The Kenna record., January 24, 1913, Image 3

About The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924

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5
SERIAL
STORY
(oop'rigai, wu, A. u. uoUlvrg Ju.)
v
SYNOPSIS.
. .
Robert Cameron, cftpltallnt. consults
Philip Clyde, newspaper publisher, re
garding anonymous threatening letters he
has received. The flrst promises a sample
of the writer's power on a certain day.
On that day the head la mysteriously cut
from a portrait of Cameron while the lat
ter Is In the room. Clyde has a theory
'hat the portrait was mutilated while the
room was unoccupied and the head later
removed by means of a string, unnoticed
by Cameron. Kvelyn Orayfcon, Cameron's
niece, with whom Clyde Is In love, finds
the head of Cameron's portrait nailed to
a tree, where It was had been used as a
target. Clyde pledges Eveiyn to secrecy.
Clyde learns that a Chinese boy employed
by Phllatus Murphy, an artist living
. nearby, had borrowed a rifle from Cam
erons' lodgekeepr. Clyde makes an ex
cuse to call on Murphy and Is repulsed.
He pretends to be investigating alleged
l"f"ctlons of the same laws and speaks
rr flndlnc the bowl of an op'um pipe un
der the tree where Cameron's portrait
was found. The Chinese boy Is found
dead next morning. While visiting Cam
eron In his dressing room a Nell Qwynne
mirror Is mysteriously shattered. Cameron
becomes seriously 111 as a result of the
shock. The third letter appear mysteri
ously on Cameron's sick bed. It makes
direct threats against the life of Cameron.
Clyde tells Cametrin the envelope was
empty. He tells Tlvelyn everything and
plans to take Caieron on a yacht trip.
The vacht picks up a fisherman found
drifting helplessly In a boat. He gives
the no me of JoHnson. Cameron disap
pears from vacht while Clyde'a back la
turned. A fruitless search Is made for a
motor boat seen by the captain Just be
fore Cameron disappeared. Johnson Is al
lowed to go after being closely questioned.
Evelyn takes 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 Tip BIng, most
prominent Chinaman In New York. The
latter promises to seek Information of
Cameron among his countrymen. Among
Cnmeron's letters Is found one from one
Addison, who speaks of seeing Cameron
In Pekln. Cameron had frequently de
clarea to Clvde that he had never been In
China. Clyde calls on Dr. Ad,dlson.
CHAPTER XIII. Continued.
"This Isn't anything like berl-berl.
Is It, doctor?" 1 began. My Ideas of
the disease I mentioned were or the
haziest character. I knew, however,
that It was common In the Orient, and
thither I would lead htm. '
"Oh, no, Mr. Clyde," be answered,
suavely enough, now. "Berl-berl Is
merely the eastern name for multiple
neuritis. You haven't a neuritis or
you would know It. 1 saw a great deal
of berl-berl In China and on the Malay
peninsula."
"Do I remember to have heard Cam
eron say he contracted It In the east?"
I asked, plunging for a connection.
"I don't recall that Cameron ever
.had It," was his response. And then
his brow grew thoughtful. "Are you
sure he told you that he had; and that
he was attacked while In In Asia?"
I noted his hesitation over fixing the
place, and wondered. At all events I
had arrested his Interest. Purposely
I adopted a tone of uncertainty. .
"M.n.nn I pan't say definitely. But
I had an Impression that" And there
I paused. When I continued It was
with the direct question: "Do you hap
pen to know, doctor, whether Cameron
was ever In Peking? It seems to me
It was "
"I do know that he was In Peking,"
he Interrupted, almost savagely. "He
was In Peking, In September, 1903. To
be exact, he was there on the four
teenth day of that month. I have rea
son to know It a particular reason
to know It."
After all, how easily the Information
I craved had come to me! And yet
I would have been glad to hear the
contrary; for Cameron had assured
me, In all solemnity, that he had never
been In China, and It Jarred upon my
conception of the man's character to
discover that be had tried to deceive
me. 1 could only conclude that his
purpose was praiseworthy. But Dr.
AddiBon had not finished.
"Tell me!" he was demanding, ea
gerly. "Tell me! I have excuse for
asking. Has he ever admitted to you
that be was there?"
"Now I come to think of It," I re
turned, "he hasn't. But I had the In
formation Jrom some one, 1 am pretty
sure."
With an effort the physician com
manded hlmBelf. When he spoke again
he was comparatively composed.
"Mr. Clyde," he said apologetically,
"I am not Riven to discussing personal
matters with my patients, but the fact
that you and Cameron are friends,
and the fact rhfet this subject has
come up, make It almost imperative,
I suppose, that I should explain brief
ly the feeling I have Just exhibited.
Five years ago Rob Cameron and I
ware about as near counterparts of
I The I
Sable
1 Lorcha
I
M Horace Haieltine
CO. CO
- s.
Damon and Pythias as ever exkted.
While Cameron was In Europe, I had
an opportunity to go around the world
with a patient. We dawdled a good
deal, and, you understand how uncer
tain correspondence Is under those
circumstances. I never knew Just
where 1 should be at any given time,
Consequently, a number of letters
were missed by both of us. I was still
thinking of Cameron as In England or
on the European continent, when lo
and behold, I saw blm one morning,
hurrying along the principal street of
(he Inner city of Peking. I don't
know whether you have ever been
there or not, but If you have, Ju
know what that thoroughfare la. It
was all bustle and activity that day,
and about as crowded as Broadway at
(he noon hour, but with much more
picturesque and contrasting currents
of Individuals and vehicles. I was
In a carriage, myself, and Cameron
was afoot, walking In the opposite
direction. As we passed each other,
be did not seem to see me, though I
called to him loudly. This, however,
did not surprise me, for there was an
ungodly racket in progress. Instantly,
I had the carriage turned about, but
before I could overtake him, he was
lost In the crowd. I was leaving Pe
king that afternoon, and so bad no
chance to look him up. I wrote him
afterwards and. told him of the Inci
dent, and how I regretted having .to
go away without exchanging at least
a word with him. To my amazement
he not only denied laving been In
Peking, but In the Chinese empire at
all. When we met In London, the fol
lowing spring, and I recalled the mat
ter, asking why he had refused to
admit what I knew to be the truth,
he became icily indignant; and that
was the beginning of the end. If I
bad conceded the possibility of mis
take on my part, all might have been
well, I suppose; but there was no such
possibility. I had known Cameron for
twenty-odd years, and I could not have
made an error. I had seen him dis
tinctly, clearly, at midday in the open.
It was he beyond all peradvnture,
and from that time to this I havte been
unable to conceive why he lied to me,
and why he hose to end our friend
ship rather than admit what was in
dubltable fact."
His explanation finished, be reached
for a pen, and, as he dipped It in the
ink, he added:
"I trust you will pardon me, Mr.
Clyde. I have detained you." "
"You have Interested me," I assured
him. "And that more than I can tell
you." Which was quite true; yet I
was even more perplexed than inter
ested. To the maze of circumstances
there was now added another baffling
feature.
Dr. Addison banded me the prescrip
tion he bad written.
"After meals, and at bedtime." be
directed, with a return to his profes
sional manner. "If you do not find
yourself much better at the end of
a week, come in again."
On the sidewalk I tore the little
square of paper Into bits which the
wind carried in a tiny flurry across
Madison avenue.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Dark of Doyers Street.
At one o'clock that day, Evelyn
Grayson Joined me at luncheon at
Sherry's. She had been in no mood
to wait any longer than was absolutely
necessary for tidings of my visit to
Dr. Addison; and, moreover, she had
news of her own which she was
anxious to convey to me.
I have often wondered why it is
that the I-told-you-so passion is inher
ent in all women. There are those
who manage to control It with ad
mirable success under average circum
stances, but soooner or later, even the
most courageous battlers against -this
maternal heritage succumb, and in
dulge In a sort of disguised orgy of
reproach.
Evelyn might have told me, for in
stance, that Captain MacLeod, after
careful investigation, had been unable
to discover either hair or hide of Pe
ter Johnson in Gloucester or else
where, and stopped there. That is
what a man would have done. But,
altogether admirable though she was,
the eternal feminine was strong with
in her. Therefore It was incumbent
upon her to add:
"It doesn't surprise me, Philip.
When you told me how you picked
that man up, I was confident that he
was floating out there in your path
Just for that very purpose."
I had no inclination to dispute the
point with her. That was the moBt
painful part of it. I knew that she
was right that in putttng Peter John
son ashore, instead of in irons, I had
committed an error that might prove
Irremediable. But why couldn't she
see that I realized it, and was smart
ing under my own condemnation, and
so have spared me this added torture
of hers? Why? Because she was her
mother's daughter. That is the only
answer.
As for my Interview with "Pythias"
Addison, we discussed it fin all its
phases, without reaching anything
like a definite conclusion. Taking ev
erything Into consideration the evi
dence certainly seemed convincing
that Cameron, in spite of bis denials,
had been in China in 1903. And yet
we could not reconcile this with that
almost fanatical love of truth which
we knew to be his.
"Couldn't Dr. Addison have been
mtetaken?" Evelyn asked.
"It is possible, of course," I an
swered. "Yet Cameron's face and fig
ure .are not of a common type. Be
sides, I don't believe In doubleu. I
have heard of so-called wonderful like
nesses, tut 1 1 have never seen any that
would deceive a friend of twenty
years' standing."
A little later she inquired whether
the defective engaged to shadow Phl
letua Murphy had furnished a report.
"Yes," I told her, "It came in my
morning's mall. Murphy Is still at
Cos Cob. He didn't leave his bunga
low all day yesterday, and he had
no callers."
"I'm crazy to know what rou learn
tonight from Yup Sing," she went on,
eagerly. "Oh, how I do hope it will
gtve us some hint! It seems terrible
to think of Uncle Robert In the hands
of those unconscionable Chinamen.
And, Philip, don't you think you had
better take some one with you? I
suppose Mr. Yup is to be trusted, bt
at tho same time, you must remember
you are going into the enemy's camp,
and you should be careful."
But I laughed at the notion of tak
ing a body-guard.
"I'm to meet blm at nine o'clock," I
told ber, "In a public restaurant. Be
sides, there'll be a crowd of those
'Seeing New York' people down there
about that time, and Chinatown will
be on its best behavior. So never fear,
little girl. Do you want me to tele
phone you when I get uptown? You
know I'm going to stop tonight at my
rooms In the Loyalton."
"Of course I want you to telephone
me," she returned, emphatically. "It
shouldn't take you very long to hear
what Mr. Yup has to tell, should it?
I shall be expecting you to call me up
between ten and half-past, or by elev
en at the latest; so don't dare to go
for curjer Zrzt." '
"As if I could think of supper," I
said, looking at her In a way I had,
"when I might be hearing your
voice!"
Could I have foreseen what the
night was to bring forth I certainly
should have discouraged her waiting
for my message. But the power of pre
vision is given to few of us, and of
those few I am not one.
Assuredly I had no misgivings as,
after dining at the University club
that evening, I stepped into an elec
tric hansom and gave the driver the
address of the Doyers street restau
rant. Whatever it may have been in
the past, I believed the Chinatown of
the present to be, outwardly at least, a
reasonably law-abiding section of the
borough of Manhattan. And was not
I that night the guest of one of its
most honored citizens? What, there
fore, had I to fear?
On the contrary, as we turned from
the Bowery Into that little semicircu
lar thoroughfare which is perhaps the
most characteristic of Chinatown's
three principal streets, I was pleasantly-
interested. This was quite a
different place from that which I had
visited the afternoon before. Then, a
sort of brooding qultet reigned over
what was so ordinary as to be scarce
ly distinctive; for that part of Mott
street on which the Yup Sing estab
lishment Is located, I have since learn
ed, is merely one of the gates of the
real Chinatown, of which Doyer
street is the heart and center and
which awakens only after nightfall.
Now the place was alive and alight
Narrow roadway and atlll narrower
sidewalks were thronged with a com
bination of denizens and sightseers.
Shop fronts and upper windows glow
ed with varying degrees of brightness.
From the Chinese theater on the left
came a bedlam of inharmonious
sounds: the brazen crash of cymbals,
the squeaking of raucous stringed in
struments, the resounding clangor of a
gong. Voices high-pitched and voices
guttural, mingled with hoarse and
strident laughter, echoed from wall to
wall of the street's encroaching
squalid buildings.
Before the leaBt unpretentious of ail
these structures, my hansomstopped,
and as I stepped to the curb I got a
glimpse of its banner and lantern
strung balcony, giving to the street
a touch of color that helped lo lift it
Into an atmosphere which, if not
Oriental, was at least vividly un-American.
Finding now that I had anticipated
my appointment by something like ten
minutes I chose to watch further the
kaleidoscopic scene without, rather
than pass the time waiting at a table
within; and to this end took up a posi
tion of vantage on the restaurant's
low step.
Whether I am more or less keenly
observant than the average man I do
not know. Probably any one as fas
cinated by the general scene as was I,
would have noted as closely its indi
vidual elements. I am not sure. But
the truth is that In a very few mo
ments I had acquired a mental photo
graph of the opposite side of the
street, in so far as it came within my
direct vision. In other words every
detail of the background of the mov
ing picture before me was indelibly
printed upon my mind's retina. There
was the playhouse, with its plain, rec
tangular doorway, unadorned, save by
a quartette of rude signs; two above,
slanting outward, and one on either
side, all announcing "Chinese Thea
ter," and one giving the current at
traction In Chinese characters, with
the added notice, "Seats reserved for
Americans." To the left of this was
a quick lunch restaurant, with white
painted bulk window, beneath which
a pair of cellar doors spread Invitingly,
one of them resting against a conven
tional American milk can. On the
theater's right was a laundry, dim and
evil-looking, two plpe-smoklng celes
tials decorating its low step. And be
yond this was the wide opening to a
basement, above which, in white
Roman lettering on a black ground, I
road the legend: "Hip Sing Tong."
Again and again my gaze persisted
In returning to this sign and the dim
ly lighted cavern beneath It. The
place held for me the inexpressible,
unfathomable charm of the mysteri
ous, beside which the heathenish
racket of the theater across the way-
the sinister aspect of the dismal laun
dry and its pair of plpe-smoklng guar
dians, even 'the constantly changing
procession of varied types In roadway
and on sidewalks, exerted but meager
allure.
From time to time dark, silent fig
ures glided vaguely into view only to
disappear within this maw of mystery.
Once, while I watched, I had seen a
figure Issue forth to be lost again in
stantly In the distant gloom of the
curving street. Now, reverting once
more to this magnet, after a moment's
truancy, my eyes were rewarded by
sight of another slowly emerging
form, silhouetted nebulously against
the dusk.
At the head of the steps It paused,
uncertainly, and then, instead of glid
ing swiftly away In the direction of
Pell street as did the other, it turned
in my direction, passing almost at
once Into the comparatively glowing
radius of the street lamp opposite.
I saw then that it was a man, thin
to emaciation, round-shouldered, and
crooked limbed. Whether some one
Jostled him. or a voice from the road
way startled him, I don't know. But
for some reason "tie turned his head
suddenly, and the light from the lamp
fell full upon a face, stubble-bearded,
deep-lined, and repellent, the face not
of a Chinaman but of a white man;
a face Into which I bad looked but
twice, and then but for a brief mo
ment; yet a face as Indelibly fixed In
my memory as were the grim fronts
of the buildings now behind It the
face of Peter Johnson, the pretended
castaway.
I think I must have had it In mind
to pick him up bodily and carry him
away with me that I might by Inquisi
torial torture wring from htm a con
fession. Otherwise I should have
adopted a less eager and more subtle
method of bringing the miscreant to
book than that which 1 rashly at
tempted. Before I considered the sit
uation I was across the street and at
his heels. My finger tips, indeed.
were at his shoulder. In the fraction
of a second I should iave had him
gripped and have beeu buttling blm
through the crowd as my prisoner.
But at the Instant of seeming success,
he eluded me. In some strange way
he caught alarm and, shrinking be
neath my hand, darted slnuouBly off,
between this pedestrian and that, with
the flashing speed of a lizard
But, though be escaped my clutch,
my eyes were more nimble. With
them I followed him until I saw him
drop between the cellar doors which
gaped beneath the white bulk window
of the quick luni room. And where
fmy eye8 went , wmt after Another
brief moment and, without thought or
heed, I was plunging in pursuit down
that short, steep flight of steps plung
ing from a light-1, peopled, noisy pub
lic street Into tbe collled gloom and
grim silence of a low underground
basement.
And, as misfortune would have It, I
must needs catch my heel on the edge
of one of the treads, and go sprawling
on my hands and knees; while a
poignant pain shooting cruelly
through my ankle told me that a
sprain was added to my mishap.
For a minute I lay as I had fallen,
prone and motionless; and in that
space I realized tbe foolhardlness of
my whole course of action. My very
intrepidity had contributed to disaster.
Instead of accomplishing a capture 1
had cast myself, disabled, into the
mesh of the enemy.
The Inky darkness and profound si
lence of the place augmented, of
course, my apprehension. In vain I
strained my eyes to distinguish an ob
ject, my ears to detect a sound, yet
knew that the uncanny creature I had
followed must be close to me; lurking
possibly, with raised or pointed
weapon to mete out my fate once be
mule sure of my position.
The minute it could hardly have
been more, though, as I think of it, it
seemed infinitely prolonged ended in
a sound above and behind me. Very
softly, carefully, some one was closing
the cellar doors. Stealthily muffled
though it was, tbe faint creaking of
the hinges shattered tbe spell which
held me, and In spite of my tortured
ankle, I managed to gain my feet But
by now the silence reigned once again
and In tbe engulfing blackness I lost
all sense of direction.
Tbe suspense' of the moment was
unendurable. To stand there waiting.
not knowing when or from what quar
ter I should be set upon, was nervous
torment so hideous that in shear des
peration I plucked my match box from
my pocket, drew forth a match and
struck It to a blflze. As It flared forth,
routing tbe shadows In disorderly, if
but temnorarv. retreat. I made aulck
searching survey of my dungeon. To
my amazement I Mas apparently quite
alone.
Relieved, in a measure at least. I
employed another match and still an
other, hobbling painfully about (he
grimy, low-celled basement. In diligent
inspection. My flrst thought was that
Johnson was In hiding, and having lo
cated me by my own lighted matches.
waited now only an opportunity to
throw himself upon me from behind.
But I very soon discovered that be
had fled. Evidently he had retraced
his steps up the rude ladder to the
street, closing the doors after blm to
check my further pursuit
The place Into which 1 had followed
Mr was evidently a Chinese candy,
manufactory and cake bakery. To the
right of the entrance were rows of
shelves containing Jars of what I
recognized as sweetmeats peculiar to
tne celestial. Jn a large dowi on
rniiffh (nhla nr ontinter wns the granu-
lated Hour with which these confec
tions are Invariably powdered; ana
here, too. were boxes of round. Jumble
like cakes. I saw now that the space
upon which I bad fallen was so re
stricted that I wondered how It wa
nnss'hla for mv rmnrrv to have reach
ed the steps snd reascended without
touching me or at least acquainting
me with bis movement. And I mar
veled, too, that twisting my ankle as (
did, I had not plunged at a slant and
truck mv head nnon one or another
of the crowding tables and boxes wltk
which the cramped basement was iur
ctlshed. My third match disclosed a narrow
door In tbe broad partition at the rear,
and fancying that perhaps the elusive
Peter Johnson bad escaped by that
means while I was getting to my feet,
I Inst no time In seeking to investigate
what was beyond. I was somewhat sur
prised to And the door unfastened.
Once open, it revealed a smaller and
more crowded room, warm and fetid.
Into which were packed no less thaa
half a dozen barreU of raw and cook
ed peanuts, arranged about a low
stove on which a peanut-filled caul
dron was slowly steaming.
Curiously Interesting as all thla
would have been under ordinary cir
cumstances, I experienced only a sur
prised relief, for with my injured an
kle I was In no fettle to cope, with
even the .weakest adversary. Indeed,
now that this easement was afforded
me, my sprain suddenly asserted itself
with renewed exacerbation, sharp
twinges of pain shooting to my knee
snd demanding instant relief.
In front of the low stove I had no
ticed a stool, and for this I groped
with the eagerness of the drowning
man after a straw. To my Joy I laid
hands upon It. and drawing it nearer
sank down with a sigh of gratification
comparable only to that with which a
Marathon victor drops to earth after
a hotly-contested race.
Gradually, now that my weight was
removed, the pain lessened, and a
sense of comfort ensued. Content
ment enfolded me, which. If I thought
of It at all. I attributed. I suppose, to
the reaction from the agony which I
had Just been suffering. I remember
thinking that I would rest a few min
utes and then take my departure as I
had entered, for I realized that cellar
doors ara fastened only from within,
and that there could, therefore, be no
Impediment to my going when I chose.
I distinctly recall that I was con
scious of a certain strange incongruity
of situation, but could hardly compre
hend In Just what the Incongruity con
sisted. I knew only that I felt pleas
antly warm and drowsy; and my
sprained ankle had ceased altogether
to pain or annoy.
And then, I was sailing In an open
boat in mldoceau, and Peter Johnson,
in oilskins, sat at tbe helm, with a
saturnine leer on his face, and tugged
at brief Intervals, always longer and
stronger, upon what seemed to be the
sheet, which bad become wrapped
around my throat and chest and which,
by degrees, was crushing my windpipe
and lungs, so that my breath came
only In sharp, shuddering, aching
gasps.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Neatly Caught
An angler once missed his gold
cigarette-case, and, being very much
upset about It, but not being quite
certain whether it bad been lost or
stolen, resolved not to mention the
matter to a soul not even to his wife.
Two years had passed by when, on his
happening to meet with a piscatorial
acquaintance by the riverside, the
man astonished him by remarking: .
"I say, did you find that cigarette
case you loBt some time ago?"
"No," replied the angler to the mora
astonished Inquirer; "but you did!"
Truth About Proud Man.
"When r. womaa gets frightened at
night she Just pulls tbe bed clothes
over her head, says she Is terrified
ouj of her wits, and goes to sleep,"
says one who knows, "but with a man
it is different He says he Is not
afraid, pushes the clothes down and
lies trembling awake for two or three
hears, straining his ears at every
sound."