he hospital at North Bay some weeks ago--a man who had been
found wandering in the woods with bits of what appeared to be
bank-notes sticking to his skin. His skin had been scratched and
bleeding in many places and the man when taken in hand had been
delirious. Later, when he had become rational apparently and his
condition had improved, he had refused positively to reveal his
identity or to make any statement as to the circumstances which had led
to his condition; so that he had been discharged as a "mystery." He
had expressed an intention to go West, take up a homestead and
eventually go in for pure-bred stock. It was presumed, therefore, that
he was a young farmer who had been working in some lumber camp and on
his way out to civilization had got lost in the woods and had become
temporarily deranged by the experience.

Having successfully sidetracked the conversation, Phil excused himself
from the table and hurried to his room. Here he dressed with
scrupulous care. He unfolded a small cambric handkerchief and a dollar
bill to make sure that the little hand-painted pin was quite safe; then
he folded the articles together again and placed them in an inside
pocket with a care befitting the important part they were about to play.

He now unlocked a drawer in the cheffonier and took out a very small
square box, morocco leather, velvet-lined. The stone was a beautiful
white one and he stood off a pace or two and admired it. It certainly
made that other solitaire she had been wearing on her engagement finger
look like thirty cents! And to think that the "engagement" had been
merely a detail of her masquerade in Fergey's office! To-night----?

With a sigh of satisfaction he pocketed the little leather box. Then
he slipped out the back way, taking a latch-key with him. They were
going canoeing to-night and he knew that it would be late, very late,
when he returned.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF***

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