The Forrest City times., 1913-06-13
si.sie broad sail. And oelo~ II are

three letters: D. MN" Blindly clutched the back of
 chair with both hands. for sense of unTeality oppressed me. and the room itself became wayeringly unsubstan- tial.
 II was not true. of course. this that
 bryan was saying. Nothing was true. Nothins was real II was all night mare; and the two gloating yellow
 masks were horrible dream faces.
 And you have probably noticed a scar-a long livid scar." II was fup Sings voice heard. He was still questioning the nurse. And now Bryan would make another pre- , rsterous answer. just as persons aE ys do in dreams. l knew would So when he said: Yes. sir. inst be- tween the left shoulder blade and the spinal column. It looks as though II were the mark Of deep and vicious Knife slash" was not in the least sur prised
 Checkabeedy brought me back 10 realization of time and place, He spoke my name in a haltwhisper and awoke again 10 realities with start. he officers are here, sir he in- formed me. uatter-of-factly.
 The oficers?" repeated. and then. memory reasserting itself. l added:
 On. yes. Of course Ask them to wait just moment, Checkabeedy.
 Into the mental marshalling of facts which ensued there came vivid men, ory Of that weird scene in the sick chamber when Cameron had rayed in 1 a strange tongue, mingled with words Of pidgin-English and few phrases discriminating phrases, in the light Of tonlght's revelation-of vigorous yer nacular. If what Bryan had said was true-and for him 10 lie about mat ter as readily demonstrable was hard ly to be considered-I must conclude
 myself beaten at all points. From first
 to last. then. had been defending ! creature unworthy Of defense. It was difficult 10 accept this con
 clusion. Mind and heart alike were arrsyed against II. Yet. thinking clearly now, I recognized fully the po- sition in which had placed myself. I
 had been willing to swear. to wager,
 there was no tattoo mark. and the best 1 eyidence-my own Eitness-had proved me wrong. Certainly l could expect no mild judgment from these Asiatics. Honest as l had been. they ! must believe that I had known. and 1 had meant to deceive them They
 probably thought that had signalled to Bryan to endorse me in my lies, and
 that the nurse had either misunder-
 stood or openly rebehed.
 Before Checkabeedy had reached the 1 door. recalled him.
 "On second thought" I said. the ot- l fcers need not wait. Tell them that
 1t was mistake, l shall not require 1 them"
 1 Turning to Yup Sing and his com panion. added
 l What MT. Bryan has told you is the greatest surprise to me Even yet 1 can scarcely believe 1T. unless the mark and the scar were obtained while my friend was a prisoner in the hands i of your countrymen.
 Tattoo marks and scars show age
 no less than faces the merchant re- piled Both Of these are years old.
 Any capable judge Of such things will
 tell you that Possibly Mr. Bryan can 1 tell"
 The scar is not fresh one" said
 the nurse. As 10 tattoo marks. l am
 not experienced; but shouldn't think | ba rJ l put there recently"
 Gentlemen" I said, making final ! stand while I do nor question Mir. l Bryan's entire honesty in this matter, nevertheless prefer 10 see these
 marks of identification, myself. If you
 will excuse us for five minutes, shall
 not be longer"
 At the foot of the grand staircase. Evelyn joined me. Bryan, at my sug. l gestion. went to the elevator and as-
 cended that way. while she and I slow 1 ly climbed the broad. velvet-carpeted
 marble steps to the floor above T thought you were never coming
 out of that room" she declared nerv-
 ously. Once, I was on the verge of ] SOiHS dlt%F you. ne uGsL tune you
 rang for Checkabeedy. I mean. | What did you have him telephone for. 1 He absolutely refused to tell me.
 Was it the two policemen, ..
 What did you want them for?
 Why did you let them go away agaln'
 - Aren't those Chinaueu ever l going? What on earth did you
 want with Mir, Bryan? What
 are you going upstairs for now"
 How tactfully l answered these ques- ! tions and others I shall not attempt to
 decide. l know only that set my
 teeth to guard the one problem which
 absorbed me, and which for worlds
 would not have her know.
 It is all right. Evelyn" assured
 her, over and over again. There is
 not the smallest danger They came to give me information. 1 You mus, be very tired. little girl. Go 10 bed now, and forget 1t l all until morning. Yes, I'll l tell yOu eyeryt hing 'hpp