Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-06-17


Wassaquam removed the dinner ant
| brought Alan dessert. He returned
to stand In the place across the table
that Alan had assigned to him. an(
stood looking down at Alan, steadily
and thoughtfully.
do look like any one you ever saw
before. Judah?' Alan inquired of him
mo"
"Is that what you are thlnkingr
"That Is what was thinking. VIII
coffee be served In the library, AlanT
Alan crossed to the library and seat
ed himself In the chair where his ia
Their had been accustomed to sit. Was
saquam brought him the single small
cup Of coffee, lit the spirit lamp on
the smoking stand and moved that
over; then he went away. When he
had finished his coffee, Alan went into
the smaller connecting room and re-
commenced his examination of the
drawers under the bookshelyes. At
ten o'clock, Alan stopped his search
and went back to the chair in the IL
brary. He dozed; for he awoke with
a start and a feeling that some one
had been bending over him, and gazed
up into Wassaquam's face. The In
dian had been scrutinizlng him with
Intent, anxious inquiry. He moved
away. but Alan called him back.
"When Mr.. Coryet disappeared, Jul
dab, you went to look for him up at
Manistlque, where he was born-at
least Mr.. Sheriff. said that was where
you went Why did you think you
might find him there?" Alan asked.
'In the end, l think. man maybe
goes back to the place where he be-
gan. That's all, Alan"
I'm the end What do you mean by
that? What do you think has become
of Mr.. Corvet?"
II think now-Ben's dead"
"What makes you think that?"
Nothing makes me think; / think 1t
myself"
II see. You mean you have no rea-
son more than others for thinking 1t;
but that Is what you believe"
"Yes" Wassaquam went away. and
Alan heard him on the back stairs, as
cendlng to his room.
When Alan went up to his own
room, after making the rounds to see
that the house was locked, droning
chant came to him from the third floor.
He paused in the hall and listened,
then went up to the floor above. A
Pickering light came to him through
the half-open door Of room at the
front of the house; he went little
way toward 1t and looked In. Two
thick candles were burning before
below which the Indian knelt,
book in hand and rocking to
and fro as he droned his supplca
lions.
word or two came to Alan, but
without them Wassaquam's occupation
was plain; he was praying for the re-
pose Of the dead-the Catholic chant
taught to him, as 1t had been taught
to his fathers, by the
French Jesuits of the lakes. The in
toned chant for Corvet's soul, by the
man who had heard the Drum, fol-
Owed and still came to Alan, as he
returned to the second floor
He had not been able to determine,
turing the evening, Wassuquam's atti-
Jude toward him. Having no one else
10 trust, Alan had been obliged TO put
l certain amount Of trust In the In
llan; so as he had explained to Was
,aquam that morning that the desk !
md the drawers In the little room off |
Joryet's had been forced, and had
warned him to see that no one, who
lad not proper business there. entered |
he house. Wassaquam had appeared |
o accept this order; but now Wassa-
luam had implied that 1t was not be-
'ause Of Alan's order that he had re-
used reporters admission to the
louse.
Alan started and went quickly to the
'pen door of his room, as he heard
'oices now somewhere within the
louse. One of the voices he recog-
lized as Wassaquam's; the other In
Instinct, thick, accusing-was un-
,nown to him; II certainly was not
;pearman's. He descended swiftly to
he first floor. and found Wassaquam
tanding In the front hall, alone.
"Who was here, JudahT Alan de-
handed
"A man." the Indian answered stol-
dly. "He was drunk put him out"
what did he come fort"
"He came to see Ben. | put him
tut; he Is gone. Alan"
Alan flung open the front door and
ooked out, but he saw no one.
'What did he want of Mr.. Corvet.
Iudah?"
81 do not know. told him Ben was
lot here; he was angry, but he went
way"
HAS he ever come here before7"
Eyes; he comes twice"
"Ile has been here twlce?"
More than that; every year he
,omes twice, Alan. Once he came
,ftener."
How long has he been doing that?"
'Slnce | can remember"
us he friend of MIR. Corvet?"
mo friend--nol"
''But Mr.. Corvet saw him when he
,ov,n hnunau |