde" he
resumed, his eyes turned on the glow
Ing tobacco ember which he had lust
barred, anything about my birth or my
family. But now that you are to be.
come one Of us, in a way, it's only
fair that you should know for though
Evelyn's mother was but my half-sis-
ter, still the girl gets the same blood
through her grandslre."
YES" l said, "a know that. Evelyn
told me that much know, too, that
you were born in Scotland; and the
very name Of Cameron is pretty good
guarantee of family worth"
MY father belonged to a rather poor
branch" he confessed, "and like many
poor men he had a large number Of
children. There were ten, all told,
and when my poor mother died, it be-
came serious problem how to take
care Of US little ones. I was among
the youngest, not over seven, and |
had a twin brother"
AS he said this Cameron, who had
been desultorily drawing figures on his
writing pad with the end of a pen.
holder, abruptly shot his gaze to mine
and caught the quick question Of my
eyes.
"Yes," he said. without, change of
tone, yes, you see, now, don't you"
'McNish!" | murmured.
"McNish," he echoed Donald Nc
Nlsh."
But" began, 81 don't quite" and
l thought of the letter from McNish's
mother.
ooh, it Is clear enough" he went on.
Some Of the children were put out to
live amongst neighbors, and eventu-
ally. my father and the rest OF US
came to this country. The others he
left behind, promising to send each |
month the money for their keep. Don.
aid he left with q couple named Nc
Nish, who had no BARNS of their own,
and when the boy grew to be a big
lad, and my father, who in the mean.
time had been successful here and |
married again, sent for him to come
to America, word came back that he
had been dead twelvemonth."
"And your father believed it?"
"Oh, yes, for they returned the back
pay he had forwarded, and sent lock
of my brothers hair, l think, and
trinket or two that had been his as
kiddie."
Afterwards, though, you learned
that he was still alive"
mo" was Cameron's answer, eve
never heard. Had 1t not been for that
marked resemblance gathering me in
to the net spread for him, I should
probably never have known. And,
Clyde" he added, lever since l learn
ed Of his having been there in town,
have been wondering. Do you think
It possible that he ever realized that
he was in his brothers house%
Hardly" I said. 1T doesn't seem
likely, though; unless the name and
he-He must--Oh, certainly" | stun
)led, "he must have realized that we
nlstook him fOr-yes, for some one
named Cameron. He answered to it
readily enough; he even insisted that
re was Cameron, And If his mind was
clear enough to put two and two to-
yether. why, knowing that he had a
win brother in America. It would
Ieem-" And there | stopped my
for Cameron had risen to
lis feet, and smiling, tolerantly, was
waving hushlng hand at me.
Eyes, yes" he said, "I've argued 1t
III out in just the same way. dear
riend And yet we never can be GER
ain, can we? Only have thought, II
lie might have realized 1t. and have
'een able to have played the part, and
tayed, and taken up my life and lived
for the rest Of his. l might have
zone on and taken his punishment to
ONE purpose. For have had more