Licking Valley courier., 1922-04-20

Conrad, youth OF unknown parehtate'
to Chicago.
CHAPTER M--From . statemsnt Of
Sheriff. II seems probable Conrad is Cor
vets iliegitimate sop. COrvst has decided
his house and its contents to Alan.
CHAPTER Tv.-Alan takes possession
CHAPTER v.-That night Alan discov-
ers q man ransacixikg tho desks ana bu-
reau drawers In Corsets apartments. The
appearances Of Nsn Esmendousiy sgiiates n!s
the intruder. who at,pesre 70 think nm .
ghost and raves OF pths Aiwaka-" After
a struggle the man escapes.
CHAPTER vL--Next day Alan learns
from Sheriff. that corvet has decided his
Spearman, Alan is aHtounded at the dis:
covery that he is the man whom he had
found In his house the night before.
CHAPTER vII.--Alan tells no one Of
his strange encounter. but In private
SpearDian laughs at and defies him.
I've known for a good many years."
Spearman went on, reluctantly, "that
Ben Corvet's brain was seriously af-
fected. He recognized that himself
even earlier. and admitted It to him
self when he took me of my ship to
take charge Of the company. I might
have gone with other people then. or
It wouldn't have been very long before
could have started In az ship own
er myself; but, In view Of his condi-
tion, Ben made me promises that Of
fered me most. Afterward his malady
progressed so that he couldn't know
himself to be untrustworthy; his judg-
ment was impaired, and he planned
and would have tried to carry out
many things that would have been
disastrous for the company. / had to
fight him-for the company's sake and
for my own sake and that Of the 9TH
ers, whose interests were at stake.
Your father came to see that what l
was doing was for the company's good
and has learned to trust me. But you
you couldn't see that quite 80 direct
ly, Of course. and you thought I didn't
like Ben, and there was some lack In
me which made me fail to appreciate
him."
mo; not that" Constance denied
quickly. Mot that Henry"
"what was It then, ConnIei You
thought me ungrateful to hint
realize that / owed great debt to
him but the only way could pay that
debt was to do exactly what l did
oppose him and seem to push into his
place and be an migrate; for. because
did that, Ben's been respected and
honored man In this town all these
last years, which he couldn't have re-
mained II I'd let him have his way, oil
II l told others why had to do what
did. l., didn't care what others
thought about me; but did care what
you thought; yet Il you couldn't SCI
what was up against because Of youl
affection for him. yhy-that was al
right too." =.
"No, 1t wasn't albright" she denied
almost fiercely, the flush flooding hel
cheeks; a throbbing was In her throa
which, for an instant, stopped her
You should have told me, Henry; o.
Il should have been able to see."
II couldn't tell you-dear,", he sal,
the last word very distinctly. but d
low that she could scarcely hear. %
couldn't tell you now-lf Ben hadn'
gone away as he has and this othe
fellow come I couldn't tell you whel
you wanted to keep caring so mucl
for your Uncle Benny, and he was try
: Ing to hurt me with YOU"
She bent toward him, her lips part
ed; but now she did not speak. Sh
never had really knswn Henry unit
. this moment, she felt; she had though
Of him always as strong, almost bru
, tai, fighting down hercely, mercilessly
, his opponents and welcoming contes
for the Joy of overwhelming others b
his own decisive strength and powel
And she had been almost ready I
l marry that man for his strength an
= dominance from those qualities; an
!, now she knew that he was mercifr
,oo-indeed, more tnan mercifui.
'' tne very contest where she hu
\ thought Of him as most selfish and E
i gardless of another, she had mo
q completely misapprehended.
1 II ought to have scent" she rebuk,
q herself to him. ."Surely, should ha'
n seen that was ltl'
"How could you seer he defend'
her. He never showed to you the siC
v he showed to me. and-ln these la
years. anyway-never to me the si'
he showed to you. But after what h,
happened this week, can you unde
= stand now; and you can see why
q have to distrust the young fello
who's come to claim Ben Covert
II place."
e "Clalml" Constance repeated, "Wh
Henry, did not know he claimed IN
thing; he didn't even know when
+ came here"
n "He seems, like Ben Corvet," Hen
said slowly, ITO have the character
u tic of showing one side to you, anoth
to me, Connie. With you. Of cour'
he claimed nothing; but at the office
Your futher showed him this mornl
u the instruments Of transfer that b
" seems to have left conveying to hi
=, all Ben had-hls other properties n
y his interest In CorSet, Sheriff. a
T, Spearman. | very naturally object
l. to the execution ofs those transfe
- without considerable examination.
y view OF Corvet's mental condition a
Of the faet that they put the contr