Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-06-02


amazed Sheriff. TO learn that Corvet,
for twenty years. had kept trace Of
Alan; but Corvet had kept trace In the
same way and with the same secrecy
OF many other people--of about
score OF people. When Alan thought
of COryet, alone In his silent house,
he must think of him as solicitous
about these people; as seeking for
their names In the newspapers which
he took for that purpose, and as re-
cording the changes In their lives, The
deaths. the births, the marriages
among these people had been OF the
intensest interest to Corvet.
II was possible that none Of these
people knew about Corvei; Alan had
not known about him in Kansas, but
had known only that some unknown
person had sent money for his support.
But he appreciated that It did not
matter whether they knew about him
or not for at some point common to
all OF them. the lives OF these people
Alan knew what had been that point
Of contact, he would know about Cor
vet; he would know about himself.
Alan had seen among Corvet's
books set Of charts of the Great
Lakes. lie went and got that now and
an atlas. Opening them upon the ta-
BILE, he looked up the addresses given
on C0rvet's list. They were most of
them, he found, towns about the north.
ern end Of the lake; very few upon
other llakes-Superior and Huron
but most were upon or very close to
Lake Michigan. These people lived by
means of the lake; they got their sus-
tenance from 1t, as Coryet had lived,
and as Corvet had got his wealth. Alan
was feeling like one who, bound, has
been suddenly unloosed. From the time
when, coming to see Corvet, he had
found Corvet gone. until now, he had
felt the impossibillty of explaining
from anything he knew or seemed like
ly to learn the mystery which had sur
rounded himself and which had sur
rounded Corvet. But these names and
addresses They indeed offered some
thing to go upon, though Luke now
was forever still. and his pockets had
told Alan nothing.
He found Emmett county on the map
and put his finger on It, Spearman,
Wassaquam had said, came from
there. THE Land of the Drumf" he
said aloud. Deep and sudden feeling
stirred In him as he traced out this
land on the chnrt--the little towns and
villages, the islands and headlands,
their lights and their uneven shores.
A feeling Of "home" had come to him,
which he had not had on coming to Chi.
cago. There were Indian names and
French up there about the meetings
of the great waters. The sense that
he was of these lakes, that surge Of
feeling which he had felt first In con-
versatlon with Constance Sheriff. was
strengthened an hundredfold
He gazed down at the lists Of names
which Benjamin Corvet had kept so
carefully and so secretly; these were
his fathers people, too; these ragged
shores and the islands studdlng the
channels were the lands where his fa-
Their had spent the most active part
OF his life. There. then--these lists
now made 1t certain-that events had
happened by which that life had been
blighted. North, there by the meeting
Of the waters. was the region Of the
wrong which was done.
That's where l must gO!" he said
aloud. That's where ] must go!''
Constance Sheriff.. on the following
afternoon. received telephone call
from her father; he was coming home
earlier than usual. he said; II she had
planned TO 60 out. would she walt un-
Ill after he co, there1 Tie afternoons
mail was upon a stand In the hall. She
turned II over. looking through tim
vitations. social notes. She picked
from among them an envelope I'D
dressed TO herself In firm. clear
hand. which, unfamiliar To her. still
queerly startled her, and tore Il open.
Dear Miss Sheriff." she read.
81 am closing. for the time being,
ownership. must call mine. The pos
sibillty that what has occurred here
would cause you and your father anXi.
ETY. about me In case went away
without telling you of my intention Is
the reason for this note. But IL Is not
the only reason. | could not 20 away
without telling you how deeply | mp
preciate the generosity ana delicncy
you and your father have shown me
in spite of my position here and of the
fact that l had no claim M all upon
YOU. shall not forget those. even
though what happened here last might
makes Il impossible for me To try ~
see you again or even 10 write To you
ALAN CONRAD"
She heard her 'ather's moor en'er
the drive and rat % him with the let
ter in her hand
Hes written to sou, thenT he said.
at sight Of It.
"Yes."
II had note from him this after
noon NJ the office Isking me To hold
In allegiance for the time being the
trust that Ben had left me ana return.