The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-03-20

lenee but with quiverIng lips ana eyes
overlooking. she started to read the
tremblingly penned sentences q Sec
ond time. I'm sorry for the dear old
creature, too. but"
Philip" she interrupted me. her
race and voice alike pleading. "Let
us send him back to her!"
Send him back!" I repeated In
amazement.
Yes. We can, can't we? We don't
have to give him up to those horrid
Cinnamon. do we? He's we'll enough
to go, isn't he? Why can't we call a
cab. give him enough money for his
passage and send him. at once?
There's a steamer sailing this morn
Ing, isn't there?"
For Just a moment I was on the
point Of yielding. Seldom has a VIII
lain had a more puissant advocate
than had McNish in this enthusiastic.
esolute girl, spurred to his salvation
by the pathetic appeal of that mater.
nal yearning which breathed from ev-
cry line of the letter before her. Tho
unselfish purity Of her cause illumined
and TRANSPORTED her. Her beauty was
radiant. /.
Answer me-" she insisted. impa-
tient at my silence. isn't it possible?
Isn't 1t really the very best way out Of
q difficulty? 1t will never do to admit
that we have had that man here in
mistake for Uncle Robert. you know"
But there is something you have
forgotten. my dear child" I objected,
with all the mildness I could bestow
upon the words. I'm your wish to give
Joy to this poor old mother-and in
that I am with you heart and soul
you have quite overlooked the fact
that We are still with scarcely a scin.
tilla Of information concerning the
present whereabouts Of your uncle"
"Oh. no. I haven't" was her prompt
re5oinder. "but I don't see what that
has to do with it, except that 1t makes
1t all the more necessary to pretend
that we still believe this McNish is
he. How will sending McNish abroad
hinder" And they she broke of.
suddenly. as l had rather expected she
would. knowing what a keen brain she
had and how once she got a clear per-
spective on the situation, she must SEQ
again the very point she had suggest
ed once herself. and which I had still
in mind.
"You mean" she began again, speak.
ing very slowly now. as she mentally
focused the conditions. "that we must
hold McNish as a hostage, and only
give him up when they return Uncle
Robert to u.s."
Exactly" I agreed. "Just as two
armies do that are at war-exchange
prisoners"
isn't there any other way?" she
asked. frowning. "Oh. there must be.
/ don't care a straw. you know, for
that wicked man; but. Philip. think
Of his poor old mother!"
II do think" l told her. 1--WE been
thinking. v e since l read her letter.
and II 1t were possible. Evelyn, I'd
give the reprobate his chance for her
sake. little as he deserves it. But I've
been thinking of Cameron. too. He
may be somewhere on the high seas,
as Miss Clements note implied. or he
may be a prisoner in some under
ground dungeon Of Chinatown. Wher.
ever he is, we are safe In concluding
he is neither comfortable nor happy.
Why, then, should we consider, to
come right down to probabilities. this
old Scotch mother of an infamous SOD.
when the safety-the life even-of one
we both love so dearly may at this
moment be. at stake?"
I 1attered myself there was no get.
ting away from this argument. 1t
seemed to me conclusive, but the let
ter had stirred the sentimental depths
+, OF. the girls nature, and she refused to
yield without m last effort.
81 know. Philip. I appreciate every
! word of what you have said; but
couldn't we find out what we want to
know through Miss Clement? She
must have a lot more information
than she put in that little hurriedly
written note. Or, couldn't O'Hara find
out for u.s."
Before I could answer her, Checka.
! ibeedy stood in the doorway.
"Dr. Massey has Just come down.
Mr.. Clyde" he said. land would you
spare lin q moment in the reception
room?"
l turned to Evelyn.
Shall we have him In here?" I
asked. And at her consent, Checka.
beedy, q moment later, led the doctor
to us-a very changed doctor. a very
decidedly less cocksure doctor than
1 had encountered earlier that morn.
ing in his F1fty-sixth street Office.
Even in his bow to Evelyn I detect.
ed the shamefaced humiliation he was
suffering.
I'VE take of our hats to your Per.
spicacity, Miss Grayson." he said.
confirming my reading. II had never
thought such a modern real-life in
stance of L%esurques and Dubosc pos.
sible."
"Then you admir-" I asked. smiling.
"Candidly. There is no question.
Yet I could have sworn yesterday that
I was attending MI. Cameron. It ID
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