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


Alan put his hand over the letter
in his pocket. ave come to see Mr..
Corvet,'' he said---"Mr. Benjamin
COrvet" -. " D.. -.- IT, -
.'NNhat is your name?'
Alan. gave his name; the man re-
peated it 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 nalaa was entirely
strange to the. servant, awakening
neither welcome nor opposition. but
indifference The: man stepped back,
but not in sucIlZa manner as to invite
Alan in; on the contrary, he half
closed the door as he stepped back,
leaving it open only an inch or two;
hut it was enough so that Alan heard
him say to some one within: H..
"He says he's him" ~. ;.
ASK him in; I will speak to him."
1t was 2 girls voice-this second one,
a voice such as Alan never had heard
before. 1t was low and soft but quite
clear and distinct, with youthful. i'm
pulsive mOdulations and the manner
Of accent which Alan knew must go
with the sort Of people who lived in
houses like those on this street.
The servant. nbeying the voice, re-
turned and opened wide the door.
"Will you come in. sir?"' .....
. Alan put down his suitcase on the
stone porch; the man made, no move
to pick it up and bring it in. Then
Alan stepped info the hall face to face
with the girl who had come from the
big room on the right.
= She was quite young girl--nOt
over twenty-one or twenty-five, Alan
Judged: like girls brought up in
wealthy families, she: seemed to, Alan
to have gained young woE,anhood in
fur 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 a child. Her slender figure had a
WOman'S assurance and grace; her
soft brown hair! was dressed like Il
wOm:ln'S; her gray eyes had the open
directness of the girl. Her face-
smoothly oval. with straight brOws
and a skin so delicate that at the
temples the veins showed dimly blue
was at once womanly and youthful
and there was something altogether
likabIe and, simple about her, as she
studied Alan now. She was slightly
pale. he noticed, and there were lines
of strain ana trouble about her eyes.
81 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 not
mean more to him.
"Mr. Corvet is not here this morn
ing she said '.T =, - -
lie hesitatetl, bnt persisted: II was
to see hinr here today, Miss Sheriff..
He wrote me. and telegraphed him. l
would be here to-day y
f'"I know" sif, answered eve had
your telegrankr.llr. ~Corvet was not
here. when It, dame, SO HE father
opened it," Her voice broke oddly,
and he studied her in INDIGESTION, Won
dering who that father might be that
opened Mr.. Corvet's~
Mr.. Corvrt Went away very sud
denly: she explained. She seemed, he
thought. to he trying to make some
thing plain to him which might be a
shock to him; yet herself to be I'M
certain what the nature Of that shock
might be. Her look was scrutinizlng'
questioning, anxious, but not un-
friendly. 'After he had written You
and something else had happened
! 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 MIR.
Corvet here in his house. But MIR.
Corvet was not here
"You mean he has-disappeared!''
eyes; he has Disappeared" :.
Alan gaZcd at her .dizzily., BenJa-
min Corvet-whoever he might be
L., mt II Y1n