The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-04-27


greater than anyone had e 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. Coryet him
self had corrected the omission: For
two" he had shot after the man.
The tables, at this hour, were all
~unoccupied. Corvet crossed to the
one he had reserved and sat down ;
he turned Immediately to the window
at his side and scraped on it 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.
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.
For nearly an hour the quarrel con-
tinued with intermitted truces Of ST.
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.
"We have had an understanding for
more than a month"
"How definiteT'
Spearman's answer was not audible.
but it more intensely agitated Corvet;
he dropped his fork and. after that,
made 40 pretense of eating.
The waiter, following this, caught
only single words. "Sherrill"-that.
of course, was the other partner. Con
stance"-that was SherrilPs daughter.
The other anne he heard were names
of ships. But, as the quarrel went on.
the manners of the two men changed I:
Spearman, who at first had been as
sailed by Corvet, now was assailing
him. Corvet sat back In his seat,
while Spearman pulled at his cigar and
now and then took ii from his lips and
gcStured with 1t between his fingers,
as he jerked some ejaculation across
the table.
Corpet leaned over to the frosted
window, as he had done when alone,
and looked out. Spearman shot a COM
ment which made Corvet vince and
draw back from the window; then
Spearman rose. Corvet looked UP at
bin once and asked a question, to
which Spearman replied with a snap
of the burnt match down on the table;
he turned abruptly and strobe from
the room. Corvet sat motionless.
The revulsion to ~self-control, some
times even to apology. which ordina-
rily followed Corvet's bursts of irrita-
ton had not come to him; his agita-
ton plainly had increased. He pushed
from him his uneaten luncheon and
got up slowly. He went out TO the
coat room, where the attendant hand
ed him his coat and hat.
He WINGED as he stepped out into
tho GTnaptinU hIinJinv c.,sr -
but his shrinking was not physical; 1t
was mental, the unconscious reaction
TO some thought the storm called IN.
The. hour was barely four O'Clock. but
so dark vas 1t with the storm that
the shop windows were lit motorcars.
slipping and skidding up the broad
boulevard, with headlights burning.
Kept their signals gathering con
stantly to warn other drivers blinded
by the The s~leet-swept side
walks were almost deserted; here or
there. before a hotel or one of the
shops, a limousine came to the curb.
and the passengers dashed swiftly
across the walk to shelter.
Corvet turned northward along
Michigan avenue, facing into the gale.
The sieet beat upon his face and
lodged in the folds Of his clothing
without his needing il.
He continued to 90 north. He had
not seemed. in the beginning, to have
made conscious choice Of this direc-
dom; but nov he was following II pur-
posely. He stopped once at a shop
which sold mems things to make a tel
ephone call. He asked for Miss Sher-
rill when the number answered; bur
he did hot wish TO speak TO her, he
said; he wanted merely to be sure she
would be there II he stopped In to
see her in half an hour. Then-north
again. He crossed the bridge. Now.
fifteen minutes later. he came In sight
of the lake once more.
Great houses, the Sheriff. house
among them. here face the Drive. the
bride path. the strip Of ,esrk, and the
wide stone esplanade which edges the
lake. Covert crossed to this espla
made. He did not stop 1t the Sherrfl
house or look toward 1t. but went on
fully a quarter Of a mile beyond II;
then he came back. aid witn an oddly