Sioux County pioneer., 1922-04-20


he grew older.
Today his irritability was so
marked, his uneasiness 80 much
greater than anyone had seen 1t be-
fore, that the attendant whom Corvet
had sent, a half hour earlier, to re-
serve his usual table for him in the
grill-"The table by the second win
dow had started away without dar-
ing to ask whether the table was to
be set for one or more. Corvet him
self had corrected the omission 'F0r
two" he had shot after the man.
The tables, at this hour, were all
unpccupied. Corvet crossed to the
one he had reserved and sat, down {;
he turned Immediately to the window
at his side and scraped on 1t a little
clear opening through which he could
see the storm outside. Ten minutes
later he looked up sharply but did not
rise, as the man he had been await
ing-Spearman, the younger Of his
two partners-came in. 4.
spearman seated himself, his big,
powerful hands clasped on the table,
his gray eyes studying Corvet closely.
The waiter took the order and went
away.
When he returned, the two>men were
obviously in bitter quarrel. Corvet's
tone, low pitched but violent, sounded
steadily in the room, though his words
were inaudible. The waiter, as he set
the food upon the table, felt relief that
Corvet's outburst had fallen on other
shoulders than his. g5{
For nearly an hour the quarrel con-
tinued with intermitted truces Of 81
lence. The waiter, listening, as wait
ers always do, caught at times single
sentences. ~,
"You have had that idea for some
time?" he heard from Corvet. 9t35
1--WE have had an understanding Tor
more than a month"
"How defnite?"
J, Spearman's answer was not audible,
but it more intensely agitated Corvet |;
he dropped his fork and, after that,
made no pretense Of eating.
The waiter, following this, caught
only single words. Sheriff.
Of course, was the other partner. "Con-
stance"-that was Sherrill's daughter.
The other names he heard were names
Of ships. But, as the quarrel went on.
the manners Of the two men changed |:
Spearman, who at first had been an.
sailed by Corvet, now was assailing!
him. Corvet sat back In his seat,
while Spearman pulled ut his cigar and
now and then took it from his lips and
gestured with 1t between his fingers,
as he jerked some ejaculation across
the table.
Corvet leaned over to the frosted
window, as he had done when alone,
and looked out. Spearman shot COM
ment which made Corvet vince and
draw back from the window; then
Spearman rose. Corvet looked up at,
him once and asked a question, to
which Spearman replied with snap
Of the burnt match down on the table;
he turned abruptly and strobe from
the room. Corvet sat motionless.
The revulsion + a,e,,-contro, Soma.
times even. to apology, which ordina-
tton had not come to him 'bis = :, aaita- to-
ton plainly had Increased. He nushed s
from him his uneatan lmnchaon and
got up slowly. He went out to the
coat room, where the attendant hand
ed him his coat and hat.
He WINGED az he stenned ont into
the smartine blindinp sp,ri ~ .,aot
but his shrinking was NOT nhvs,cai. T.
was mental, the unconscious raaction
to some thought the storm callei nm
The hour was barely fonr M . o,ciock @ .bnt = IT.
80 dark was It With the storm that
the shop windows were III motorcars
slipping and skiddin9 upIthe broad
boulevard, with headlight. burning
kept their signals clatter,nr con.
stantly to warn other drivers blinded
By the snow. The sleet.aw,aanrt s,da.