Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-01-30

had come again and eight hours ct
least must have passed since I stood
killing time on the sidewalk In front
Of the restaurant In which I was to
have met Yup Sing.
And. a. my mind cleared. there
rushed IN upon me . recollection Of
Evelyn's apprehension and Of my
promise to reassure her not later than
eleven o'clock. Suffering as was.
physically. ! know my mental distress
q, thought Of how she must have
waited with growing solicitude hour
after hour for that expected ringing Of
the telephone bell; how. indeed. she
must. even now. be distraught, not By
uncertainty. but by the conviction that
some ill--some serious ill-had befal-
len me. was more poignant.
In my eagerness to relieve at once
this unrest which I knew to be hers
would have risen. but my strength
was not equal to the test. My muscles
refused TO obey my will and lay su.
pine, inert. powerless. would have
learned the time. but to seek my
watch. which ! fondly fancied was
still In my pocket. seemed such an
enormous exertion that I reluctantly
gave over the idea. To breathe, to
draw air into my lungs and expel It.
was prodigious labor, wearying me. II
appeared. to exhaustion; though with
every inhalation lucidity Of thought
and. | suppose. physical force as well.
were being impsrceptibly augmented.
Then. very slowly. there came to me
a realization Of the vulpine cunning Of
these ortentals into whose hands had
fallen. ! was to be found here. dead.
not from inhalation Of foul air in an
ill-ventilated cellar. which might ex-
cite suspicion and provoke inquiry,
but from over-indulgence In opium. to
which ] had probably been addicted
for years. unknown even to my closest
friends. For the hop flend" there 10
small sympathy. no matter what his
position. and my family wouiu hest.
tate. therefore. to prosecute. prefer
ring to avoid unpleasant publicity.
Yes; II was very clear they had
thought me dead. and SO had left me
here unmatched and unattended with
the evidence OF my mode Of passing
theatrically displayed beside me. II
only remained now for some employe
or visitor to discover me and give the
alarm.
! had about reached this conclusion.
after a long and desperately trying
effort at logical reasoning. when my
straining ears detected the sound Of
footsteps in the passage. The door
OF the den was slightly ajar and I lay
well In sight OF any passer-by who
should glance through the narrow
opening.
Whether to feign death. or boldly
make known my recovered conscious
ness, was for just a moment a ques-
tion. But before my sluggish brain
could decide. choice was snatched
from me. The footsteps paused. and
simultaneously. II seemed, the door
swung farther inward. disclosing, not
the pig-tailed. greasy -bloused Mongol.
Ian ! had expected. but a white wom-
an. tall and shapely. with hair Of iron
gray and the very kindliest eyes that
ever | looked into.
made as II to speak, but my swol-
len tongue refused to perform its
office. and something that may best
be described 40 a gurgle was the re-
suit. With that she came to my side,
and for a little regarded me silently.
I felt that seeing the pipe and the
little peanut.oil lamp. she must draw
the natural inference. and. though
there was no reproach In her look,
wished. II possible, to correct that
false impression. therefore made
effort to gesture denial. employing q
glance to indicate the objects and Q
very feeble side movement Of the
head to express reputation.
1t 10 possible that she understood.
but | question that she believed. !
have no recollection that she spoke a
single word to me, and yet. when she
was gone, felt that she would sure
ly return TO my rescue. And I was
not misled. ! suppose this partial re-
lief to my anxiety resulted In q slack
ening OF mental effort on my part. for
must confess that what followed 10
very vague In my memory. know
only that she was accompanied by
two men. one white and one yellow,
who carried me down narrow Night
OF stairs. out onto the street and into
waiting cab. ! cannot recall that
spoke. but l learned afterward that
I had mumbled the word "Loyalton."
and thither she accompanied me.
There physician came. one whom
I had never seen before; and I was
dosed with aromatic spirits Of am.
monia and made to breathe oxygen
III hrouQh n funnel hy n whifn.clad