The Ordway new era. (Ordway, Colo.) 1902-1927, 1913-01-10

why not come for dinner?" she add /
ed; and her eyes gave accent to her
words.
But your" I queried; for her car
was headed in the opposite direction.
Il am going alone to Norton. l have
a hamper In the tonneau for that poor
O'Malley family. shall be back in
time. We dine at halfpast seven. you
know. You'll GOMEZ"
"Of course I'll come" I answered
her. l think she must have heard
more in my voice than the simple
words. for her lids dropped. for Just
breath. and the color famed sudden
below her lowered lashes.
But. after all. I saw very little OF
her that evening. 1t is true that she
sat on my right at table. piquantly.
youthfully beautiful in the softly tint.
ed light which filtered through the
pink and silver filigree candle-shades.
but the atmosphere Of the dinner was
tinged by a vague. unreasoning con-
straint as from some ominously brood
ing yet undesirable influence which
i, overhung the three Of US. And when
the coffee and liqueurs were served.
employing some slender pretext for
her going, she babe US goodnight, and
left US. not to return.
In Justice to Cameron, I must add
that he appeared least affected by
and certainly in no wise responsible
for-the pervading infestivity. He had
been, indeed, rather less demure than
was often his wont, chatting with al.
most gayety concerning Evelyn's new
n fr1
Norton beneficiaries. AS for the sub
ject upon which he desired to consult
me. 1t had not been SO much as men,
toned; SO in looking back. it seems
impossible that matters Of which
neither Evelyn nor I was at the time
informed could have e1erted an effect.
save through Cameron's undetected.
subconscious inducement.
Even after his niece had with
drawn, Cameron continued for a time
to discuss with me topics OF general
and public. rather than personal, i'm
port. He spoke. remember. Of
series Of articles on THE Commercial
! Resources Of the United States" the
publication of which had Just begun
In The Week, Of which I am owner
and editor; and though fancied at
first that 1t might be in this connec-
ton he wished to consult me. l very
soon discerned that he was merely
using a statement contained therein
as q text for certain views Of his own
on the conservation and development
Of tho country's timber supply.
| Meanwhile my curiosity grew keen.
err. 1t was natural. suppose. that
| 70 DO tv,
way In fact then attributed the de-
preston during dinner to her knowl-
edge OF what her uncle and guardian
purposed to say to me. Likewise
found in this conception the reason
for her sudden and unusual desertion.
Hitherto when l had dined here Eve
lyn had remained with us while we
smoked our cigarettes. leading US at
length to the music room, where for
q glad half-hour the rich melody Of
her youthful sweet contralto voice
mingled In pleasing harmony with her
own piano accompaniment.
And while vainly made effort to
imagine wherein I might have laid my
self open to the disapproval Of this
most punctilious of guardians-for /
expected nothing less than q studious-
ly polite reference to some shortcom-
| ing Of which I had been unwittingly
| glilty-I momentarily lost track OF
my hosts discourse. Emerging from
my abstraction 1t was with a measure
| of relief that heard him saying:
| II think you told me once, Clyde,
that you rather prided yourself on
your ability to get line on ones
character from his handwriting.
That's why telephoned for you this
afternoon. I have received an anony-
nous letter..
constrainedly, his left hand gripping
| the arm Of his chair, the fingers OF his
right hand toying with the stem OF
his gold-rimmed Bohemian liqueur
glass.
IAN anonymous letter." I repeated.
with a deprecatory smile. Anonymous
letters should be burned and forgot.
ten. Surely you're not bothering about
the writer?"
wish l could put before you an ex-
act reproduction of Cameron's face as
| then saw it: those rugged outlines.
the heritage OF Scottish ancestry, soft
ened and refined by a brilliant intel
lectuality; the sturdy chin and square
Jaw; the heavy underlip meeting the
| upper in scarcely perceptible curve;
the broad. homely nose: the small.
but alert, gray eyes. shining through
the round lenses Of his spectacles; the
high, broad. slop'ng. white brow and
the receding border Of dark brown.
| slightly grizzled hair. That, super
fcially, was the face. But l saw more
than that In the visage of one nat
urally brave saw battle waged be-
hind a mask-a battle between cour-
age and fear; and l saw fear win.
Then the mask became Opaque once
more. and Cameron, giving me smile