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

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Identification l desired.
should have known better. In sub
tlety We are M match for the ancient
race to which Yup Sing belonged, az
was evidenced by the absolute impene-
tration Of his manner. as. after gag
Ing sharply at John Soy, he turned to
me with a visage as blank as the mar
Die wall. and, In a voice without q
shade of infection, said:
II do not know him. I have never
seen him until now"
Had a white man dared to make
such denial, l should have laughed in
his face. But the dignity of the
Oriental. the perfect aplomb Of his
manner, including an utter absence Of
all that could be construed as feign-
Ing, forbade such rejoinder; yet I
knew that he had lied.
Come. gentlemen" 1 said, denying
myself even the satisfaction of q
shoulder shrug, and we shall decide
whether the man upstairs Is the vii
lain you claim he is. Or" but 1 was
IN no mood to finish the sentence.
The seven Of US. crowding into the
elevator. were lifted to the floor above.
where I preceded the others to the
door of what we were wont to caI
Cameron's bedchamber. There I
paused
Pardon me Just a moment I
begged. with my hand on the knob.
until e whether everything 10
ready"
I had instructed Mr.. Bryan to have
McNish up and dressed. and I wished
to make sure that these preparations
were completed. But I war hardly
prepared for the scene which greeted
my entrance.
McNish. clothed in the suit he had
worn when I found him, was In the act
Of closing q drawer Of an old-fash-
Toned rosewood secretary which &C.
cupied q place against the right wall,
beneath one of the medallioned win.
dows. And the nurse was nowhere IN
sight.
Startled by the sound Of the open
ing door. the trespasser half turned.
his hands, still on the brass drawer.
handles; then. at sight Of me-, he
wheeled completely and stood defiant
with his back to the antique desk.
What are you doing there?" I cried,
Indignantly. what were you look.
Ing for?"
Even before he spoke I saw tho
look of cunning come into his small.
furtive eyes.
Il was looking for some papers Of
mine. Clyde" he answered, boldly.
and his voice was so like Cameron's
THAT, for just a moment, a shudderine
uncertainty assailed me. Only the
crafty leer weighed for the truth.
Papers of yours?" I snarled, ignor.
ing his familiar use Of my name. IL
have the only paper you brought into
this house. Donald McNish, and that's
evidence enough to put you where you
beyond. Where's MI. Bryan"
But at that moment the nurse. an.
pearing from the adjoining room, an.
:swered for himself, and McNish. with
a capitally assumed nonchalance, said,
smilingly.
Il didn't think you could be 80 cas-.
lily imposed upon. Clyde. The letter
TO Donald McNish was given to me by
iMcNish himself. He wanted me to
answer it. 1t was his last request.
He-"
"Silence!" I cried; and then, "Mr,
Bryan, get him into that chair before
the bureau. facing the door. These
people outside must not be kept wait.
ing any longer" With which 1 turned.
and with hand on knob once more,
paused until the nurse had rather
roughly, but in all haste, dragged his
charge across the floor and fairly
flung him into the indicated seat.
1t was not until after the immedi.
Rtely succeeding occurrences that I
learned from O'Hara what had been
told to John Soy on his way up town
In the taxicab. AS I understand It,
the other detectives had informed him
that he was being taken to this house
so that his chief accuser, who was
nigh unto death, could make an ante.
mortem Identification. As a matter Of
fact, of course, the situation was prac.
tically the reverse: We desired Soy to
identify McNish. and McNish, under
stress Of the encounter, to admit his
own identity. The E~urasian. however,
having been thus misinformed, was at
a distinct disadvantage. So, when
drew back the door, and he was push
ed forward into the room, instead Of
seeking, he imagined himself sought,
and with bowed head and eyes on the
floor, stood sh%rinkingly i'll at ease.
To this misunderstanding is proba-
bly, attributable all that followed. Had
Soy known that McNish was regard.
ed, equally with himself, az an az.
gressor, he might have controlled hid
outbreak and permitted the law to
wreak it's tardy Justice. But Soy did
not know, and the tide Of events me,
sudden change.
1t Is, indeed, scarcely conceivable
how rapidly 1t was all enacted. Fol
just a moment the weazened figure
stood still, while behind him crowded