The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-24


full mental impression. His tempera
ture Is way below normal and Hill
pulse Is q sort Of rapid feeble iiutter
Oh, do tell me what you know abou'
1t. What shock has he had? fct
were with him last evening. lie wa,
gay enough when you and he wen
from the music room. What hap
pened afterward?"
Caressingly | rested my palms upor
her shoulders.
My dear little girl" l said, sooth
ingly. Il am sorry ! can't satisfy
your very natural curiosity"
But it isn't curiosity" she correct
ed, promptly. "lts interest"
We'll, interest then. I'm sorry,
say. Something did happen; but &c
tell you just what it was. and why II
was a shock to him, l am not able
Not now, at least. Maybe, some day,
you'll know all about it."
There never was a more reasonable
young person than Evelyn Grayson
Most girls, | fancy, would have leased
and grown peevish at being denied.
But she seemed to understand.
DO you want to see uncle?' she
asked me.
Il don't believe 1t would be wise
answered. Probably /, being n
reminder, might do him harm. Tell
me how he seems? He isn't uncon,
sclous?"
NO. He answers questions. But
he never says anything for himself,
And, Philip, he looks so pInched and
old and palei And his hands are SO
cold. The nurse has taken away his
pillows and raised his feet, and
its gruesome, that's tie only word
that describes It,"
But he'll soon be bett@gg The
doctor said that, didn't he
Yes. He said that"
But the reaction which usually fol.
lows shock was only partial In Cam.
eron's case, and for days his life was
in danger. Then followed a period OF
slow, general recovery.
AS the month of October pro-
crossed | feared the liability to re-
lapse. l knew, instinctively, with
what dread sensations he must be
awaiting the fourteenth Of the month.
He had been forbidden, of course, to
receive any mail, Just as he had
been denied visitors; but / felt that
In an uncertainty that must Of neces.
sity prove injurious. And so | took
DR.. Massey, in a ricesUre, into my
confidence, and gained from him per.
mission to g Cameron for q brief
moment.
He has been asking for you" the
physician informed me, but I fan.
cied 1t better to make no exceptions.
Now, however, l see that ycu may be
a help instead of a hindrance."
Despite the more or less circum-
~stantial reports as to his condition
and appearance which had filtered to
me from the sick room. through the
medium of Evelyn, Miss Collins. the
nurse, and DR.. Massey and his assis-
tant. DR.. Thorne, | was not altogeth.
er prepared for the marked change
which less than three weeks had
wrought In my friend. He was peaked
and ~bloodless and tired and old. And
his voice was little more than a Wits
per.
He made a brave effort to smile, as
I came in, but It resulted in a sad
grimacing failure. ! lifted one of his
thin, clammy hands which lay inert
on the coverIid. but It gave me only
the feeblest answering pressure.
I'm SO glad you're better" / told
him, cheerIly. Fancy the doctor 81.
lowing me to see you! That shows
what he thinks"
YES" he whispered, I'm coming
round, slowly. And | wanted TO o.
you, Clyde. What day of the month
Is this?"
"The twelfth"
DAY after tomorrow, 1t will come"
he said.
Don't be too sure" | replied, 81
think they've done about enough to
satisfy any ordinary villains"
He was silent for a moment. Then,
with Just the faintest turn OF his head
from side to side, he said:
But they are not ordinary vii
lains."
Well" l said, III It does come, l
shall find out how 1t got here; and
that will be a step towards bringing
them to justice"
You'll find OUT" he queried, In
credulously.
Yes. I'll get your mail that day,
myself. I'll tell that monument OF
pomposity. your butler, Mr.. Checka.
heedy, that | am to see every letter
that to the house and know
how and by whom 1t is delivered. Let
ters can't get here without hands. you
know"
"Other things seem to be done
Without hands," was his conclusive
SSmAiCut, auu j Hdu uO ttpiy icI btA1'
Concerning Murphy and the muir
dered Chinaman. Cameron did not
and | was glad he did not. For
Murphy had been discharged from
custody, for lack Of evidence: and
there were some desultory eff
forts making to place the blame for
the Celestial's violent taking-off. |
doubted that they would have prac-
result.
The precautions against surprise IN
the fourteenth. which | had outlined
SO briefly to Cameron, | carried out
with added detail. For instance, | In
structed Romney to report to me ev-
cry person who passed in or out of
the gates guarded by his Lodge. !
had Kilgour, the superintendent OF
the Cameron acres, issue similar Or
ders to his men concerning any stran-
oaru uenn mn the pst2t that day