Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-06

Observation-Disclosures
/ In the late afternoon, as dusk wa
drawing into dark, she stood at I'M
window, with one Of those delusiv'
hopes which come during anxiety that
because 1t was the time of day q
which she had seen Uncle Benny walk
ing by the lake the day before, sh'
might see him there again, When sht
saw her fathers motor approaching
1t was coming from the north, moi
from the south as 1t would have been
IL he was coming from his office or his
club, and it had turned into the Drive
from the west. She knew, therefore
that he was coming from Uncle Ben
ny's house, and, as the car swerved
and wheeled In, she ran out into the
hall to meet him.
He came In without taking of hat
or coat; she could see that he was
perturbed, greatly agitated.
"What is 1t, father?" she demanded,
"What has happened2"
II do not know, my dear"
sit is something-somethlng that
has happened to Uncle Benny"
II am afraid SO, dear-yes. But I
do not know what it is that has hap
pened, or l would tell you"
He put his arm about her and drew
her into a room opening off the hall
his study. He made her repeat again
to him the conversation she had had
with Uncle Benny and tell him how
he had acted but she saw that what
she told him did not help him.
Then he drew her toward him.
"Tell me, little daughter. You
have been great deal with Uncle
Benny and have talked with him; |
want you to think carefully. Did you
ever hear him speak of any one called
Alan Conradr
She thought mo father"
mo reference either to any one
living In Kansas, or town there
called Blue Rapids?"
mo, father Who Is Alan ConradY
II do not know, dear. l never heard
the name until to-day, and Harry
Spearman had never heard it. But 1t
appears to be intimately connected in
some way with what was troubling
Uncle Benny yesterday. He wrote
letter yesterday to Alan Conrad in
Blue Rapids and mailed it himself;
and afterward he tried to get it back,
but 1t already had been taken up and
was on Its way. have not been able
to learn anything more about the letter
than that. To-day that name, Alan
Conrad, came to me In quite another
way, In a way which makes it certain
that 1t Is closely connected with what
ever has happened to Uncle Benny.
You are quite sure you never heard
him mention 1t, dearT'
"Quite sure, father"
He released her and, still In his hat
and coat, went swiftly up the stairs.
She ran after him and found him
standing before highboy in his dress
ing room. He unlocked a drawer in
the highboy, and from within the
drawer he took key. Then, still dis
regarding her, he hurried back down
stairs.
AS she followed him, she caught up
a wrap and pulled It around her. He
had told the chauffeur, she realized
now, to wait; but as he reached the |
door, he turned and stopped her.
II would rather you did not come |
with me, little daughter. do not
know at all what 1t is that has hap
pened-I will let you know as soon as
| find out"
The finality in his tone stopped her
rom argument. AS the house door and
hen the door Of the limousine closed |
after him, she went back toward the |
slowly taking of the wrap. |
For the mement she found 1t difficult
o think. Something had happened to |
Uncle Benny, something terrible,
readful for those who loved him:
hat was plain, though only the fact
md not Its nature was known to her
n to her father; and that something
vas cohnected-4ntimately connected,
ler father had said-with a name
Which no enc who knew Uncle Benny
yer heard before, With the name Of
Nan Conrad OF Blue Rapids, Kansas.
Fhe was this Alan Conrad, and what
otld his connection be with UAcle
Jenny SO to precipitate disaster upon
iml