The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-18
Copyright BY Edwin Bolmer~
Continued from last issue)
CHAPTER X.
A Caller.

A Caller.
| As the first Of the month was ap'
preaching, Wassaquam had brought
his household bills and budget to Alan
that morning directly after breakfast,
To furnish Alan with whatever sums
he needed, Sheriff. had made consid-
erable deposit in Alan's name in the
bank where he carried his own ac-
count; and Alan had accompanied Sher-
.rill to the bank to be introduced and
had signed the necessary cards in Or
der to check against the deposit.
Alan had required barely half Of the
hundred dollars which Benjamin Cor
vet had sent to Rlue Rapids. for his
expenses in Chicago; and he had
brought with him from "home" hun
dred dollars Of his own.
The amount which WassaQuam now
desired to pay the bills was much
more than Alan had on hand; but that
amount was also much less than the
eleven hundred dollars which the serv-
ant listed as cash on hand. This, Was
saquam stated, was In currency and
kept by him. Benjamin always had
had him keep that much in the house /;
Wassauuam would not touch that sum
now for the payment Of current ex-
peDses.
On the first of the month, therefore.
Alan drew upon his new bank account
to Wassaquam's order, and In the early
afternoon WassaQuam went to the
bank to cash his check-One of the
very few occasions when Alan had
been left in the house alone; Wassa.
auams habit, it appeared, was to go
about on the first Of the month and
pay the tradesmen in person.
Some two hours later, and before
Wnssaquam could have been expected
back, Alan, in the room which had be-
come his, was startled by IL sound Of
heavy. pounding, which came suddenly
to him from Il floor below. Shouts
heavy, thick, and unintelligible-min-
gled with the pounding. He ran swift
" down the stairs, then on and down
the service stairs into the busenent.
The door to the house from the area
way was shaking to Irregular, heavy
blows, which stopped as Alan reached
the lower hallway; the shouts contin-
1led still moment more. Now that
the noise of pounding did not inter-
fere, Alan could make out what the
man was saying. ben Corvet -
the name was almost unintelligible-
ben Corvet! Benz" Then the shouts
stopped, too.
Alan sped to the door and turned
back the latch. The door bore back
upon him. not from a push, but from
Il weight without which had fallen
against 1t. A big, heavy man, with a
rough cap and mackhmw coat, would
have fallen upon the floor II Alan had
mot caught him. His weight in Alan's
arms was 80 dull, SO inert, that, If viO-
'lcnce had been his intention. there was
nothing to be feared from him now.
Alan looked up, therefore, to soc If
any one had come with him The alley
and the street were 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
fellow again and dragged him up the
stairs and to the lounge in the library.
He was. or had been. very powerful
man, broad and thick throu sh with
overdeveloped almost distDrting-
muscles in his shoulders: but 4 is body
had become fat and soft. his f3ce was
puffcd and his eyes watery and bright {;
his brown hair, which WIS Shot. all
through with gray, was dirty and mat
ted; he had three or four days growth
of beard. When he sat up and looked
about 1t was plain that whisky was
; only one Of the forces working upon
shim--the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him in termit-
3, tently.
! "Lo" he greeted Alan. "There's
shat d-n Injin, hey? ] knew Ben
Coryet was shere-Emew lie was shere
sall time. Course he's sheres, he got
! to be shere. That's shright. You 80
get 'im!''
!, ""Who are your" Alan asked.
| Say, who'r your What t'heals syou
dom here? Never see you. before
e.. go--go get Ben Corvet. Jus
say Ben Cprvet, Lu--luke's slfere Ben
Corvet'n know Lu-luke all right; al
waysh, alwaysh knows me. ;"
! whats the matter with your
Alan had drawn back but now went to
the man again. The first iuea that this
might have bean merely some old sail
OF, who had served Benjamin Corvet
or, perhaps, had been n comrade 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 fsfer. "a. ,5 ~s
Elbow long have you been this way?"
Alan demanded .syHhere did yous come