The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-04

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On the Train He Took the Letter
From His Pocket and for the Doz-
enth Time Reread It.
-hoI,lcyard where tall tile and brick
and stone structures lowered till their
roofs we're hidden In the snowfall. A
strange stir and tingte. quite distinct
from the excitement of the arrival at
the station prlcked in Alan's veins.
and hastily he dropped the window to
his right and gazed out. The lake,
ms he had known since. his geography
DAYS, lay to the cnst of Chicago;
therefore that void out there beyond
the park was the lake or. at least, the
harbor. A different air seemed to
come from it; sounds -. Suddenly
it all was shut Off; the taxlchb,
swerving d little, was dashing between
business blocks; Il row of buildings
had risen again upon. the right; they
broke abruptly to show him Il wooden
walled cli;lSm in which flowed the
river full Of ice with a tug dropping
it's SmokeStack as it cut below the
bridge which the cab crossed; build
inKs on both sides again; then. to the
right, roaring, heaving crashing eX-
panSe.
The sound. Alan knew, had been
coming to him as an undcrtOne for
many minutes; now it overwhelmed,
swallowed all other sound. 1t was
great, not loud all sound which Alan
had heard before, except the souShing
from one point; even, the monstrnus
city mlIrmur was centered in COMPARE
son with this. Over the lake, as over
the land, the soft sn0wflakes lazily
tioated down, scarcely stirred by the
slightest breeze; that roar was the
voice of the water, that awful power
W shpWik - r T II go - ~ -
Alan choked and gasped for breath,
his pulses pounding in his throat; he
had Snatched off his hat and, leaning
out Of the window sucked the lake air
in his lungs. There had been nothing
to make him expect This overwhelming
crush of feeling. The lake-he had
thought of it, of course, as n great
I,fx nf into siUht
for Il prairie hoy to see: that was all.
No physical experience in all his
memory had affected him like this
and it was without warning; the
strange thing that had stirred within
him as the car brought him to the
Drive downtown was strengthened
now a thOusandfOld it amazed, half
frightened, half dizZied him. Now, as
the motor suddenly swung around a
corner and shut the sight OF the lake
from him, Alan sat back GREATNESS.
The car Swerved to the east curb
about the middle of the block and
came to stop. The house before
which it had halted was Il large stone
house Of quiet, good design; it was
some generation older. apparently,
than the houses on each side of 1T,
which were brick and terra Gotta OF
recent fashionable architecture Alan
only glanced at them long enough to
get that impression before he opened
the cab door ana got out; but as the
cab drove away, he stood beside his
suitcase looking mp ut the old house
which bore the number given in Ben
.iamin Corvet's letter, then around at
the other houses and back to that
again. g.
The, .neishborhoOd obviously pre-
Guided the probability of Corvet's be-
ing merely a lawyer-a go-between.
He must be some relative; the Ques-
ton ever present in Alan's thought
since the receipt Of the letter. but held
in allegiance. as to the possibility and
neurneSs of Corvet's relation to him.
took sharper and more exact form
now than he had dared TO let it take
before. Was his relationship to
torvet. perhaps, the closest of all re-
latiOnships? Was Coryet his 4.
father? He checked the question
within himself. for the fine had
passed for mere speculation upon it
now. Alan was trembling ,excitcdly {;
for--whoever Corvet might be--the
enigma of Alan's existence way going
10 be answered when heS lEldseentcred
that house. He was going to Know
who he was. All the possibilities, tho
responsibilities, the attachments. the
opportunities, perhaps. Of that person
whom he was--but whom. as vet, he
dill not know-were before him. He
went up the steps and. with fingers
excitedly unsteady, lie pushed the bell
beside the door.
The door opened almost instantly
so quickly after the ring, indeed. that
Alan, with leaping throb OF his heart,
knew that some one must have heen
awaiting him. But the DOOR opened
only half way, and the man who stood
Within, gazing out Ut Alan question
ingly, was. obviously a servant. &,
what is it," he asked. ms Alan
stood locking at him and past him to
the narrow section of darkened hall
55s - sSss X A ~ d. ~ "a