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the m a! -y Inn-m ' mm then had been no no) film-1mm lam-eat. Sham outspoken. '10:.an final-don Mthommm u muss-Me mm-«rmafl " Mummhmum w trachmmbm nu). _. line-Audubon"; . . . a multiplicity of m .,_‘-ma.mofmanddhp I know I shall never forget the mo- mentsry impression I received. Out of the solden sunlight. it seemed to me. there had emerged suddenly I tshlesu of Queen 'l‘itenls on s topaz throneâ€"the (silent Queen ’l‘ltsnls in» snistlon ever conjuredâ€"end l, in my Insd. psnting speed in shout to cash Into the sunny tsbric of nm drum cmtlon end rend it with brutsl, torturing onrush of relentless. lard-driven nlckel steel. 1 tnke no credit to mysel! tor whet i did. Voll- tlon use sbsenL My lands noted on an impulse shove end beyond sil tsrdy meals! midsnco. For Just s dashing Instsnt the grey nose at my ass rose “on me. ss in strenuous ssssnlt it haunted hslt vsy to the coping d the rosdslde wsll. l (on my sest dsrt swsy hols benesth me. use conscious u my body in swift. unsuppotted sstlsl light. snd thenâ€"but it Is ldls to attempt to set down the conglom- eats sensslions or (list snnll lnctlon d s second. When I nuinp‘d eon- sdeusness, Queen Tltsnis ,Vss kneel- no hm four mom. had M the meal mt! 0' II In: In awe! lo Inn-Icy M's:- a...“ and m" II '10 ”I'M. m the mm of III (In M us. By which mic-at I Inn to mply name to .7 Ida- kh W“. He was In All men Il-lnbleâ€"n mile-:- of due-tb- nl culture. widely maid. of cult- at Hot): and nobk when.” N "k. I. an and undue-co. Butâ€"l 'II M to qualify m- lry mun II- “ med Ind henna. 1 far. though, to give a won: him Bo wu namely that. M m‘ mu, homer. no. he wn Ille- mdve. and he vumm mulwquflQQ’floMQH mnmunWROn-o Mon that new" In Ind-Ila! untanglluontbooldnocm m M n: autumn-hr. than Ind Mn «ban. 0! mm: for M flung. who- ""74” In... In I Mn .16. wu Evelyn Orly-on. vu mun-andrordol my aunt 'htfo'rnmllnm-on Mic-I bovnunnokl‘ro'um huh. hunched-monmbuwaom â€"c very clan-ad nu union Quota flu-In. with 'Mf,ICIHM out. and mum: ”immune Ilaâ€"cod about u m a halt down or non d a. "dual mom ML Then, a: now. we were each driving our own car; she. a great sixty horse- power machine. all glistening pale yel~ low. and I. u compact alx~cyllnder near, 0! dull dusty guy. But we were not. on any such broad, roomy thor- mhlue an the Boston Post Road. On the contrary we were short-cutting through a. narrow. rough lane. beset by stone walls and interrupted at in- tervals by a Berle- at sharp and treacherous anglel. The Vanishing Portrait. ‘ Evelyn Gmywn, meeting me on the old Boston Post Road. hgtween Green- wich and Stamiord. gave me a men- lago from her uncle. That Is the logical beginning of this story ; though to make everything quite clear from the start it may be better to hark lack a lew months. to the day on which Evelyn Grayaon and I first met. Mamma.e.mumo 0 ca. CHAPTER I. I “Why not con 2%., nah-‘1] 63.53.8082,! £583.85 E‘s-flu. gag-.55.»?!- gun-entering"!â€" Lavaâ€"D05 gagging-raging £58 .5- 3.538281 28:3 Eéuiggudi, SE~£~8§§¢<¢ _ character from m handwriting. That'- why I tekphonql for you un- film. i luv. mean! u no”. lo- letter.” Then m n .11 too 1mm 11- Inlm at m in his mu- m of m to deal" even tie. untied In planning bur-on! '1th mpluonmml-GIL And 'lnolnlllylmkclorth mvkrehl-lfithvo hum- .arm to new «this no“ mama-Hort mambmlmhunn-dm ”Manure-commotion” uguwmxndne-nmwr ”my-l momentarily M track 0' gym-dim nah-unm- nynbuncflonltmwflhtmn crewman-n1 tin-m: ‘Ithink you to“ I.” m that you rather prided W 0' mubnuyusettflmmm" I glad hum-r the rich melody d . v‘ r..- in Justice to Cameron. 1 moat add that ho appeared lenot afloctod byâ€" ond certainly in no wiao mponaihio {OHM pervading intertivlty. Ho had been. indeed. rather iooa demure than waa otton hia wont. chatting with al- moot surety concerning Evelyn'o new role of Lady Bountliul and at her Noroton henchciariea. Al for tho out» ioct upon which ho drained to moon _1no. it had not been on much as Mir tionod; ao in Inching hach. it aooma impoaaihio that nation at which noithor Broiyn nor 1 waa at tho titno informed could havo ourth on aloct, uro thmuh Camem'a nhdotoctod. auboonaoiona indnootnont. Em altar hia nioco had with- drawn. Comm continued tor a limo to dim with no topica at aonoral and public. rathor than poraonal. in- ‘ port. Ho apolo. l romanhor. o! a aorioa at onicioo on "Tho Cotonou-tat Roam-coo at tho United iltatoa.” tho publication at which had but ham ln 'l'ho Wooh. at which l on ownor and odltor; and though l fanciad at tint that it night Do in thia conno- iionhowbhodtooalult-qlrary ooon dlaoornod that ho waa nonly oain; a Mata-oat contained thou-tn aa a taxi tor main viowo ot hia own on tho conoorration and dovolop-oot tf tho chantry a tinhor mly. lanthutotowhatlayooonaa- iatonatlaa dotali. partly that i may giro a hint ho to tho charactor at Cam‘- Iiad. hat Iona «mm to todieato how lightly ho woald havo had no thiah ho round that for which ho ought no. loaawhllo ny caricatty now hool- rr. ltwuoatarahlmthatl ohoaldfaacylralyaiavolndlaao-o way. Intact factthoal attrihotodthodo f But. alter all, I saw very little of her that evening. it is true that she not on my right at table. piquantly. youthluiiy beautiiul in the [only tint- ed light which filtered through the pink and sliver filigree candle-shades, but the atmosphere or the dinne was tinged by a» vague, unreuonin con- atrnint as from some ominously brood- ing yet undennahle influence which overhung the three of us. And when the coflee and liqueurs were served, employing some slender pretext for her going. the bade no good-night. and 1m ul. not to return. ! am going alone to Norton. I have a hamper in the tonneau for that. poor O'Malley family. I shall be back in time. We dine at halt-past seven, you know. You'll come?” "01' course I’ll come." I answered her. 1 .think she must have heard more In my voice than the simple words. for her llds drooped, for Just. a breath. and the color named sudden below her lowered lashes. “Why not come for dinner?" she 'add- ed; and her eyes gave accent to her words. "But you!" 1 queried; for her on was headed in the opposite direction mutation: exerted. They seemed to bra-m e grim mm of ham-able Nemesi- m In ence- of “mini “0 be found In the euphemism at the written man. When I hedlulehed hereunto! then aloud, macaw (at but in lu- chair. at silently thoughtful. an. eye- named him! ”I alleles. ceued. It went on: "Once move. a earnest at what ll decreed. there will be shown unto you a symbol of our power. Promotion «not null. fine word: ad I. ma- lag countmm mole not virtue.” And bone-n each letter in. the strange silhouette which Cemeron m mentioned. It in dineun for no to mm the molt meager Me of the emotional In- That was the first letter. The Ice- o-d began with the am sentence: “Thu which you have wrought mm in turn be wrought upon you.” ? luthoncceedlumtthemm m ghoul, silent; and then. breaking mathuinmwummndd I! 7010!. main: “nu chh you have wrought mu In turn to wrought upon you. 1'qu var-mg mentors of nut uhan lap- on on the seventh day hence. A- m fonowl m. to fonowu all that In decreed. Thewunotouroorluro any. 0: the righteous he shower- One of the long Preach window: 'hich gave upon the (er-taco Itood mt. Ind before resuming his seat Gui-em pun-ed to dine fl. dropping out It the looped curt-Inn of slim my velvet that matched the walls. phnuolou u won an In poll-II- nhlp tho 7m humanely unique. '1! you don't mind." Canno- m am “you might mod the- cloud.“ nomannflchodolnmpd theme all lights at In but, and I lurid for the hundredth um. his Dink-HI! towering height. his powerful Men. his Dunne“ of Mn and may «nightma- ol ll-h. Hodflmholth‘lmmto 'Mch ho contented. 0t coouo I thought. of tho mack Hand. lt no tho natnrol corollary. oootau that tho mum had been tutvlug no 3 nrtolt of lilac! flood ‘ throoto aad Illack Hand ootnua. but. mom. I am not «an to volco ".5 To havo omoatod anythtng oo ordl- nary to Como-m tn hlo pmont mood would havo boon to olor Mn olonoo. ' And whomatthooatnomt. ho dmm-aalaoorpoclctothtom nlu coat two thla. with ohorto or oavoraodpauodtho-to-glm atadthatlhodhoptotlooco. .l‘ortho letter: m Io rough. rIdo ocrawlo o! n mttorato flak or Ca-orra. la mic-m -- ”n .- a- _-_-- I III I0. "Now what do you no?" “no Mod of a man woarlnx o bol- not." Tho momblonco In very rnorlxod. ”A straw helmet. opponntly,” ho I annulled. "ouch no lo worn tn tho I Orient. And yet tho pronlo to not that 0! on Orlentol. Now, look at your voo- . ool auto." And once won I mod tho ohm of vapor. “Can It ho a Cblnooo hall" I said. "It might ho o aalllng woo or han- ca." ho returned. 'ooch ao they no to tho Booth Podflo. not whotuor It to. 1 coin “demand what It ha- to do w“. no or I vlth It.“ But there, though the dummy at “thn the second lottor cum." ho continued, banging his lot! bud lon- wnrd to Join m- rlah! on the unsung white around or the ubh'l damn. ”I watched among the circular. {or the Inc. Ind found It. I want you to m then both. The writing In very curi- omâ€"l have mar not: anything Just Illa “â€"Illd the llflllm. I! I my all It that. In lull mono Ilunlu. On Ibo am latter. I tool It for a bloc. But on Ibo mood Mt" ocean the um. black blur or land” or Identical om.- I fear my imagination In sluggish. Although. in who of MI dluemblanoe. 1 av that he was Itmgely moved by these happenings. I could fancy no very many!“ concomitan- ot the rather commonplace tacit ho Ind nar- nted., l-‘or anonymou- lenen l bud ever bold mm wheel. An Imbulhed enemy. I argued. II admittedly a cow- ud. And I0 I In: In dunno! mur- lng Impatient. "Somqthiug happened very lhortlr alter its receipt." he replied. "Same- thing very puzzling. But in spite of that. I was inclined to Heal! the ln‘atter u a bit of clever chicanery, devised for the purpose, probably,“ extortion. Al Inch. l again put it from my thoughts; but today i received I. sec- ond letter. and l admit I am intematâ€" ed. The adult has leaiures which make it. indeed. uncommonly perplex- My apprehension lest Evelyn and I were personally affected had been by now quite dissipated. It was perfectly apparent to me that Cameron alone was involved: yet my anxiety was none the lean eager. Already my nym- pathy and cooperation were enlisted. I could only hope that he had mental- ly exaggerated the gravity of the situ- ation, yet my judgment of him was that his inclination would he to err in the opposite direction. “And now something has happened to recall it. to your memory?" deed I may say that when, about a. month or so ago, I received a com- munication or that character, I did almost precisely what you now ad- vise. Certainly I toilowed one-half of your prescriptionâ€"I forgot the letter; though. ror lack of fire in the dog days, I did not burn it, but thrust it into a drawer with an accumulation of advertising circulars." "There are anonyméua letters and anonymous 'letters. Ordinarily, your method is the one l should pursue. In. Then the mask became opaque once more. and Cameron. giving me smile to:- smile. was replying. the mud loan. of III- amount“; the high. broqd. doping. white brow and tho receding border or dark brown. nightly grluled hair. That, super- ficially, was the face. But I saw more than that. In the vum‘ot one nat- urally brave 1 law a battle waged bo- hlnd a maskâ€"a battle between cour- age and tear: and I saw rear win. “More than carefully," he answered. "But you shall no then. if you like. I found no taco of m identifying uni-t.” . Thu! for he had undo no further motion of the “puzzling him which followed the W of tho first letter. and in the intent! provoked by tho lotter- then-elven I had {unborn ovulation him: bum-1mm "You «mined the envelope. aro- fully. I avenue!” was my query :0 I returned the lheetl to the table. "It in very odd." I commented. with feeble banality. Itooktholettmnonhi-handa once more, and held them In turn be- tween my “lion and the candblkht, hoping, perchnce, to dimer 1 n tar-mark In the piper. But I m not mu m the poetâ€"morn?" “They bore no pout-marl. Thu In nether strange clmnmnnce.’ Yet they were with my ml]. How they mine there I [an been unable to u- certeln. The people It the poet otllce notmlly deny that they delivered anything “stamped, u thene were; and Borrle, the lad who tetehen the letters. has no recoflectton of these. Nor has Chechheedy, who sorts the man here at the honne. But each 0! them lay beside my .plate at hrenh- futâ€"the first on the fourteenth of Am“; the mind. this morning. the fourteenth at September.” “And they were not delivered by 5 "Hunting.” l wavered, my”). “I: h endow mum-hip. :- you a] â€"huvy and regular an upright. with some “angel, formed hum; oo- pechny the r. Ind tho p‘l; but It an. no nothing.” "But I thought-4‘ to ban. “That I boasted? So I did. When m write- at one habitually writes It in very easy These Mien, however. Its not in the writer's ordinry hand. Tho 'mlng II as Ifllflclal n though you. for example. had mud a not. In Roman character; Wm they :4- dnned in the no land? I van nun undying on black dub. when be .141 "But you hvm’t told no about tho Indium“. What on you read of no chant-kt at the VII-Nerf" “Sour-Immune." Then. with I linger pointing to the Ink-cull: It the bottom of one o! the Flheetl. be asked: “What do“ th look llho to m?“ I took the tar tron: Mn. and 'Icnllnitlng the rude Inn with con. mtflk‘d attention for I moment. ven- tured the lune-Hon that It. Iomowhat humbled ; ball. “A enema-tad vmol. unan- " M added. In elucidation. IO d'y.lt “Now mm It uptick down.” I did so. "Now what do you no?" “Tho had of a mu: wearing n hel- met.” The mmblnco was very linked. He had gone very pale. and MI Itrong. capable bands. which toyed with the two lotion, qulvemd and twllchod In axons of nervoul ton-Ion. "Ah!” he cried, leaning forward again and reaching for the letters. “You have experienced it. too! And you can't explain it, any more than I? ‘It is something that gripe you when you read, like an icy hand, hard as steel, in a glove 0! velvet. It’s al- ways between the lines, reaching out, and nothing you can do Will stay it. I thought at first I Imagined It, but the one-net I have read, the more I have felt its clutch. The letters of themselves are nothing. What do you lunpoae i care for veiled threntq 0! that sort? I'm big enough to take care of myleli. Clyde. I've met peril in about every possible gulls. in every part or the world. and I've never teal- ly known (car. But thisâ€"thin II dif- ferent. And the wont oi it in. I don't know why. I 0311': for the life of me make out what It In I'm afraid at." And now he was a: serious as I could wish. â€"” And then I paused. I wished to tell him of that elusive encompass- ment of sinister portent which had so impressed me; or that maiign forebod- ing beyond anything warranted by the words; but. I stumbled in the eifort at expression. "Besides," I started again, and ended lameiy, “I don’t like the look and the feel of them." “There are anonymous letters and anonymous letters," I gave him back, In turn. “These are of an unusually convincing character. Besides. they "But they are anonymous." be m- tortod. not ubjustly. "Anonymous letters should be burned and forgot- ten." “Cameron," I begged. "for God’s sake be serious. This doesn’t seem to me exactly a matter to be merry over. I don't want to alarm you, but somehow I feel that theseâ€"" and l Ihook the crackling, wax-like sheets. "that these cannot boutterly ignored." “Well!” he laid. And the lisht cheer-meal 0! his tone wu not. only in marked contrast with his grave It» sol-mien of a moment. before, but in jarring discord with my own present mood. "We!" What do you make of them?" My annoyance found Voice in my to- spouse. tonliml quit-mammoth! companion was speaking. Csmeron showed me the mutilated portrait. He had tulen it down si- most immedintely. end had hidden it away in n closet of the boil behind sn srrsy of nincusts. The cutting had been done. evidently, with en exceed- ingly keen blade, and very dexteroue- ly done. But thnt it should have been seeornplished in twelve minutes. while Cameron est in the room. not fifteen feet distsut, was beyond our compre- hension. Absorption in his book we! the nearest we come to s. solution. sud thst was scarcely tenable. Farther. wss the crowded too of the. hook- shelves. To out the anus. the un- dsl must either here stood upon that or here rented A leader. Then wns Enotroomtorthetoototeehildonths ‘ shallot”: snd ss for the loader, it wet 1 unthinhbie. Haw mid n isdder hsvs been curried in and out without Cen- llfle m Echo In the Wendi. 0! conveying even e (like of the lion- tor I experienced at Cnmeron‘e die- cloenie I All nigh hog-elm. The more we discus-ed the occurrence the Penn meeepiihie it seemed of explnnilon. And win: in no terrifying u the in- expllceble. or no draw an the in- tangible? Here, eminently. wne an enemy of aim nnd cunning melignity, who choee io manifeet bin power in n manner nimont ludicrously medleâ€" are In it pointed with eigniflcnnt flo- ger to none dire and inviinble neqnel -nt with ml: crnfty lecrecy en cum. ‘ pietely to nmity and dimy. “Out from the mm" In mt on. In towered voice. "den and than from em: to can“. And the hand- ol the clock pointed to twelve uh,- Itn put one." (hm vu no held not he. then!” I at up suddenly. mammal. Income-u. Only my vid- on and. wen no M mm (lien. hoe-no "On tho unmoon of Friday. Amu twenty-ant. uvcn don nflor the ra- coipt of mu lint letter. I no nluini when you no gluing now. I won rendinu. nnd dooply interested. I M DI! tho loner. no I told you, oniinl! out of my mind. I had forgotten It. nboolnioiy. Thu nonniivdny imainm I bod regardedâ€"i! l rounded ii. ni nil â€"u idio "poring. Tint thin vu (ho nflornoon of tho month «in did not occur to ma until afterwards. ,I recoil that l nnnnod In reading to ponder n par-graph that won not quit. door to mo. and that while in contemplation l and my eyes noon (in: porirnii. l to member (int. bean-o it struck ms (hon. that tho flesh linin of tho fnoo ind grown muddy and mu tho (Mo's would to honor for n donning. i ro- cnn. too. on It um mount. (in lit- "0 clock. yonder. “MI three. I n- dhod my reading: but may. no- oiher ointment demanding cogiiniion, liovendmyhmhnndonnomoromy oyon rooted on m pom-nit not not. on tho muddy Icon iinio. Milk” ho ponoed nod loaned lot-word. tannin m, opening with invasive empla- It was Indeed crowded. Bronx built and lumen”: "Chung and sol! trophies In Illvor: framed photo mobs; a score otoddn and endl, lou- wnln gathered the wotld over. Then vu unruly an Incl: or upon unoov copied. ! had frequently oboorvod (Ml plethora of omnmont and reunlod it. u an to that port 0! the room the semblance of o corloolty shop. Whoa I had nodded my aunt. he went on: “Quid: right.’ Now I want you to ob- Iervo the shelf-top. You no how crowded It 1.." "Cert-Ink." I nnlmmd. “It him; than.” pointing. “Do you, by any chance," he asked. “remember a portrait which hung Ibove the book-shelve: 1" I remembered It very well. It van t painting of himself. done some year! back But. now my [on sought It In “I want you to alt in thls chair," he said, ludlcanug one of numpmous up- holstery which stood beside the writ- lng table. facing the low. long book- cases lining the opposite wall. I did as he bade me, while he re- mained ltanding. I remember helping myself to a cigar (mm the humldor which stood on the antique cabinet in the corner near the door. I was in the act of lighting It when Cameron spoke. Then he rose. abruptly, and saying: “Suppose we go into my study, Clyde,” led the way from the dining room. across the great. imposing. grained and fretted hall to that comparatively small mahogany and green symphony wherein he was wont to spend most of his indoor hours. It was always a rather gloomy room at night. with its high dark ceiling, its heavy and vol- uminous olive tapestry hangings. wholly out at keeping, it seemed to me, with the seasonâ€"and its shaded lights confined to the vicinity of the massive polished. and giltornamented writing table of th period 0! the First Empire. And it mpressed me now. in conjunction with Cameron's prom- ised revelation, as more than ever zrim and awesome. "I was coming that." he replied; but it named to me that. prompt though his response was. there was a shade of reluctance In his manner : for he relapsed Into silence (or what must have been the better part of e mire ute, and with eyes lowered at seem- inst lost in thought. “l Wllh ybu ivould tell me. am. whether anything mlly did occur _on the seventh day." and! din tho‘uhlo before me. I m conscious of a wmulltod concern. and lo made Inquiry. CHAPTER II. Gum Then- A". L nee: nee riot happened In I southern town. The 3W gathered In one crowd and the whites In III- other. The whiten fired their revol- ver: Into the air, and the negro. took to their heels. Next day 3 ill!- utlon met and to one of his not: _ “Ben were you In that crowd “I gathered last night?” Wee-Ir." ‘m you run [lie the wind. Sam?” “Ne“ llf. I didn't run like the wind. ’dell I didn't. But I med two M1 gm m running like the mu? when en” 'ned' ,Tho lowing of um need In the cut- conscious garden of my mind brought for“: mu after its kind. I such with A perfecfly clear understanding at how that which. the night baton, had seemed so unison-Ibis of accou- pflsbment was. perhaps, after all. merely a harlequin trick, quite simple My "mm that he aboald p abroad for a time. or at leaat apand I fewweehaat Newmwaamwflh atmllar ohatlnata refusal. '1 adult that l have been what ‘ hpaet by thin extraordinary (ll-Ml. tlon," waa the way he expreaaed It. “butlannotacoward. lam mm In; to run. Even It I were lncllaed to do no. what should I gain? lt l-Ill be not. late In his own home, where I- Heaveu'a name la ho llhely to Ind ufety?” ' Quite naturally I waa led by thla ex. presalon to lnqnlro whether. her chance, he mlatnated any of the many persona who were employed in tho home and about the estate. But, no.6 what to my aurprlae, he waa allied gravely blended by the mere awn.- tkn. Nevertheless there were several rectum of the aIalr. chlef of the. the manner In which the letterl were received. which ceased the to dwell with aomo mental per-lateness on thin as the moat profitable-ground for nee nlatlon. And when at length. In the morning’s small honra. I returned to myhomeandtomybed,lcarrledtha thought with me. llc become Inn IMO. my “to II threatened. wry uflom commune“ might «run In (In marl". No. Clydo. whalmr II done. mm b. done by war-elven. and by Mend- when we on that aboululoly. I can III. In ml of IM- hornd thing null: Into the new-mm. Besides.” he added. V1“: 1 kindly, consider-(Iv. lung "Evelyn must be km In Mm Not for warm: mid l Ina her In. bled by our perplexing Quinn." "on of mum-«he unruly "mud to consult Mum the police or the print. dent-Hus. "You may not know." he explulood. “that I am largely Imamlcd In a cer- taln "no of luau-Mal «human. III. Ilium of which an lmnl on the New York Stock Exchange. 33:un the pub- Dut. In Ipllo of Clmomn'n evident nanonâ€"nud In using that ("in I I. very mildly muting MI obvious confl- I tried to argue that the seventh day wu implied. innmuch u the second noio val received on the same day of the month in the lint. and “RI 1 non continuation of the original that-It. But my contention lacked the intrinsic strength which carries conviction. and, u Cuneron put it. we could only “much Ind vain" for tho communi- cations adored no alternative. Thor made no demand which being con- pliod with would overt penalty. Only implacable and innit-bio retribution. calm. patient. and determined. eluted from every line. Nor did the absence of a Ipecilied date for the second promised demon- stration of power lend to mlievo our uneasiness. In this lilenco we found the acme of cunning cruelty. Any any. It any hour. some other mystifying. soul-torturing incident. was liablo to Presently, we went back to the let- ters and dissected them. coldly and critically. sentence by sentence. and while the weird Influence which they had exerted upon me at the first read- ing increased. stimulated possibly by the incident of the portrait, still we reached a certain practical, common- sense view as to their origin; for we came to see in them what we be- lieved to be the hand of a religious fanatic. Certain expressions, we con- cluded. were quotations. It they were not Biblical. they were certainly of sacred genesis. d the discovery was not reassurin . lt lent, indeed. an added prick to the perturbation we already experienced. We sat very late. 1 Milled. l! pos- slhle. to learn it at any time in my friend's lite he had done ought to on- gender an enmity to which these strange developments could be traced «whether, for instance. in the hot blood of hle youth in some. tar land he had provoked the vengeance of one whose humor it is never to forget. As We talked I came to know Cameron better than I had ever known him be- fore. He bared to me much' of his early career; he gave me a clearer vlew of his temperamental qualities: and yet I could not but lee! that he left the vltal polnt untouched, that ho- neath hls seeming frankness there lay hidden, ahlelded, some one episode. perhaps, which mlght let the llght In upon our darkness. For my question was evaded rather than answered. Lightning Km. out. tint no and rins nor mo- rich’. cloak survived to this any to make invisible their waters. that. peril-bed. nevertheless. a chill. uncan- ny some or the supernatural. cum evident to me in Cameron’s inn-ind voice and furtive manner, and in my own unwanted nervous gimuieiudo. (To be continued.)