Williams news., 1922-07-28

1 very few friends, and the few times he
 has been away from home of recent | years have been when he visited an acquaintance of his-the head porter | in a South Side hotel. I went to the | telephone in the house next door and called the hotel and found Wassaquam there. I told him over the telephone
 only that something was wrong, and hurried to my own home to get the
 key, which had, to the Corvet house l; but when I came back and let myself
 into the house, I found it empty and
 with no sign of anything having hap
 pened.
 1.-The next morning, Alan, I went to
 the safe deposit vaults as soon as they
 were open. I presented the numbered
 key and was told that 1t belonged to
 box rented by Corvet, and that Corvet
 had arranged about three days before
 for me to have access to the box if I
 presented the key. I had only to sign my name in their book and open the
 box In it, Alan, I found the pictures
 of you which I showed you yesterday and the very strange communications that I am going to show you now"
 Sherrill opened the long envelope, from which several thin, folded papers fell. He picked'up the largest of these, which consisted of several sheets fastened together with a clip, and handed it to Alan without comment. Alan, as he looked at 1t and turned the pages, saw that it contained two col umns of typewriting carried from page to page after the manner of an ac- count
 The column to the left was an inven- tory of property and profits and in- come by months and years, and the one to the right was a list of losses and expenditures. Beginning at an in- definite day or month in the year 1895, there was set down in a lump sum what was indicated as the total of Ben Jamin Corvet's holdings at that time. To this, in sometimes undated items, the increase had been added. In the column, beginning apparently from the same date in 1895, were the mans expenditures
 Alan having ascertained that the pa- pers contained only this account, looked up questioningly to Sherrill 1; but Sherrill, without speaking, merely handed him the second of the papers, Alan unfolded it and saw that it was a letter written in the same hand | which had written the summons he | had received in Blue Rapids and had | made the entries in the little memo | -andum book of the remittances that | had been sent to John Welton.
 It began simply: Lawrence
 "This will come to you in the event | hat l am not able to carry out the | plan upon which I am now, at last, de- ermined. You will find with this a ist of my possessions. Deeds for all cal estate executed and complete ex- ,ept for recording of the transfer at he county office; bonds, certificates, md other documents representing my of properties, together with fgned forms for their legal transfer o you, are in this box. These proper ies, in their entirety, give to you in rust to hold for the young man now ,nown as Alan Conrad of Blue Rap ds, Kan, to deliver any part or all 'ver to him or to continue to hold it Ill In trust for him as you shall con- 1der to be to his greatest advantage.
 ''ThiS for the reasons which I shall rave told to you or him-I cannot now which one of you now, nor do now how I shall tell it. But when ou learn, Lawrence, think as we'll of 1e as you can and help him to be haritable to me. ...
 ''W1tn the greatest affection,
 'BENJAMIN CORVET."
 Alan, as he finished reading, looked p to Sherrill. bewildered and dazed.
 ''What does it mean, MT. Sherrill ?- ,oes 1t mean that he has gone away nd left everything he had-everything ) meY'
 eff MT. Corvet does not return and do not receive any other instructions, Ie shall take over his estate, as he has lstructed, for your advantage"
 "And, MT. Sherrill he didn't tell you hy? This is all you know?"
 "Yes; you have everything now. All e can do, Alan, is to search for him every way we can. There will be -hers searching for him too now; for formation of his disappearance has C ot out. There have been reporters at le office this. morning making in- Iiries, and his disappearance will be z
 the afternoon papers," e Sherrill put the papers back in their | lvelope, and the envelope back into r le drawer, which he relocked. q 'I went over all this with MT. Spear an this morning." he said. "He is as ] r uch at loss to explain it as I am." h He was silent for a few moments
 'The transfer of MT. Corvet's prop D ties to me for you," he said sudden a includes, as you have seen, Cor .t's interest in the firm of 'Corvet, t lerrill & Spearman.' went very fl refully through the deeds and trans s rs in the deposit box, and 1t was fl