Licking Valley courier., 1922-04-27
Copyright by Etwin Balmer
CONTINUED from page two.)

rough cap and machnaw coat, would
have fallen upon the floor If Alan had
not caught him. His weight In Alan's
arms was so dull, so inert, that, II viO-
ience had been his intention, there was
nothing to be feared from him now.
Alan looked up, therefore, to see IL
any one had come with him. The alley
and the street we're clear. The snow
: in the areaway showed that the man
had come to the door alone and with
great difficulty; he had fallen once up
on the walk. Alan dragged the man
into the house and went back and
closed the door.
He returned and looked at him. The
man was like, very like the one whom
Alan had followed from the house ON
the night when he was attacked; GER
tainty that this was the same man
came quickly to him. He seized the
fellow again and dragged him up the
stairs and to the lounge In the library.
He was, or had been, a very powerful
man, broad and thick through with
oyerdeveloped - almost dlstorting-
muscles In his shoulders; but his body
had become fat and soft. his face was
puffed and his eyes watery and bright
his brown hair, which was shot all
through with gray. was dirty and mat
ted; he had three or four days growth
II beard. when he sat up and looked
lbout It was plain that whisky was
only one OF the forces working upon
nlm-the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him lntermit-
tently.
"Lor he greeted Alan. "Where's
shat d-n Injin, heyf / knew Ben
Corvet was shere-knew he was shere
all time. Course he's shere; he got
to be shere. That's shrlght. You go
get Imp
"Who are your" Alan asked.
"Say, who'r you? What t'hells syou
doln' here? Never see you before
go-go get Ben Corvet. JUS
say Ben Corvet, Lu-luke's shere. Ben
waysh. alwaysh knows me. :"
-Whnt's the matter with your
Alan hnd drawn back but now went to
the man agaln. The first Idea that this
might have been merely some ole sail
Jr who had served BENJAMIN Corvet
or. perhaps, had been a eomrade In
the earlier days, had been banished
by the confident arrogance Of the
mans tone-an arrogance not to be
explained, entirely, by whisky or by
the fever.
"How long have you been this wayIT'
Alan demanded. "Where did you come
from7" He put his hand on the wrist /:
II was very hot and dry; the pulse
was racing, irregular; at seconds 1t
seemed to stop; for other seconds IN
was continuous. The fellow coUghed
and bent forward. "What is 1T
pneumonia2" Alan tried to stralghten
him up.
"Gl' me drinki Go get Ben
Corvet, tell you'll Get Ben
Corvet quick Say-yous shearf You
get me Ben Corvet; you better get
Ben Corvet; you tell him Lu-uke's
here; won't wait any more; goin'
t'haye my money now srlght
away, your shearH Kick me out s'loon
guess not no more. Ben Corvet give
me all money want or ] talk"
"Talki"
"Syou know III amt goin' =
He choked up and tottered back
Alan, supporting him, laid him down
and stayed beside him until his cough
Ing and choking ceased, and there was
only the rattling rasp Of his breathing
When Alan spoke to him again, Luke's
eyes opened, and he narrated recent
experiences bitterly; all were blamed
to Ben Corvet's absence; Luke, who
had been drinking heavily a few
nights before, had been thrown out