The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-03-11

peared," he said, but DefOre knew
he was gone-or before any one except
my daughter felt any alarm about him
Il received short note from him.
The note was agitated. almost incoher-
ent. 1t told me he had sent for yOu--
Alan Conrad, Of Blue Rapids, Kansas
but spoke Of you as though you were
some one ought to have known about,
and commended you to my care. The
remainder of it was merely an agitat-
ed almost indeciphergble farewell to
nae. When 1 opened the envelope, a
key had fallen out. The note made
no reference to the key, but, compar-
ing it with one had in my pocket, I
saw that it appeared to be key to a
safety deposit box in the vaults Of
company where we both had boxes.
'The note, taken in connection with
my daughters alarm about him, made
it so plain that something serious had
happened to COrvet. that my first
thought was merely for him. Corvet
was not man with whom one could
readily connect the thought Of suicide;
but, Alan, that was the idea l had. I
hurried ut once to his house, but the
bell was not answered, and could not
get in. His servant, Wassaquam, has
very few friends, and the few times lie
has been away from home Of recent
wears have been when lie visited an
acquaintance of hiS-the head porter
in a South Side hotel. I went to the
telephone in the house next door and
called the hotel and found Wassaquam
there told him over the telephone
only that something was wrong, and
hurried to my own home to get the
key, which had to the Corvet house;
hut when l came back and let myself
into the house, I found it empty and
with no sign Of anything having hap.
pcned.
"The next morning. Alan. went to
the safe deposit vaults as soon as they
were open. I presented the numbered
key and was told that it belonged to a
box rented by Corvet. and that CUrvet
had arranged about three days before
for me to have access to the box II 1
presented the key. I had only to sign
my name in their book and open the
box. In it, Alan. found the pictures
OF you which showed you yesterday
and the very strange communications
that I am going to show you now"
Sheriff. opened the long envelope,
from which several thin, folded papers
fell: lie picked up the largest Of these,
which consisted Of several sheets
fastened together with Il clip, and
handed it to Alan without comment.
Alan, as lie looked at it and turned the
pages, saw that it contained two col.
umns Of typewriting carried from page
to page after the manner of an az
count.
The column to the left was an inven-
tory of property and profits and in
come by months and years. and the
one t" the right was list Of losses
and expenditures. Beginning at an in.
definite day or month in the year 1895,
there was set down in a lump sum
what was indicated as the total Of Rem
iamin Corvet's holdings at that time.
To this, In sometimes undated items,
the increase had been added. In the
opposite column, beginning apparently
from the same date in 1895, were the
missing mans expenditures.
Alan having ascertained that the pa
pers contained only this account,
looked up questioningly to Sheriff. a;
but Sheriff., without speaking, merely
handed him the second Of the papers.
Alan unfolded it and saw that it was
letter written in the same hand
which had written the summons he
had received in Blue Rapids and had
made the entries in the little memo
randum book of the remittances that
had been sent to John WeltOn.
1t began simply:
Lawrence W.
This will come 10 you in the event
that l am not able to carry out the
plan upon which am now, at last, de-
trrmined. You will find with this Il
! list Of my possessions. Deeds for all
real estate executed and complete ex-
crpt for recording OF the transfer ut
| the county Office; bonds, certificates,
and other documents representing my
ownership of properties, together with
signed forms for their legal transfer
to you, are in this box. These proper
ties. in their entlrety,sI give to you In
trust to hold for the young man now
known as Alan Conrad of Blue Rap
ids, Kan, to deliver, any part or all
over to him or to continue to hold it
all in trust for him as you shall con-
slider to he to his greatest advantage.
This for the reasons which l shall
have told to you or himn-I cannot
| know which one of you now. nor do
know how I shall tell 1t. But when
you learn, Lawrence, think as we'll Of
me as you can and help him to be
charitable to me.
with the greatest affection.
| "BENJAMIN CORVET."
Alan, as he finished reading. looked
up to Sheriff.. bcwildercd and dazed.
| "What does 1t mean. Mr.. Sheriff.? -
Does 1t mean tha, he has gone away