The San Francisco call., 1913-08-17

to1i0 AatAA-
He had found a dispatch box filled
with letters. These we read eagerly,
hunting for some ciew. We had
worked an hour when I came on one
that provoked exclamation.
Addison" cried. Did you ever
hear of him?'
She gestured negative. Why
Because we must find him" de-
clared.
What is it?" she asked, springing
up.
Look" / commanded. Look
Resting an arm on my shoulder and
bending forward, she read for herself:
eJust to think. We were in Peking
together and neither OF US was aware
of it until too late. no sooner saw
you than the crowd on Legation street
swallowed you up.
The rest of the letter was purely
personal. It was signed Addison.
Who was Addison? We questioned
Louis, but to no purpose A search
in an old address book. however, gave
his address as Madison avenue, and
the telephone book showed him to be
still there
was for calling him up then and
there, but Evelyn pointed to the clock
and advised patience. It was already
after midnight.
Tomorrow, she said, in her wise
fashion, "you shall call on him and
learn, if possible. how Uncle Robert
replied to that letter. There is a diff
ference, you know, Philip, between be-
ing In a place and having some one
see you there. No ones eyes are in
fallible.'
Early next day l set out for Doctor
Addison's office, and not until / had
been passed into an elevator. shot up
four floors and ushered into severely
professional appearing waiting room
did it occur to me that I was upon an
errand involving the employment OF
an extraordinary degree Of tact: So
imbued had | been with the imper-
tance of learning whether Cameron
had or had not been in Peking in 1903
that up to this moment I had quite
lost sight of my own position. Now
I asked myself on what ground was
| to make my plea for information
Indeed. would not any effort to obtain
the factssI desired be likely to arouse
suspicion, no matter how delicately
made?
The more | pondered the situation,
sitting there thoughtfully while one
after another the patients who had
preceded me passed into the physi-
clans consultation room, the more
beggarly it seemed to me became my
chances of success. And when at
length my turn came to enter the
presence of my friends friend |. was
about persuaded that | should very
soon be making an ignominious exit,
branded as an impertinently meddIing
busybody.
| have always contendsa that it was
Doctor Addison's severely professional
air which was responsible for my In
spiration. Standing dumbly hesitant
before him, | became conscious that
he was making mental inventory of me
with view to diagnosis.
Doctor" said, and the sound OF
my voice was relief to the strained
tension of the moment, Il learned of
you through Mr.. Cameron-Mr. Rob-
ert Cameron, mutual friend"
hoped to see his expression bright
en- at the name, but it did not. After
seconds deliberation he asked:
You wish to consult me regarding
yourself?'
On a sudden impulse answered
Yes though I had neither ache nor
pain, and, so far as | could judge, was
perfectly normal.
Am | right" inquired Addison, ein
assuming that your trouble Is of a
nervous character"
Il confessed that had been under
considerable mental strain.
'Thereupon, having bade me be seat
ed, he began to ply me with ques-
tions.
Il ind,''I explained, that of late
] am losing. my power OF mental CO.
ordination. =