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Show THE ERIAL STORY GLOBE-HEADE- not conscious that she was in the room. That It was Inconsiderate of me, I admit. It was, perhaps, unpardonable. Aud yet It was not wilful. Frankly, 1 had forgotten her, absolutely, In the stress of the emotional tempest raised by that revelation In the darkened bedchamber. Back and forth, J strode from bookcase to bookcase, over the soft, -tinted Persian rugs; and ail the while there echoed those repeated denials of Camerons that he had ever been In China. Never nearer than Yokohama, he had said. Once I ate chop suey in a Chicago Chinese restaurant." "I have always been Interested in China and the Chinese, but I know only what I have read. And the words of his quondam friend came backto me now, too, with redoubled "He refused to admit what emphaBls: I knew to be the truth. Nevertheless I had chosen to believe that Cameron, should he ever return to us, would be able to clarify this turbid stream of circumstance, and prove the fallibility of appearances. The Illusion to which I had clung, however, was now in shreds. Cameron, returning, with body enfeebled and brain confused, had spoken In his unguarded delirium. The mask was dropped, the screen thrown down, and barefaced and stark he stood revealed, a woeful figure In the Impartial glare 8YNOPSIS. Robert Cameron, capitalist, consults Philip Clyde, newspaper publisher, he letters anonymous threatening has received. The first promises a sample of the writers power on a certain day. On that day the head is mysteriously cut from a of Cameron while the latter la Inportrait the room. Clyde has a theory that the portrait was mutilated while the room was unoccupied and the head later removed by means of a string, unnoticed by Cameron. Evelyn Grayson, Camerons niece, with whom Clyde Is In love, finds the head of Camerons portrait nailed to a tree, where It had been used as a target Clyde pledges Evelyn to secrecy. Clyde learns that a Chinese boy employed, by Phllatus Murphy, an artist living nearby, had borrowed a rifle from Cameron's lodgekeeper. Clyde makes an excuse to call on Murphy and Is repulsed. He pretends to be Investigating alleged Infractions of the game laws and speaks of finding the bowl of an opium pipe under the tree where Cameron's portrait was found. The Chinese boy Is found dead next morning. While visiting Cameron In hla dressing room a Nell Gwynne mirror la mysteriously shattered. Cameron becomes seriously 111 as a result of the shock. The third letter appears mysteriously on Cameron's sick bed. It makes direct threats against the life of Cameron. Clyde tells Cameron the envelope was empty. He tells Evelyn everything and plans to take Cameron on a yacht trip. The yacht picks up a fisherman found drifting helplessly In a boat. He gives the name or Johnson. Cameron disappears from yacht while Clydes back Is turned. A fruitless search la made for a motor boat seen by the captain Just before Cameron disappeared. Johnson la allowed to go after being closely questioned. Evelyn takea the letters to an expert In Chinese literature, who pronounces them of Chinese origin. Clyde seeks assistance from a Chinese fellow college student, who recommends him to Yup Sing, most Chinaman In New York. The Iimminent tier promisee to aeek Information of Cameron among hla countrymen. Among Cameron's letters la found one from one Addison, who speaks of seeing Cameron In Pekin. Cameron hM frequently declared to Clyde that he Yiad never been ln China. Clyde, and Cameron were at S4aSifintlmate friends, but had a falldenial of haying Camerons over ing opt been seen In Pekin by Addison. Clyde Johnson. sees to meet Yup Sing, goes tempts to follow him. falls Into a basement, sprains his ankle and becomes Clyde la found by Miss Clement, a missionary among the Chinese. He is sick several days as a result of Inhalinga charcoal fumes. Evelyn tells Clyde of peculiarly acting anesthetic which renders a person temporarily unconscious. Murrephy Is discovered to have mysteri?,118 lations with the Chinese. Miss Clement promises to get information about Camv eron. Slump In Crystal Consolidated, of caused which Cameron Is the head, a rumor of Camerons Illness. Clyde finds Cameron on Fifth avenue In a dased and emaciated condition and takes him home. Cameron awakes from a long sleep and He gives orspeaks In a strange tongue. ders to an Imaginary crew In Chlness 1 dldn t Then In terror cries: I argon. ill them. maIi'mJ1on CHAPTER XIX, Continued. Below! be yced, fiercely. "Below, you yellow doge! Below, I gay! Every curs son of you! Below!" Despite this truculence be was not difficult to master. Together Bryan and I grappled him; In another moment we had him flat on hla bed once pressing more,' and the nurse was home the piston of that little shining Instrument of glass and silver which 1 had ao recently seen him take up from the medicine table. For a moment the patient rolled shout, restlessly, muttering strange oaths, mingled with suppliant murmurs.- And to me this was the most sadly trying part of the Incident I would gladly have retreated, but Evelyn begged me to wait "Just until be Is quiet" she pleaded; "just until he falls asleep." At length be lay quite still and we thought from hla regular breathing ha had succumbed to the narcotic, and so were about to go, when be started up but with a little feeble cry, distinct clearly "No, no, for Ooda sake, not that I I didnt kill them. I swear I didnt kill them. It was an accident She stove on a rock. I I didn't, I say I I didnt truth. At the moment I could see no extenuation. He was a liar and he was a coward; and all the sympathy, all the friendship I ever felt for him died utof terly, as I thought how, probably, every untoward Incident of the past month, with Its chain of vexatious consequences, might have been avoided had he been brave to the point of confession. It was now plain enough for the least astute to see that at some time he had committed an' act which had aroused certain of the Chinese to retaliation. It was this which I had feared from the first. It was this which he had chosen to hide. As I paced to and fro, his craven words rang once more in my ears: No, no, for Gods sake, not that! I didnt kill them! I swear 1 didnt kill them! It was an accident! And I knew that he waa lying. The very tone of hla disclaimer convinced me of hla guilt. He had killed, and he cowered before the avengers. Disgust, abhorrence, anger, all ware mine in turn. At length I paused before a window, and remained there, with my back to the room, looking down on the withered gardgg'TX.hind th house, yet see-i- n but Xto-re- d at sion. worth trying; one which, indeed, 1 prayed would serve. Cameron, you must remember, has been with his Chinese captors for four weeks. In that time he must have picked up something of their language. It Is only natural that ha should. So, you aee, to hear him use a few words In his Insane gibber of ish la not ao remarkable, after all. And aa for that spirited denial just before he dropped off to sleep, it is very they accused him of something with which he had no conned tion, though quite cognizant of the facta. But the girl would have none of it Tolerantly she listened, and tolerantly he amiled when I had finished. ' No, no, Philip, she insisted, "I see it all quite clearly. Whatever crime waa committed, the creature lying there committed It. But he la not my uncle. Others mistook the resemblance for Identity, just as you did, only the situation waa reversed. Those who abducted Uncle Robert thought they were abducting that villain we are now housing. nioua notion, but of It waa an course it w& t possible. However, I saw that It would be Idle to continue to dispute with her. "What would you suggest, then? Shall we send our Invalid to a hospital?" I asked. In pretended seriousness. But very sagely she shook her head. "Oh, no," she returned. "We must keep him. He la very valuable to ua. Perhaps we can do aa contending armies do arrange an exchange of pldgln-Englls- neutral- qn pas- A touch upon my shoulder aroused me to a realisation of my surround ig,- and Informed mfrtliat-- ; alone. Startled as one awakened abruptly from a dream, I turned, and turning, there came a revulsion. Every surcharging emotion that had held and bound me gave way instantexcited ly to a violent by the pathos of Evelyns sad, questioning eyes and sadder, quivering mouth. My impulse was to take her in my arms, and pacifying, to plead pardon for what must have seemed to her an Inexcusable churlishness. But the conditions which so recently she had set upon me forbidding the coveted embrace, I compromised on a hand-clasMy dear child, I began, earnestly, 'Im sorry. But then you must know how what we just saw and heard distressed me. I think I have been mad since we left that room. I hardly know what I have been doing. . To aee him so unstrung, demented, raving. To hear him But she would not allow me to finish. she cried, passionately. "Philip! Oh, Philip! Cant you see? Dont you understand 7 It Is a mistake, an awful nightmare of a mistake. That creature over there la not my uncle. I am convinced that he la not my Uncle Robert CHAPTER XX. An Enigma and Ita Solution. To my amazement I found that Evelyn meant more than I fancied. My interpretation of her words was that Cameron waa not In hla right mind that he waa not her Uncle Robert aa he had known him. But In a very brief moment she disabused me. It Is not he, at all, she declared, with emphasis. "There la a resemblance, yea. But the man you found in the street is not Robert Cameron; I Hla voice trailed Into alienee. He I am sure of that" The idea that I had brought there, dropped back, heavily, upon the pilnot my friend, but my frlend'a double, lows. He slept. It la one thing to have your faith seemed to me too preposterous for a In a friend shaken. That la serious moments entertainment I fear I susenough In all conscience. But your pected, just then, that Evelyns reason faith may tremble, and away and rock, had been warped a trifle by the rackand still there Is always the possibil- ing scene of which we bad been witity of its being resteadled and made nesses. "I would to God, my dear child," I firm again by explanation by extenuation even. It ia quite another thing aid, sympathetically, "that yon were to have your faith toppled headlong, right But there can be no question of the sick man. by the snatching away of the last ?eat-Ig- aa to the Identity of support, the last sliver of under- Every one who has seen him recoghim at once Checkabeedy, Loupinning. That la more than serious. nized Dr. Masaey. No, no, Evelyn, it is Stephen, is, It It Is calamitous; catastrophic; yon must not be misled by his ravIs tragic. Back in the library again, I set to ings." And at this point there to me a tentative explanation parfng the floor. I think Evelyn reI did not In the least bewhich In ode sumed her seat In the big leathern at all events, waa but which, lieve. was I am I a For time sure. (l'irir low-voice- d, f e oo-curr- PAYSON, UTAH R, h prisoners." In spite of my wretchedness, I sop. pressed a smile. It waa all very amusing; and yet the fear that she was suffering aberration due to hysteria, tempered pitifully the humor of it When, later (n the afternoon. Dr. Masaey called, I told him everything. Including thla hallucination of Eve- lyns. You did perfectly right, be said. In tone of cordial approval. The malady with which Cameron Is afflicted has a tendency to distort certain lineaments. Especially at times of excitement hla face changes, ao that Miss Grayson la justified in fancying that thla la not the Robert Cameron she knew, have noticed the dissimilarity myaelf, but-i- t la due, of course, entirely to distorted expression, la a couple of days, at moat, he will be fully restored, and then he himself will be the best one to rectify her error. Meanwhile, If I were yon, I would not dispute her. She has gone through a great deal, and gone through It bravely ; Indeed with a courage that is quite, jriioinenal, and the ia entitled to any little consolatory beliefs that aha chooses to entertain, And then, as if such advice were not wholly superflfinua. he added: "Be kind to her, Tflyd e! be good to her. She is a wonderful yoqnKwomn." Whereat Tand, and notch In promised him, lifting him my estimation becauset-Wmpcecity. And all the while a lump kept rising In my throat and threatening my tear ducta. On the following day I heard nothing from Miss Clement, which somewhat surprised me, though she had told me that her prospective Informants were likely to take their own time. Early, on the second morning, however, I had a note from her, the enigmatic character of which Impelled me to speculation. "Dear Mr. Clyde, she wrote, "I hope you can make It convenient to visit me this evening, at the Mission. I want to talk with Ling Fo, an exceptionally young Chinaman, who tells me that his people are much mystified over a recent event; and, if what he aaya be true and I never knew him to lie a new complexion la placed upon this whole matter. Come after our' service la about over. As Dr. Masseys orders forbidding any one save Mr. Bryan to enter Camerons room. Issued Immediately after our hideous experience, had not yet been rescinded, our knowledge of hla condition waa, perforce, gleaned entirely through physician and nurse. Both now assured me that he was progressing satisfactorily, and that there had been no return of the dementia. Evelyn still persisted in her notion that the patient waa not her uncle, but hla double, and following the doctors directions I refrained from trying to convince her of the truth; even going ao far aa to pretend that I believed ua she did, and planning to begin negotiations through Miaa Clement and her Chinese confidants for an exchange of captives aa soon aa our hostage waa able to be moved. "I am to see Miss Clement, tonight, I told her, late that afternoon, "also an Oriental acquaintance of hera, who appear! to be Informed on the subject which Interests ua. It ia possible that he will prove the ver person who can arrange It all.". Let me go with you" she urged, laying a beseeching 1 and on my am. "Do let me go with yjm, Philip. I am ao anxious. It will een):ftir.ra if I have to wait hera for the news; and there some things you wi about. If Im not there In spite of the unf speech I amiled, lndul blue eyes, pathetically words, were able ad t T well-educate- d nine-thirt- y, -- hard to deny her under any circumstances, and now, aa 1 thought It over, I saw no reason why In this instance he should not have her desire. Yes," 1 agreed, "you shall go. Out remember, you must he very careful, for the present at least, not to let blip the slightest Inkling that we suspect our Cameron is not the real Cameron We are seeklngnforinallon.you know, Evelyn, not squandering It." Pell street wore Its night gaudery when the Cameron electric brougham with Evelyn and myaelf aa occupants glided to a halt before the door of the lissiou over which Mlsa Clement ably and successfully presided. The pule, light of lanterns from the a restaurant across the of balcony way, mingling with the flickering yellow beam of the citys gas lamps, threw Into sharp relief the curious pendent black signs with their red cloth borders and gilded Chinese lettering, hanging before shop doors. It revealed, too, oddly contrasting figures of loungers and pedestrians, residents and visitors. And It bared, back of all that waa bizarre, the commonplace brick frontz of the typically American buildings, with their marring gridironing of fireescapes. To Evelyn, rarely observant, the combination waa interesting, but disappointing. It does not look at all aa 1 expect- d it would, she said to me. "It hasnt he air. It is neither one thing nor the ther. It is like a stage scene, carelessly mounted Aa we alighted at the Mission door, the last notea of a familiar hymn, mangled In words and melody almost beyond recognition, flowed out to join the babel of street Bounds; and before we could mount the high steps there had begun to pour forth a motley, malodorous freshet of soles, that gave ua pause; blocking, ror a few minutes, not merely the ascent but the sidewalk ae well. When, at length, the way was clear, and by direction of a youth at the entrance, we had passed through the hall, where the lights close, had already been lowered, we came upon Miaa Clement, alone In a little ofand brlKlitly-llghlefice or parlor, jutting off at the rear. If ahe was surprised at seeing Evelyn, she gave no sign. She welcomed ua both with the smiling cordiality of a friend. But abruptly her mile died. "I tried to get you on the telephone an hour ago," she explained, "hut there waa some trouble with the wire. I hoped to save you thla journey for vari-tlntc- d - : felt-sho- d d well-ventilat- life-lon- g nothing. I "Your protege couldn't come? queried. "Unfortunately, no," ahe returned, with a little quaver in her voice. "My protege will never come again. He waa shot to death. Poor, poor Ling " Fo!" Shot to deatlA I cried, while Evelyn. wlth cheeky suddenly pale and her underllp fast be- tween her teeth, and gripped hard on the arms of the rocking chair in which Mlsa Clement had placed her. And thla strong, sweet-face"Yea. woman in gray, her momentarily-los- t composure quite recovered, laid a quieting hand softly Yes. ovfer Evelyn's tensed clutch. That sort of thing is not unusual down here, you know. There Is always more or less bad blood between the tongs. Bui it was most unfortunate, Just at this time, because 1 feel sure he could have told you something worth learning. I'm glad he waa a good boy. Jle was one of the few converts that are really sincere." "Perhaps he knew too much, I , suggested. But Miss Clement made no comment I fancy it was out of consideration for Evelyn that she refrained from endorsing my conclusion; while I reproached myself for being less thoughtful, I was all the more convinced that 1 had voiced the motive for the shooting. As Evelyn did not ask for particulars, I profited by the lesson thus taught and curbed my curiosity. Iiut I waa in no mood to drop the subject. From Miss Clement's note it was clear ihat Ling Fo had already communicated to her some of the more Impor-taii- t facts in this connection, and of there I hoped to possess myself. "Aud so, Miss Clement," I ventured, sharpening my wedge, Chinatown is mystified, I understand. She was seated, now, by her little desk, and for a moment bad been turn-inup, ecarchingly, one paper after another, from an open drawer. At my observation, she paused and raised her glance, a folded sheet of note size her eyes in herliand; for a heart-bea- t held mine. Yes, she said at length. "Chinatown Is all at sea, so to apeak." "Over what?" I pressed. Slowly she unfolded the sorap of writing ahe held, and before replying he read It through, slowly and delibd, gray-haire- d g ran lako a mink away from Ms fan, and. fliltllM Away from liia luf farms. Jobs, You can ulo Ills quaua to Ilia harbor, You box; can't tart Hut you ,it From ilia yvlluw down to the roots that baaa of Ills lu-ur- jrallow And its ery true. There ere thooa here who p round to adore me, who would think nothing of treating ms aa they treated poor Ling Fo, If they euapected I knew anything and gave informal ion. I don't want you to think I'm a coward, Miss Oraysou," alie went on turning to Evelyn, "I think Ive proved to you that I want to help you and mean to, but I'tn rather upset tonight and I'tn so afraid we ahall have to Icj mutters rest a little longer. There 11 one thing, though, that you can dd for me, if you will. The laBt sentence was addressed U me, and I made haste to assure hc that alia had only to command me. As she had spoken she had heel folding and refolding the paper in bet baud, until It waa now a tiny, on inch square. Take this, she said, banding U to me, her voice a low murmur, "and after you have read It, dentroy It I shouldnt want It found In my poe session. 1 understand, Miaa Clement I turned and the folded square went into my waistcoat pocket "It may mean more to you," aba added, in a whisper, "than anything I could say." When once more In the brougham! speeding northward, Evelyn, who had been unusually taciturn throughout the interview, asked me a question "Did you mean what you aaldj Philip?" "What did 1 say? 1 queried. "That you understood." "1 understood that It might not be well for her to have thla letter of Ling Fos about." "But the rest? ller refusal to talk? Her uneasiness? Her fear of possible traitors?" she persisted. Once more sho had gone straight tof he heart of the sltuatiou. 1 had been aa puzzled az sho by the missionarys attitude of constraint, which 1 could not attribute wholly to the tragedy she had told ua of; and I admitted aa much to Evelyn. If ahe suspected eavesdroppers, the girl argued, "ahe said too much! If ahe didnt fear being overheard, why couldn't ahe tell ua all she knew?" For want of a better answer I said:1 "Perhaps the letter will eolve the enigma, and plucking - it..from -- JJiy pocket with thumb and forefinger I began carefully to unfold it The interior of the vehicle was brilliantly alight, and though we were already far beyond the Chinatown zone and the chance observation of any lurking spies, I nevertheless chose discreetly to draw the shades prior to outspreading the written page. Before the sheet with ita network of creases waa quite flattened, Evelyn,' who was bending attentively near, exclaimed in surprize, "It Is herx own See, It la written by handwriting! Mlsa Clement herself! Already absorbed, 1 made no response. Avidly my eyes were racing over the lines; greedily, my brain was I digesting them. of murder cruel "Tidings of the Ling Fo have just readied me. When you reme. as 1 know you will, I shall not dare to speak what I have written, and which Is all that the poor boy ever toRl me. Already there are spies about me, and your visit is a risk to us both. 1 would have prevented it, if I could. Three weeks ago, according to Ling Fo, a white man was ubducled by order of the Six Companies, and shipped aboard a to China for punishment, not would Fo steamer. Ling tramp or name mans white any me the give of the particulars, save that sixteen years ago he had committed a crime, known to every Chinaman in America us Tlie Crime of the Sable or black funeral ship, by which nearly one hundred Chinese coolies lost thrir lives. It seems now (hat this man, who they thought was on the ocean, suddenly reappeared in New York, a few nights ago. He was recognized and set upon by two Chinamen, but h escaped, and the Six Companies and all the tongs ara In a ferment over the mystery. Evelyn's hand waa ou my arm as I read, her face close to mine, reading held the with me. Having finished, sheet for a moment, waiting for her to signify that ahe, too, had reached the end. And in that moment the brougham rnma to a sudden halt. Before either of ua could voire a word the door on my side wee wrenched violently open, and the blue steel ipuzzle of a revolver rovered me. I . 1 (TO HR CONTINUED.) erately. A Falsa Alarm. "If you don't mind," she proposed, "Mra. Gahbit felt quits fooliah last to It. talk about I would prefer not I am in a peculiar position here, Mr. night "How did that happen? Clyde, aa you can well understand, I cant afford to play false to oae who trust me. At the same do not always know whom eae people to trust Some k.7w them very well wrote, upon s' time, something like this: "Mr. Gahbit opened hla mouth aev efal times, aa if tie were juat about to get in a word edgeways, and Mrs. Gahbit talked a blue streak for an hour before ahe found out he was merely yawning." |