The spectator., 1922-05-23

become very low, Sow ceased. She
 was speaking to Alan of his father-a
 father whom he had never known, and
 whom he could not have recognized by
 sight until she showed him the picture
 a few weeks before; but she was | speaking of his father.
 | MT. Sherrill didn't feel that 1t was necessary for him to do anything, even though he thought that?'
 If Mir. Corvet was dead, we could | do him no good, surely, by telling this to -tae police; If the police succeeded in finding out all the facts we would | be doing only what Uncle Benny did not wish-what he preferred death to-. We could not tell the police about 1t without telling them all about Mir. Cor | vet, too. So father would not let him. self believe that you had been attacked to be killed. He had to believe the 1 police theory was sufficient" Alan made no comment at once. "Wassaquam believes Mir. Corvet Is dead" he said finally. He told me SO. Does your father believe that?"
 "I think he is beginning to believe It."
 i've not told any one," he said, now watching her. "how happened to be out of the house that night. 1 followed man who came there to the house. Wassaquam did not know his name. He did not know Mir. Corvet was gone {; for he came there to see Mir. Corvet. He was not an ordinary friend of Mir. Corvet's; but he had come there often. WassaQuam did not know why. Was saquam had sent the man away, and I ran out after him; but l could not find him."
 He stopped an instant, studying her. That was not the first man who came to the house," he went on quickly, as she was about to speak Il found . man in Mir. Corvet's house the first night that l spent there. WassaQuam was away, you remember, and l was alone in the house."
 "A man there in the house?" she re- peated.
 He was going through Mir Corvets things-not the silver and all that, but through his desks and files and cases. He was looking for something-some- thing which he seemed to want very much 1; when l interfered. 1t greatly ex- cited him. frightened him. He thought was ghost"
 "A ghost. Whose ghost?"
 He shrugged. "I don't know; some one whom he seemed to have known pretty well-and whom Mir. Corvet knew, he thought"
 "Why didn't you tell us this before?"
 At least-I am telling you now, Miss Sherrill. I frightened him. and he got away. But I had seen him plainly. I can describe him. .. You've talked with your father of the possibility that something might hap pen to me such as, perhaps, happened to Mir. Corvet. If anything does hap pen to me. description of the man may prove useful"
 Then clearly and definitely as he could. he described Spearman to her. She did not recognize the description: he had known she would not. Had not Spearman been in Duluth? Beyond that. was not connection of Spearman with the prowler in Corvet's house the one connection of all most difficult for her to make?
 They were silent as they went on to- ward her home. He had said all he could, or dared to say; to tell her that the man had been Spearman would not merely have awakened her increduli- ty: 1t would have destroyed credence utterly. A definite change in their re- lation to one another had taken place during their walk. The fullness, the frankness of the sympathy there had been between them almost from their first meeting, had gone: she was quite aware, he saw. that he had not frankly answered her questions; she was aware that in some way he had drawn back from her and shut her