The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-01-17
BILE

most pagan. verify believe he would
willingly have suffered martyrdom TO
serve her.
AS he withdrew we fell avidIy upon
the contents of the box. yet with small
hope OF finding what we sought; for
the letters II contained were all. APP
parently, OF distant date; letters. for
the most part. Of private. personal
nature, carefully assorted. and ar
ranged In red-taped or elastic-banded
bundles
1t was no mere idle curiosity which
impelled us to read many OF them.
We were In position which may best
Se described as anomalous. Though
Cameron was my dearest friend |
knew little OF his life prior to our
meeting, and Evelyn. his niece and
ward, was scarcely less uniformed
than myself In the letters just
brought to light there might. We de-
cided. be found some clue OF meal
culable service I'm the task now before
US. And so we united the tapes and
stripped of the bands and set our
selves to careful painstaking examina-
ton.
Seldom have I engaged I'm a labor so
deadly embarrassing at one moment
and so keenly engrossing at the next
There was correspondence here which
meant nothing TO us whatever. and
there was correspondence which threw
search-light upon portions Of Cam
eron's career. barring good deeds and
follies alike. without discrimination.
1t was only natural, ! suppose, that
we should dig up romance-a gem
OF luster shining amidst dun, sordid
surroundings. Evelyn and came up
on two of it's facets. simultaneously.
and paused in our work to question Its
disposal. 1t seemed to us a holy thing.
too sacred for a strange touch, and.
even at the risk Of passing over what
might prove our one agent OF revela-
ton, we folded II away again with a
sense Of guilt at having dared to lift
even the corner of the veil.
For a full hour had scanned one
letter after another In absorbed in
tentness, but with small profit Eve
Ign, across the table. had been quite
as busy. Rarely had We interrupted
our employment with exchange OF
words. But now the writing which |
held provoked exclamation.
Addison" | cried, 80 sharply cut
ing the silence that the girl started.
Addison! Did you ever hear of him."
She gestured a negative. Not that
| remember" she qualified. Why"
Because we must find him." de-
clared. a little excitedly. | imagine;
for the letter seemed wonderfully Inn
portant.
Instantly she was all alert.
What Is it," she asked, springing
up and coming to my side. What
have you found?"
Look commanded. the sheet Of
pa1er IN one appraised hand, finger
of nv other hand pointing to a pas
sage. Look! In 1908. your uncle Rob-
ert was in Picking: and yet he gave
me his word that he had never visited
China
heStIIlk dll Ois my $500
bending forward she read for herself:
Just to think! We were In Picking
together and neither OF us was aware
of It until too late! What a foregath-
ering we missed! Even five minutes
chat would have been something; but
I no sooner saw you. than the crowd
on Legation street swallowed you up"
Have you read It all?"
mot to the end" told her, lust
the beginning and the signature.
Come" | added, well read II from
first to last. together"
II was written from Cairo and bore
date OF December Z. 1908.
my dear Cameron" 1t began, IL
am wondering whether you are back
in New York again. However, you
will probably be there for Christmas
and therefore this letter will not long
await you. We have been making a
| rather leisurely tour OF the east. Ar
rived here two days ago and shall re-
main until some time in January"
The writer then gave general out.
| line OF his travels. You will prob
| ably be surprised to learn that once
you and | passed each other as ships
in the night save only that we did not
even speak each other In passing" he
went on. 1T was my last day-indeed
my last hour--in northern China
Otherwise should have made search
for you Just to think We were in
Picking together, and neither OF US
was aware OF 1t until too late. What
foregathering we missed Even Ave
| minutes chat would have been some
thing: but no sooner saw you, than
the crowd on Legation street swal
lowed you up. Half an hour later
was on the train for Tien-tsin."
The rest OF the letter was rather
confusingly personal in its references
TO mutual friends and interests. II
was signed: Always with warm re-
gard, Addison"
do you suppose that Is his hrst
name or his LAST" Evelyn asked me
as we came to It,
q refuse to suppose" returned
smiling. 'It's an even chance. What
is more to the point IL. how long has
Louis been your uncle's valet2"