The Holly chieftain., 1922-05-18


excitedly unsteady, he pushed the bel.
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 been
awaiting him. But the door opened
only half way, and the man who stood
within, gazing out at Alan question
ingly, was obviously a servant.
"What is IT." he asked, as Alan
stood looking at him and past him tC
the narrow section of darkened hall
which was in sight.
Alan put his hand over the letter
In his pocket. I've come to see Mr.
Cevet," he said-"Mr. Benjamin
Corvet."
"What Is your manner"
Alan gave his name; the man re-
peated 1t after him, In the manner OF
trained servant, quite without In
Election. Alan. not familiar with such
tones, waited uncertainty. So far as
he could tell, the name was entirely
strange to the servant. awakening
neither welcome nor opposition, but
indifference. The man stepped back
but not In such manner as to invite
Alan In; on the contrary, he half
closed the door us he stepped back
leaving 1t open only an inch or two
but 1t was enough so that Alan heard
him say to some one within:
"He says he's him."
ASK him in; twill speak to him.
It was girls voice-this second one
voice such as Alan never had heard
before. 1t was low ana soft but quite
clear and distinct, with youthful, i'm
pulsive modulations and the manner
Of accent which. Alan knew must 20
with the sort of people who lived In
houses like those on this street.
The servant, obeying the voice, re-
turned and opened wide the door.
"Wlll you come In, sir?"
Alan put down his suitcase on the
stone porch; the man made no move
to pick It up. and bring 1t in. Then
Alan stepped Into the hall face to face
with the girl who had come from the
big room on the right.
She was quite a young glrl-not
over twenty-one or twenty-five, Alan
judged; like girls brought up in
wealthy families. she seemed to Alan
to have gained young womanhood in
far greater degree in some respects
than the girls he knew, while, at the
same time, in other ways, she retained
more than they some characteristics
Of child. Her slender figure had q
wOman's assurance and grace; her
soft brown hair was dressed like a
woman's; her gray eyes had the open
directness Of the girl. Her face
smoothly oval, with straight brows
and skin SO delicate that at the
temples the veins showed dimly blue
was at once womanly and youthful
and there was something altogether
llkable and simple about her, as she
studied Alan now. She was slightly
pale. he noticed. and there were lines
OF strain and trouble about her eyes
Il am Constance Sheriff." she an.
nounced. Her tone implied quite evil
IDENTIFY that she expected him to have
some knowledge Of her, and she seemed
surprised to see that her name did moi
mean more to him.
"Mr. Corvet is not here this morn.
Ing" she said.
He hesitated, but persisted: II was
to see him here today, Miss Sheriff.
He wrote me, and telegraphed him
would be here to-day"
II know" she answered. eve had
your telegram. Mr.. COrvet was not
here when 1t came. so my father
opened It," Her voice broke oddly
and he studied her In lndecision, won.
dering who that father might be that
opened Mr.. Corvet's telegrams.
"Mr. Corvet went away very sud.
denly" she explained. She seemed, he
thought, to be trying to make some
thing plain to him which might be a
shock to him; yet herself to be un.
certain what the nature of that shock
might be. Her look was scrutinizing
questioning, anxious. but not un.
friendly. AFTER he had written you
and something else had happened
l think-tO alarm my father about
him, father came here to his house to
look after him. He thought some.
thing might have ;. happened to Mr.
Corvet here In his house. But Mr.
Corvet was not here
"YOu mean he has-disappeared?
'Yes; he has disappeared"
Alan gazed at her dizzily. Benja'
min Corvet-whoeve he might be-
had disappeared; he had gone. Did
any one else, then. know about Alan
Conrad?
"No one has seen Mr.. Corvet." she
said, "since the, day he wrote tc
you. We knew that-that he became
so disturbed after doing that--writine
to you--thnt we thought you must
bring with you information Of him."
Information !"
$50 we have been waiting for you
IN come here md tell uS what yot