The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-06-15

mattered even more to him than life.
lit might have meant that he con
sidered his life was due to whom
ever took It," Her voice, which had
become very low, now ceased. She
was speaking to Alan of his father-a
father whom he had never known, and
whom he could not have recognized by
sight until she showed him the picture
few weeks before; but she was
speaking of his father.
"Mr. Sheriff. didn't feel that it was
necessary for him to do anything, even
though he thought that?"
IF Mr.. Corvet was dead, we could
do him no good, surely, by telling This
to the police; if the police succeeded
in finding out all the facts, we would
be doing only what Uncle Benny did
not wish-what he preferred death to.
We could not tell the police about it
without telling them all about Mr. Cor
vet, too. So father would not let HIM
self believe that you had been attacked
to be killed. He had to believe the
police theory was sufficient"
Alan made no comment at once.
"WassaQuam believes Mr.. Corvet is
dead" he said finally. He told me so.
Does your father believe thatY"
II think he is beginning to believe
it."
1--WE not told any one." he said. now
watching her, "how happened to be
out of the house that night. followed
man who came there to the house.
WassaQuam did not know his name.
He did not know Mr.. Corvet was gone;
for he came there to see Mr.. Corvet.
He was not an ordinary friend of Mr..
Corvets; but he had come there often.
Wassaquam did not know why. Was
saquam had sent the man away. and
1 ran out after him; but could not
find him."
He stopped an instant, studying her.
"That was not the first man who came
to the house." he went on quickly, as
she was about to speak. 81 found
man in Mr.. Corvets house the first
night that / spent there. Wassaquam
was away, you remember, and l was
alone in the house."
"a man there in the house?" she re-
peated.
"He was going through Mr.. Corvet's
things-not the silver and all that, but
through his desks and files and cases.
He was looking for something-some-
thing which he seemed to want very
much; when interfered, it greatly ex-
cited him. frightened him. He
thought l was ghost"
"A ghost. Whose ghost?"
He shrugged. II don't know; some
one whom he seemed to have known
pretty well-and whom Mr.. Corvet
knew, he thought"
"Why didn't you tell us this before?'
"At least-I am telling you now,
Miss Sheriff.. l frightened him, and
he got away. But l had seen him
plainly. can describe him.
You've talked with your father Of the
possibility that something might hap
pen to me such as. perhaps, happened
to Mr.. Corvet. II anything does hap
pen to me. a description of the man
may prove useful"
Then clearly and definitely as he
could, he described Spearman to her.
She did not recognize the description !;
he had known she would not Had not
Spearman been in Duluth? Beyond
that, was not connection Of Spearman
| with the prowler In Corvet's house the
| one connection of all most difficult for
| her to make? But he saw her fixing
and recording the description In her
mind.
They were silent as they went on to-
ward her home. He had said all he
could, or dared to say; to tell her that
the man had been Spearman would not
merely have awakened her increduli-
ty; 1t would have destroyed credence
utterly. A definite change In their re-
lation to one another had taken place
during their walk. The fullness, the
frankness of the sympathy there had
been between them almost from their
first meeting, had gone; she was
quite aware, he saw, that he had not
frankly answered her questions; she
was aware that In some way he had
drawn back from her and shut her
out from his thoughts about his own
position here. But he had known that
this must be SO; 1t had been his first
definite realization after his return
to consciousness in the hospital when.
knowing now her relation to Spear
man. he had found all questions which
concerned his relations with the peo-
pie here made immeasurably more
acute by the attack upon him.
She asked him to come In and stay
for luncheon, as they reached her
home. but she asked 1t without urg-
ing; at his refusal she moved slowly
up the steps. Looking after him from
the window after she had entered the
house, she saw him turn the corner In
the direction of Astor street.
| cLApTEP Y